Blizzard Watch Weekly: Actual Blizzard Watch

Okay, everyone, it’s happening. I am currently watching a Blizzard. It doesn’t get much better than this, especially since now that I got to play outside for a while, I can be inside and warm and snuggly. Truly the best of all worlds.

While we settle with some cocoa, here’s everything that happened this week and a few reminders for next.

What Happened This Week?

• WoW Cataclysm Classic Season of Discovery phase 4 began January 9
• WoW Classic Classic phase 2 began January 9
• This week’s Hearthstone Tavern Brawl: Brawl of Gaudiness (Wild, deck provided)
• Active Twitch Drop campaigns
• Epic Games Store free game of the week: Turmoil

First of all, if you’re hanging at AGDQ this weekend, see if you can find Mitch! He’s reporting for us from the floor.

The big news this week was the beginning of several new phases in several eras of WoW Classic at the same time. Most of our writing on the topic hails from previous weeks, but we did highlight the new Toy vendor Bubbles for Season of Discovery this week.

In retail WoW, Khadgar’s countdown has concluded, so there are some chonky spoilers as to the ultimate fate of the Kirin Tor afoot. There’s also the new Witness of the Kirin Tor title to grab, and we outlined how to get it.

There was a hiccup earlier in the week as Diablo 3 season 33 was ended in EU and Asia — accidentally, too early, and without any warning — and then brought back up (mostly, as long as you don’t play on console). It’s back up now (again, mostly), and we assume it’ll be up until our projected end date of February 9, though we don’t know for sure.

Also, yes, we’re still obsessed with baby hippos. Not sure that was in doubt, but there you go.

What’s Happening Next Week (and beyond)

• Plunderstorm returns to WoW January 14
• Darkening of Tristram Diablo 3 event through January 31
• Turbulent Timeways through February 25

The WoW PTR launched this week, which means we’re spending a lot of time looking forward. We have the timetables for both testing the dungeons involved in season 2, and the upcoming Liberation of Undermine raid. We also got a look at some additions — and possibly collectibles — coming to the Warband screens in patch 11.1.

In much further away news, Blizzard announced the dates and six cities they’ll be visiting for a series of international 30th anniversary events. Details beyond that are yet to be announced.

In the meantime, the Turbulent Timeways event has returned, and will be in play until February. If you keep up with it you can earn an adorable bee mount. It’s funny because I want to say I’d do anything to get it, and yet, five-to-seven consecutive weeks of Turbulent Timeways? Eh, we’ll see. Plus, we outlined the You Xal Not Pass meta-achievement, if you’re looking for something to do besides Turbulent Timeways.

And speaking of looking for other stuff to do, our weekend gaming post this week features a bunch of games that make us say, “okay, just one more,” and then suddenly it’s 3 am and we’ve lost control of our lives.

Podcasts

• Blizzard Watch Podcast: I will do anything for this bee
• Tavern Watch: Sentai & Sensibility 2: Welcome to our prehistoric robot rampage

This week’s podcast featured Liz and Joe with special guest Phil Ulrich talking about that bee mount we all have to have, plus some other junk, Overwatch 6v6 stuff, yadda yadda, let’s get back to the bee. Plus, on Tavern Watch our playthrough of Sentai & Sensibility continues, and I really can’t stress enough what a vibe this game is. Bath buns and robots, parasols and lasers — not sure I could come up with a better genre mashup if I tried.

If you’d like to listen to the podcast early, Tier 2 Patreon patrons get access two days before the shows are posted here on the main page. Plus, you get our eternal gratitude for your support.