And that's a wrap! With World of Warcraft expansion details coming tomorrow, Blizzard made a bunch of smaller announcements across its busy slate. Hearthstone's Grand Tournament expansion is getting a Reveal mechanic, and some new cards were shown. The Infernal Shrines map was announced for Heroes of the Storm, alongside a new hero, Rexxar, and Artanis from StarCraft. Finally, StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void's Allied Commanders co-op mode was detailed. Join us for the latest on WOW tomorrow evening.

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

09:08 am UTC

Resok: Sad to see Diablo not mentioned in the sub-title. Guess the game really is on the way down.

It's not for want of love for Diablo 3 in the EG office, believe me! A D3 dev confirmed it won't be there on Twitter. Don't count the game out yet though - I wouldn't be surprised to see news at BlizzCon in November.

Oli Welsh 09:12 am UTC

Cartho: Warcraft 4 please. For the love of God. Or Warcraft 3 and Frozen Throne remastered in the Starcraft 2 engine. Seriously blizzard, those were the best stories ever told in an RTS. JUST TAKE MY MONEY.

If there's ever going to be a Warcraft 4, it's years away. Team 1 is busy with StarCraft 2 and Heroes of the Storm. Remasters, though... that might be another matter.

Oli Welsh 09:17 am UTC

computerhrd: Any chance for announcement of when the overwatch beta will start?

Reckon this is a good bet, though expect a gradual roll-out in typical Blizzard style.

Oli Welsh 09:45 am UTC We are in! Martin Robinson 09:46 am UTC And, as I'm sure you'll all be delighted to hear, the wi-fi is good. Blizzard know how to do internet, unsurprisingly. Martin Robinson 09:47 am UTC No Diablo news - that's been confirmed already - and The World of Warcraft reveal is tomorrow afternoon. Martin Robinson 09:48 am UTC Which still leaves StarCraft, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch and Hearthstone. Martin Robinson 09:48 am UTC Not a shabby batch, really. Martin Robinson 09:57 am UTC

pleshy: No live stream for this briefing, correct?

Correct. We're partying like it's 2007 here.

Oli Welsh 09:58 am UTC Hello everybody! For some reason they're letting me be the one to report this. Oh ho ho. Robert Purchese 10:00 am UTC It's very peaceful in here, Hearthstone tavern music tinkling in the background. You know, I'd like to own a pub like that, all pewter tankards clanging and raucous fantasy rabble. Robert Purchese 10:02 am UTC The conference is starting in a few moments. Plenty of people here now. Projected Blizzard logos floating on the walls around us. This would be better in costume. Robert Purchese 10:02 am UTC

G-Lord: Enjoy the show Bertie

Thanks!

Robert Purchese 10:04 am UTC Blizzard has got an awful lot on its slate at the moment - more than I can ever remember. Pity we'll have to wait for the WOW expansion announcement until tomorrow, though. I couldn't even coax a hint of what it will be from the PR, who's a very lovely man. Robert Purchese 10:05 am UTC I witnessed Bertie's interrogation skills when he asked that. It was brutal. Martin Robinson 10:05 am UTC Lights down, we're going to start! Robert Purchese 10:06 am UTC Guy Cunis, Blizzard PR, is making sure we don't film or use flash photography - and at just that moment someone took a picture. What utter mad bants. Robert Purchese 10:07 am UTC Hearthstone: The Grand Tournament up first, with Hamilton Chu and Mike Donais to present. Robert Purchese 10:07 am UTC Trailer first. Raged 7 for PEGI FYI - it's OK for your kids. We've seen this trailer before - it's the announcement one. Robert Purchese 10:08 am UTC Show us some cards! Inspire us! Get it? Inspire? No? Robert Purchese 10:09 am UTC Mukla's Champion Inspires 1/1 whenever you use your Hero power. This is the main new mechanic of the expansion in case you don't know. Robert Purchese 10:09 am UTC Legendary card Gormok the Impaler has a Battlecry where, if you have at least 4 other minions, he deals 4 damage. Robert Purchese 10:10 am UTC Bolster new spell. Give minions Taunt and 2/2. Burgle adds 2 random class cards t your hand (from your opponent's class). Robert Purchese 10:10 am UTC They're unveiling a brand new mechanic... Robert Purchese 10:10 am UTC

Badoink: Bertie, why does everybody likes you? I want to be like you.

