Editing Blizzard Entertainment (section)

== Games ==
{{main|List of Blizzard Entertainment games}}

{{Video game timeline
| compressempty = yes
| 1994a = ''[[The Death and Return of Superman]]''
| 1994b = ''[[Blackthorne]]''
| 1994c = ''[[Warcraft: Orcs & Humans]]''
| 1995 = ''[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]]''
| 1996 = ''[[Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal]]''
| 1997a = ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]''
| 1997b = ''[[The Lost Vikings 2]]''
| 1998a = ''[[StarCraft (video game)|StarCraft]]''
| 1998b = ''[[StarCraft: Insurrection]]''
| 1998c = ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''
| 1998d = ''[[StarCraft: Retribution]]''
| 1999 = ''[[Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition]]''
| 2000 = ''[[Diablo II]]''
| 2001 = ''[[Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]''
| 2002 = ''[[Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos]]''
| 2003 = ''[[Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne]]''
| 2004 = ''[[World of Warcraft]]''
| 2007 = ''[[World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade]]''
| 2008 = ''[[World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King]]''
| 2010a = ''[[StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty]]''
| 2010b = ''[[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm]]''
| 2012a = ''[[Diablo III]]''
| 2012b = ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria]]''
| 2013 = ''[[StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm]]''
| 2014a = ''[[Hearthstone]]''
| 2014b = ''[[Diablo III: Reaper of Souls]]''
| 2014c = ''[[World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor]]''
| 2015a = ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]''
| 2015b = ''[[StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void]]''
| 2016a = ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''
| 2016b = ''[[World of Warcraft: Legion]]''
| 2016c = ''[[StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops]]''
| 2017a = ''[[Diablo III: Rise of the Necromancer]]''
| 2017b = ''[[StarCraft: Remastered]]''
| 2018 = ''[[World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth]]''
| 2019 = ''[[World of Warcraft Classic]]''
| 2020a = ''[[Warcraft III: Reforged]]''
| 2020b = ''[[World of Warcraft: Shadowlands]]''
| 2021a = ''[[World of Warcraft Classic#Burning Crusade Classic|World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic]]''
| 2021b = ''[[Diablo II: Resurrected]]''
| 2022a = ''[[Diablo Immortal]]''
| 2022b = ''[[World of Warcraft Classic#Wrath of the Lich King Classic|World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic]]''
| 2022c = ''[[Overwatch 2]]''
| 2022d = ''[[World of Warcraft: Dragonflight]]''
| 2023a = ''[[Diablo IV]]''
| 2023b = ''[[Warcraft Rumble]]''
| 2024a = ''[[World of Warcraft Classic#Cataclysm Classic|World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic]]''
| 2024b = ''[[World of Warcraft: The War Within]]'' 
| 2024c = ''[[Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred]]''
| TBAa = ''[[World of Warcraft: Midnight]]''
| TBAb = ''[[World of Warcraft: The Last Titan]]''
}}

Blizzard Entertainment has developed 19 games since the inception of the company in 1991.

=== Main franchises ===
The majority of the games Blizzard published are in the ''[[Warcraft]]'', ''[[Diablo (series)|Diablo]]'', and ''[[StarCraft]]'' series. Since the release of ''[[Warcraft: Orcs & Humans]]'' (1994), ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' (1997), and ''[[StarCraft (video game)|StarCraft]]'' (1998), the focus has been almost exclusively on those three franchises. ''[[Overwatch]]'' (2016) became an exception years later, bringing the number of main franchises to four. Each franchise is supported by other media based around its intellectual property such as novels, collectible card games, comics and video shorts. Blizzard announced in 2006 that they would be producing a [[Warcraft (film)|''Warcraft'' live-action film]]. The movie was directed by [[Duncan Jones]], financed and produced by [[Legendary Pictures]], [[Atlas Entertainment]], and others, and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/press/060509.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526064526/http://www.blizzard.com/press/060509.shtml |archive-date=May 26, 2006 |title=Blizzard Entertainment – Press Release |access-date=August 31, 2006 |date=May 9, 2006}}</ref> It was released in June 2016. On October 4, 2022, ''Overwatch'' servers were officially shut off at the same time ''[[Overwatch 2]]'''s went up.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2022 |title=Overwatch servers shutdown |url=https://thenerdstash.com/overwatch-1-server-shutdown-times-and-more/#:~:text=As%20sad%20as%20it%20is,down%20on%20October%204%2C%202022.}}</ref>

=== Spin-offs ===
Blizzard has released two [[Spin-off (media)|spin-offs]] to the main franchises: ''[[Hearthstone]]'' (2014), which is set in the existing ''Warcraft'' lore, and ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'' (2015), which features playable characters from all four of Blizzard's franchises.

