BlizzCon is one of the biggest fan events that the gaming community has to offer. During the BlizzCon 2019 opening ceremony, developers took the stage to announce tons of cools things like Diablo 4, a Hearthstone Descent of Dragons expansion, and perhaps the biggest announcement, the official Overwatch 2 announcement and trailer reveal. You might have missed a couple of smaller announcements amidst the chaos. Thankfully, our BlizzCon opening ceremony recap has you covered.
BlizzCon 2019 Opening Ceremony | StarCraft 2 vs. DeepMind
Players attending BlizzCon 2019 will get a chance to fight against a Google A.I.-programmed player in StarCraft 2. BlizzCon attendees will have a chance to make their way to the arcade room and battle against the A.I. on the hardest difficulty, but they shouldn’t expect to win. According to Blizzard President, J. Allen Brack, “If you try this, you will not win.” In fact, Brack predicted that only three players will be able to beat the the DeepMind A.I. According to reports, DeepMind is able to beat 99.8% of players it faces off against. So, it sounds like Brack’s prediction might not be too far off.
BlizzCon 2019 Opening Ceremony | The next StarCraft 2 Commander
In addition to the DeepMind news, the BlizzCon 2019 opening ceremony also revealed the next StarCraft 2 Commander. If you’re a up to date on your lore, then you’ll recognize the next co-op Commander, Arcturus Mengsk.
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Fast forward to the opening ceremony, Mengsk is now the next StarCraft 2 Commander, and will be playable for those attending BlizzCon 2019. Further details about Mengsk’s role as the co-op Commander are still limited, but should be uncovered as BlizzCon attendees are able to get their hands on the new co-op Commander. Further, more information about when Mengsk will be released to the public shouldn’t be far behind. He is coming “later this month” but an exact date wasn’t revealed.
BlizzCon 2019 Opening Ceremony | Deathwing the Destroyer is coming to Heroes of the Storm
Belonging to World of Warcraft lore, Deathwing the Destroyer will be coming to the spin off MOBA Heroes of the Storm. Deathwing will be the latest hero to be added to the game, and according to Brack is the most requested hero of all time. Deathwing will come in two forms with two sets of capabilities in Heroes of the Storm. Additionally, he will be playable in the arcade for those attending BlizzCon 2019. Furthermore, Deathwing will be added to your game for free upon release for all BlizzCon attendees and virtual ticket holders.
However, the announcements for HOTS didn’t stop there. Brack also revealed that from now until November 10, all Heroes of the Storm heroes would be free for everyone. So if there is a hero that you’ve been wanting to try out, now is the time. Additionally, if you have never played Heroes, now might be the time to hop in and get a feel for the game. But, you’ll have to decide fast, as this deal will only be lasting through next weekend.
BlizzCon 2019 Opening Ceremony | Will there be playable demos?
There were multiple announcements for new games, expansions, and more throughout the BlizzCon2019 opening ceremony. Thus, many BlizzCon attendees might be wondering if any of these games will be playable either in the BlizzCon Arcade or other demo rooms. Thankfully, the answer is yes, there will be loads of playable demos for BlizzCon attendees. In fact, you’ll be able to get your hands on demos for Diablo 4, Overwatch 2 (which will have two demos according to Jeff Kaplan), World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Hearthstone: Descendents of Dragons, as well as Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft 2.
