Earlier last month, I wrote a piece regarding expectations for BlizzCon 2016, the annual Blizzard Entertainment convention held for millions upon millions of gaming fans worldwide. Players who adore the Diablo games, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, World of Warcraft, and more (including all the dubious expansions for said titles) are thrilled each year, and this BlizzCon has been no exception. Now keep in mind that it is, in fact, still going on; at the time this article is being written, one more day of Blizzcon (November 5th) is still to come! World Cups and Championships, rewards, panels, and more are all on the line.
For me, however, you may recall that I'm more partial to two Blizzard games in particular: Overwatch: Origins Edition and Hearthstone. So while you can find Opening Ceremony info for everything at the link in the following parenthesis (https://blizzcon.com/en-us/news/20364531/blizzcon-...) the details I wrote about below are tailored only to the two games mentioned above. 25 years of Blizzard gaming deserves more attention, don't get me wrong, but this are simply my takeaways.
1. Overwatch: Origins Edition
The animated short above, one of many short videos for the 2016 FPS smash hit, finally revealed at long, long last... Sombra!
Blizzard had been teasing her for what seems like an eon, and the company is already known for taking what seems like eons piled on eons to release new content and update/patch old content. Its games are laden with delays, but Sombra is no longer just a rumor, a leak, or a highly anticipated suspicion. She's here, and minus being tested on the PTR, she will likely be available to play by the end of this month, if not sooner.
She uses technology to hack. She can teleport in a sense, similar to abilities already present in Tracer and Symmetra. She can even mess with other players' Ultimate Abilities, so the meta of Overwatch is certainly bound to change, far more in my opinion than it did with the addition of the last new Hero, Ana. Sombra, from her playful "Boop!"moment in the animated short to her serious modes of attack, to her cunning manipulation of both allies and targets, has definitely impressed.
It's also important to note that other Overwatch news includes a new way to play: Arcade. Details here: http://kotaku.com/overwatchs-arcade-mode-will-bala...
Let's just all hope for more Loot Boxes as we tangle with Sombra, engage in new play styles, and more!
2. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/04/hearthstone-is...
The link above gives many details for "Mean Streets of Gadgetzan", the newest expansion for the card game. In it, mob-ridden underworld syndicates rule the real port town of Gadgetzan, as opposed to the aesthetic above with kindly traders and peaceful shops and town squares. It feels noir-ish, to make up a word there. Extra details here: http://www.hearthpwn.com/news/1847-mean-streets-of...
What I'm most excited about with this isn't just new class and neutral Legendary cards. It's not even just how soon it'll be available either; unlike the aforementioned delays Blizzard is unfortunately known for, this expansion has been promised this December! But no, the most excitement can be drawn from the new mechanic being injected into the current Hearthstone meta: Tri-Class cards.
We've seen mechanics rejuvenating the game before; Battlecries, Deathrattles, Inspire, and more. We've also seen different synergies than mob bosses and bouncers, like with Mean Streets; Dragons, Mechs, Murlocs, Beasts, etc. But now with Tri-Class, it's sure to throw opponents off when they can't just expect a Mage to only play Mage or Neutral cards, or for a Hunter to be able to throw down something it would've never had deck access to before. More is sure to develop as the inclusion approaches and eventually becomes a solid part of everything, but for now this is all we've got to work on, and it's pretty damn cool.
What's your take on all this? Feel free to comment below!