=== Remasters ===
In 2015, Blizzard Entertainment formed "Classic Games division", a team focused on updating and [[remaster]]ing some of their older titles, with an initially announced focus on ''[[StarCraft: Remastered]]'' (2017), ''[[Warcraft III: Reforged]]'' (2020)'','' and ''[[Diablo II: Resurrected]]'' (2021)''.''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Blizzard Looking to Revive These Classic Games [UPDATE]|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-looking-to-revive-these-classic-games-upd/1100-6431991/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-looking-to-revive-these-classic-games-upd/1100-6431991/| archive-date=2021-09-28|access-date=February 22, 2021|website=GameSpot|language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=February 2021|first=Josh West 19|title=Why Diablo 2 deserves to be Resurrected|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/why-diablo-2-deserves-to-be-resurrected/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://www.gamesradar.com/why-diablo-2-deserves-to-be-resurrected/| archive-date=2021-09-28|access-date=February 22, 2021|website=gamesradar|date=February 19, 2021|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Re-released games ===
In February 2021, Blizzard Entertainment released a compilation called ''Blizzard Arcade Collection'' for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 4]], and [[Nintendo Switch]]. The collection includes five Blizzard's classic video games: ''[[The Lost Vikings]]'', ''[[Rock n' Roll Racing]]'', ''[[Blackthorne]]'', ''[[The Lost Vikings 2]]'' and ''[[RPM Racing]]'', with the last two games added in April 2021. Some of the modern features include 16:9 resolution, 4-player split-screen, rewinding and saving of game progress, watching replays, and adding graphic filters to change the look of player's game.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|date=February 19, 2021|title=Three classic Blizzard games come to PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One today|url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/2/19/22291912/blizzard-arcade-classics-lost-vikings-blackthorne-rock-n-roll-racing| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://www.polygon.com/2021/2/19/22291912/blizzard-arcade-classics-lost-vikings-blackthorne-rock-n-roll-racing| archive-date=2021-09-28|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=Polygon|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Blizzard Arcade Collection: Games, New Content, Release Date and More|url=https://gfinityesports.com/article/10879/blizzard-arcade-collection-games-new-content-release-date-platforms| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://gfinityesports.com/article/10879/blizzard-arcade-collection-games-new-content-release-date-platforms| archive-date=2021-09-28|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=gfinityesports.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Additionally, it contains upgrades for each game such as enhanced local multiplayer for ''The Lost Vikings'', new songs and artist performances for ''Rock n' Roll Racing'', as well as a new level map for ''Blackthorne.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Relive the Legacy: Announcing the Blizzard Arcade Collection|url=https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/blizzard/23617535/relive-the-legacy-announcing-the-blizzard-arcade-collection| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/blizzard/23617535/relive-the-legacy-announcing-the-blizzard-arcade-collection| archive-date=2021-09-28|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=news.blizzard.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>'' A digital museum, which is included in the collection, features game art, unused content, and interviews.<ref name=":0" />

=== Unreleased and future games ===
Notable unreleased titles include ''[[Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans]]'', an [[adventure game]] which was canceled on May 22, 1998;<ref name="schreier play nice chap5">Schreier, 2024, Chapter 5: Fugitives</ref> ''Shattered Nations'', a [[turn-based strategy game]] cancelled around 1996;<ref name="schreier play nice chap4">Schreier, 2024, Chapter 4: Warcraft Goes Purple</ref> and ''[[StarCraft: Ghost]]'', an action game aimed for release on consoles, co-developed with [[Nihilistic Software]], which was "postponed indefinitely" on March 24, 2006, after being in [[development hell]] for much of its lifespan.<ref name="schreier play nice chap11">Schreier, 2024, Chapter 11: "That King of Looked Like Me"</ref>