Be careful what you wish for.

Oli Welsh 10:10 am UTC Something to do with jousting and steeds... Robert Purchese 10:11 am UTC It's Jousting, the new mechanic! Robert Purchese 10:11 am UTC Master Jouster, rare, has a Battlecry that when you Joust you reveal a minion in each deck. If yours costs more, gain taunt and divine shield. Robert Purchese 10:12 am UTC Each jouster reveals minions in each deck, and if your card costs more, it triggers a mechanic. It's a gamble, in other words, as jousting is - to some degree. Don't joust with The Mountain if you know what I mean. Robert Purchese 10:13 am UTC I didn't catch all the individual cards there, but that's the gist of it. Robert Purchese 10:13 am UTC Mike Donais, senior gameplay designer, is talking about some quality of life changes now. It's the Highest Rank Bonus. Robert Purchese 10:13 am UTC People who hit a high rank don't want to play anymore and lose rank. Not applicable to me because I don't get above 24. Robert Purchese 10:14 am UTC Now they memorise your recent rank in your Quest Log. At the end of the month you get a small bonus for whichever rank you achieve, and it depends on how high you got. Robert Purchese 10:14 am UTC At rank 17 the example is a new card back, a new rare card and some dust. It's all coming out this month. Robert Purchese 10:15 am UTC Note: no specific date beyond August. Robert Purchese 10:15 am UTC Dustin Browder now to talk about Heroes of the Storm. Robert Purchese 10:15 am UTC

smirny: so these cards then... http://www.hearthpwn.com/news/968-new-card-reveals-from-gamescom

Thanks!

Robert Purchese 10:15 am UTC We're seeing stuff from the Eternal Conflict. A new hero... Robert Purchese 10:16 am UTC It's... It's... The monk from Diablo 3! Robert Purchese 10:17 am UTC He's officially Kharazim. He sounds a bit cheesed off. Robert Purchese 10:17 am UTC He's the first Diablo support character in the game. He's melee support. Robert Purchese 10:18 am UTC You can choose the trait you want to take into battle at level one. No one else does that, apparently. Robert Purchese 10:18 am UTC You can choose between three: more crits, a heal every third strike, and a third I didn't catch... Robert Purchese 10:19 am UTC His abilities: Radiant Dash to jump to allies, based on charges. Bound to Q. Means you can get across the battlefield pretty nippy like. Robert Purchese 10:19 am UTC W ability is Breath of Heaven that heals you and people around you. That's your core support ability. Robert Purchese 10:20 am UTC E ability is Deadly Reach, which extends your reach and gives extra damage. Robert Purchese 10:20 am UTC These are abilities the monk has in Diablo 3. I played a monk, you know, and he was very good. Lovely big necklace. Robert Purchese 10:21 am UTC So you can push your spec towards support or, perhaps, melee assassin. Robert Purchese 10:22 am UTC Heroic abilities: Seven-Sided Strike. He teleports around whacking people. Robert Purchese 10:22 am UTC Divine Palm is a support heroic. Allows you to strike an ally and if they're killed while it's on them, they get a huge heal. It's a life-saver. Robert Purchese 10:23 am UTC There's a new Battleground they're going to show us today. It's Infernal Shrines, and it's a strong laning map don't you know. Robert Purchese 10:24 am UTC There are three shrines and they summon skeletons. First team to kill 30 skeletons gets a Punisher summoned for them. Robert Purchese 10:24 am UTC Punishers are out for heroes. They come for you. Robert Purchese 10:25 am UTC He hunts down the enemy team. We're seeing him now. He's a hulking brute with fiery blade arms. Hits hard. Robert Purchese 10:26 am UTC Ah, you can have a frozen, molten or magical type of Punisher. He really smashes the snot out of people. A circle appears around an enemy player that he's targeting. He jumps over walls to get to them. Robert Purchese 10:27 am UTC His jump attack stuns on landing. So he jumps on you then pound, pound, pound you're dead. Robert Purchese 10:27 am UTC What's Next? He asks. They're going to go back to regular scheduled programming when they were bouncing around from Blizzard universe to universe. Robert Purchese 10:28 am UTC Rexxar from Warcraft is coming in! He's a ranged warrior, the first of them. He has Misha the pet, a bear-cat thingamagic. Robert Purchese 10:28 am UTC Master and pet work together - you don't control Misha independently. Generally she attacks what you're attacking. Robert Purchese 10:29 am UTC Rexxar can use Spirit Swoop, a hawk he can launch out in a line attack at enemies. Robert Purchese 10:29 am UTC He has a 'Misha charge' ability to send her out to charge and stun enemies in a certain area. Robert Purchese 10:30 am UTC You can also Mend Pet, to keep Misha alive. Rexxar works best when she's alive obviously. If she dies, she'll return in several seconds, but Rexxar will be weaker during that moment. Robert Purchese 10:31 am UTC The heal is substantial. You can still burst-damage beat it, but over time she'll win out. Robert Purchese 10:32 am UTC The boards are good to slow fleeing teams. Another heroic is Bestial Wrath, a huge buff for Misha allowing her massive damage to rip people up. Robert Purchese 10:33 am UTC Artanis, the first StarCraft warrior, is coming. He's still being worked on. He's the dual-bladed guy. He can be very tough and do a lot of damage "even for a warrior character". Robert Purchese 10:33 am UTC Sounds like he doesn't have so much mobility though. Robert Purchese 10:33 am UTC Heroic abilities are Unleash the Boars, which sends out boars into a far off area, even one he can't see. Any enemy hit will be slowed and also be shown to Rexxar and his team. Oh how sneaky. Robert Purchese 10:34 am UTC

