Blizzard Watch Weekly: After Midnight

This week was dominated by the Midnight infodump from gamescom. So, what comes next? Other than Player Housing. Because we’re also still fixated on when we’re getting Player Housing.

While let’s look back at what happened this week, what we have to look forward to next week, plus some stuff you may have missed.

What happened this week?

• Gamescom August 19-24
• This week’s Hearthstone Tavern Brawl: Idols of Azeroth Tavern Brawl (Wild, Provided)
• Active Twitch Drop campaigns
• Epic Games Store free game of the week: Strange Horticulture and Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge

Gamescom was this week into the weekend, which means we got a huge showcase of incredible new games, as well as the most anticipated reveal perhaps ever, and the cinematic for the next WoW expansion, Midnight. There was also a slew of new information — some from panels, some from “competitive” housing showcases, some from clarifications from social media. Also, Holly Longdale’s killer fashion sense. One thing we saw a little of last week, but has now been not only clarified, but is now live — the perks for pre-ordering Midnight.

We’ve also kept our eye on the Race to World First for Manaforge Omega. Several guilds are working on Dimensius, and we’d expect him to die over the weekend, if not in the space between when I file this article and when it goes live (because that’s how this site’s curse works). We’re definitely not done with K’aresh just yet, either — or its snazzy transmog options.

If you’re looking for something to play this weekend, the Guild Wars 2 open beta for Visions of Eternity is available to play through August 27. And this week’s dose of cute is baby giraffes. I just love their whiskery little chins.

 What’s Happening Next Week (and beyond)

• Overwatch 2 season 18 begins August 26
• Diablo 4 season 10 PTR through August 26

Of course, in the “looking forward” part here, just about everything to discuss is all the new stuff coming in Midnight. There was a look at the new — and newly revamped — zones we’ll be exploring in Midnight at the beginning of the expansion. We got some information about the new Delves we’ll be exploring in Midnight, not with our ol buddy Brann Bronzebeard, but now with the oddly eye-catching Rogue, Valeera Sanguinar. There are a few new bits of Demon Hunter news, like the long-awaited third Demon Hunter spec, and the ability to play a Void Elf Demon Hunter. One of the most intriguing points was the new Prey system, which has NPCs hunting you down as you hunt them, with a variety of challenge levels. I anticipate getting ganked by an NPC like it’s 2004 and I just discovered Defias Pillagers.

Another of the announcements from gamescom that got the staff excited was the Fallout TV show returning for season 2 in December.

This week’s podcasts

• Blizzard Watch Podcast: The Midnight cinematic was released and we have thoughts
• Lore Watch Podcast: What K’aresh might have to show us about the coming Midnight
• Tavern Watch Plays Rebel Scum, Episode 2: Liberation day at the mines

The “everything’s coming up Midnight” theme continued in the Blizzard Watch Podcast, as they discussed the cinematic and some of the new features shown off at gamescom. Lore Watch was recorded before the Midnight cinematic reveal, but discussed some things we saw in K’aresh they thought would likely be relevant to the story and the cinematic.

Tavern Watch was the lone holdout, offering nothing Midnight-related. Instead, their playthrough of Rebel Scum continued. This week’s traipse through a legally distinct Star Wars saw our heroes free some oppressed workers from a mining camp, but that’s just where the action starts, of course.

I hope you have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here next week for more.