Work on a project called ''Nomad'' started around 1998 after the release of ''Starcraft'', with development led by Duane Stinnett. ''Nomad'' was inspired by the tabletop role playing game ''[[Necromunda]]'' that was played in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic setting]]. The project had vague goals, and around that time, many of the staff of Blizzard began playing [[MMORPG]]s ''[[EverQuest]]'' and ''[[Ultima Online]]''. ''Nomad'' was cancelled in 1999 as Blizzard shifted to making their own MMORPG, ''World of Warcraft''.<ref name="schreier play nice chap8">Schreier, 2024, Chapter 8: Nomad</ref>

In the wake of the 2018 layoffs, two projects were cancelled: One was codenamed ''Orion'', an asynchronous card game for mobile devices designed by ''Hearthstone'' developers. While the game was considered fun to play when players were engaged in real time, the asynchronous aspect diluted    the enjoyment of the. The second, codenamed ''Ares'', was a first-person shooter within the ''Starcraft'' universe inspired by [[Electronic Arts]]' ''[[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield]]'' series that had been in development for three years.<ref name="schreier play nice chap25"/>

After seven years of development, Blizzard revealed the cancellation of an unannounced MMO codenamed ''[[Titan (Blizzard Entertainment project)|Titan]]'' on September 23, 2014, though ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'' was created from its assets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/9/23/6833953/blizzard-cancels-titan-next-gen-mmo-pc |title=Blizzard cancels its next-gen MMO Titan after seven years |last=Kollar |first=Philip |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=September 23, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923203528/http://www.polygon.com/2014/9/23/6833953/blizzard-cancels-titan-next-gen-mmo-pc |archive-date=September 23, 2014}}</ref> The company also has a history of declining to set release dates, choosing to instead take as much time as needed, generally saying a given product is "done when it's done."<ref>{{cite magazine |author=GamePro Staff |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/79448/gamepro-q-a-blizzards-jeff-kaplan-on-the-burning-crusade/ |title=GamePro Q&A: Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan on The Burning Crusade |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=August 29, 2006 |access-date=September 30, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114012421/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/79448/gamepro-q-a-blizzards-jeff-kaplan-on-the-burning-crusade/ |archive-date=January 14, 2009}}</ref>

''Pax Imperia II'' was originally announced as a title to be published by Blizzard. Blizzard eventually dropped ''Pax Imperia II'', though, when it decided it might be in conflict with their other space strategy project, which became known as ''[[StarCraft]]''. THQ eventually contracted with Heliotrope and released the game in 1997 as ''[[Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain]]''.

The company announced in January 2022 that it was near release of another new intellectual property, named ''[[Odyssey (cancelled video game)|Odyssey]]'' according to ''[[Bloomberg News]]'', a [[survival game]] that had been at work at the studio for nearly six years before its cancellation in 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=January 28, 2022 |title=Blizzard's survival game has been in development for almost 5 years |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzards-survival-game-has-been-in-development-for-almost-5-years/ |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=January 28, 2022}}</ref><ref name="verge jan2024 layoffs"/> ''Bloomberg'' stated that the game's origins came from ''World of Warcraft'' developer Craig Amai, and was originally prototyped using the [[Unreal Engine]], which Blizzard licensed from [[Epic Games]]. When the game was revealed in 2022, about 100 employees were working on it, but around the same time, there was effort to switch from Unreal to Synapse, Blizzard's engine used for mobile games, though artists continued to develop assets in Unreal. Near when Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, there was an internal belief that they would be able to bring on more developers to complete the transition to Synapse and have the game ready for a 2026 release, but with the culling of 1,900 staff from [[Microsoft Gaming]] in January 2024, the game's development was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-25/microsoft-cancels-big-new-blizzard-game-after-six-years-of-development | title = Microsoft Cancels New Blizzard Video Game After Six Years of Development | first = Jason | last = Schreier | date = January 25, 2024 | accessdate = January 25, 2024 | work =[[Bloomberg News]] }}</ref>

=== Ports ===
The company, known at the time as the Silicon & Synapse, initially concentrated on [[porting]] other studios' games to computer platforms,<ref>{{Citation|title=The History of Blizzard - IGN|date=October 22, 2010|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/22/the-history-of-blizzard| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20210928/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/22/the-history-of-blizzard| archive-date=2021-09-28|language=en|access-date=February 7, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> developing 8 ports between 1992 and 1993.