Noctimor: Not the boards!

Ha Sorry!

Robert Purchese 10:34 am UTC They're showing some of the art - how the characters will look - in a trailer. Blizzard models and animations are so chunky and satisfying - they pack so much character into their work. It's very nice to see. Robert Purchese 10:36 am UTC Sketchy internet issues! I'm tethered to Patrick Garratt's phone you know - he who runs VG247. Robert Purchese 10:37 am UTC There's an awesome mounted Judgement-clad Paladin character being shown. Robert Purchese 10:38 am UTC That's it for HOTS. Now we have Jeff Kaplan to talk about Overwatch. He did so much with World of Warcraft, remember, and was leading Titan before it sort of became Overwatch. Robert Purchese 10:39 am UTC Overwatch, in case you don't know, is a free to play team-based shooter. It's a bit Team Fortress 2, but shh don't tell Blizzard I compared it to that. It's got loads of different characters/classes, and I expect they'll rotate in and out and be bought in a F2P MOBA way. Robert Purchese 10:40 am UTC That's an Overwatch overview - ho ho! The announcements for Gamescom... Robert Purchese 10:41 am UTC New maps! Off to Russia to Vokskaya Industries. This has two control points for an attack-defend vibe. New elements they're trying include moving platforms, so turret builders can suddenly get mobile. Robert Purchese 10:41 am UTC

benbarrett: They confirmed it's F2P?

No, just speculation on our part!

Oli Welsh 10:42 am UTC

benbarrett: They confirmed it's F2P?

That may be me being crazy. Do not take as gospel! They didn't say anything about it and my internet is a bit slow to go and check things out at the mo (I don't want to touch it in case it falls down)

Robert Purchese 10:42 am UTC Second map is in Africa. It's Numbani. It is the most technologically advanced city in the (future) world of Overwatch. Robert Purchese 10:43 am UTC

Freezenification: Oh I googled and you're right. Its payment model is 'in flux'.

Super duper.

Robert Purchese 10:44 am UTC It's a hybrid map, so the first objective is to capture a payload, and if you get it you then have to escort it through the map. Robert Purchese 10:45 am UTC The map will have vistas of the horizon and you can actually knock people outside of the map. Players with great mobility can find shortcut routes around it too. Robert Purchese 10:46 am UTC Seeing a video now. Volskaya first. Snow, obvs. Big city in background. Now Numbani. The future is curvy, and there are trees! That's a relief. Robert Purchese 10:46 am UTC

linklegend11: Wonder if they'll be announcing when Overwatch is going into beta :O

He's still on stage - you never know!

Robert Purchese 10:47 am UTC New hero: Lucio. Robert Purchese 10:48 am UTC He's the 16th announced hero. He's got skates! He skates around. He's got big dreads. He's got a kind of futuristic bubble gun. He's mobile. He's really into his music. Now he's dancing. Cringe. Robert Purchese 10:48 am UTC He's Brazilian. "We're ecstatic that we finally have a hero from South America," grins Kaplan. I'm not surprised - big game-playing market, that. Robert Purchese 10:49 am UTC His gun is a sonic amplifier and he built it to rebel against the oppressive forces in Brazil. Robert Purchese 10:50 am UTC

Freezenification: What *type* of dancing though? We need to know!

If it's not capoeira, I'll eat my hat.

Oli Welsh 10:50 am UTC His gun has two firing modes. First is a four-round burst. Alternate is huge knock back. He has Crossfade. He has Amp It Up. He has Sound Barrier. Robert Purchese 10:51 am UTC His defining feature is his music. One of two songs always plays, and one heals, and one gives a speed boost, both to him and his team mates. Robert Purchese 10:51 am UTC Amp It Up "massively" increases bonuses from heal or speed song. The heal song heals your allies FYI. Robert Purchese 10:52 am UTC Amp It Up on speed boost makes you go super-fast it sounds like, even big tanky-lump characters. Robert Purchese 10:52 am UTC His skates allow him to jump on the wall and jump from wall to wall and keep the skate going. He's a good character to showcase the shortcuts Kaplan was talking about in the maps. Robert Purchese 10:53 am UTC Lucio's ultimate ability is a powerful support mechanic. It's Sound Barrier. He slams his amplifier on the ground and it shields him and allies, giving them an additional health pool. Robert Purchese 10:54 am UTC He works as both support and harassing skirmisher, Kaplan says. Robert Purchese 10:54 am UTC That's it from Kaplan and Overwatch. No beta date. Robert Purchese 10:55 am UTC Now Tim Morten is on stage talking about StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void. Yesterday they announced it will be shipping this year. It's haaaaaaaapening. Robert Purchese 10:56 am UTC Legacy of the Void is standalone, as is Heart of the Swarm now. LOTV adds six new units to multiplayer including the Liberator and Adept. Also adds the Archon mode to team up with other players. Robert Purchese 10:56 am UTC The new stuff... First footage of the new game mode Allied Commanders. Robert Purchese 10:58 am UTC It's a new co-op game mode where you can play against AI, with objectives. You can choose between commanders Raynor, Kerrigan and Artanis. You'll level up and gain new powers. Robert Purchese 10:59 am UTC Sounds an easy-in for newer players to me. No base-building, by the sound of it - more active. Robert Purchese 10:59 am UTC Anyone who buys any version of LOTV will unlock Artanis in Heroes of the Storm when he becomes available. Robert Purchese 11:00 am UTC Allied Commanders blends campaign gameplay and co-op gameplay. It's playable here at Gamescom. Robert Purchese 11:00 am UTC That's it from Morten. Robert Purchese 11:01 am UTC Everything they're showing will be available in high-res. Tom Chilton is coming up - game director for World of Warcraft. They're not announcing the expansion but they're going to talk a little bit about it... Robert Purchese 11:01 am UTC That's tomorrow at 6pm CEST - 5 UK time. Robert Purchese 11:01 am UTC They've got a few videos to show including a cinematic teaser. They're also doing a full BlizzCon-style presentation afterwards to do a full reveal on the expansion. That's really cool. Robert Purchese 11:02 am UTC It's not like Blizzard to choose Gamescom for that kind of reveal. Makes me wonder what on earth they've got for BlizzCon - must be big! Robert Purchese 11:02 am UTC That's it for Blizzard. That's it for me. Toodleoo! Smoochies! Robert Purchese Load more comments Loading