Blizzard Watch Weekly: Every holiday event is ending soon, so get to getting those rewards!

It’s been a quiet one here at Blizzard Watch HQ, and so I have scant news to report for the week. However, there are a whole lot of wintery events wrapping up soon, and I am here to remind you about all of them.

So let’s get to it. Here’s a rundown of what happened this week and what’s coming up next week — including the end of many, many holiday events.

Every holiday event that’s ending

As December winds down, the holiday cheer is running thin, which means holiday events in our favorite video games are all warping up.

• Through January 2: WoW’s Winter Veil is only live for a few more days, so grab your presents soon! The holiday is also on in WoW Classic, and will similarly wrap up on January 2.
• Through January 6: Diablo 4’s Goblin Greedings event wraps up, so get in your Treasure Goblin killing before the opportunity is gone.
• Through January 7: Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland ends
• Through January 7: Diablo 2’s 22 Nights of Terror ends

What happened last week?

• We had a chance to open the presents under the Winter Veil tree, including the Rolling Snowball toy, Jubilant Snowman Costume toy, and the Tiny Snow Buddy pet. Grab yours before the holiday ends on January 2!
• On that note, January is almost here, and that means we’re getting a new WoW Trading Post. We have a rundown of the rewards, which include some reruns from last year. It could be more exciting, but it’s what we’ve got.
• Loot filters are our favorite quality of life improvement coming in Diablo 4’s Lord of Hatred expansion, and if you aren’t already jumping for joy at the news, we have an explanation on what a loot filter is and how it might work in D4.
• Because we care about cute things a completely normal amount, we have continued to catalog the adorable critters roaming our Player Housing Neighborhoods.
• The latest Hearthstone Tavern Brawl is the seasonally appropriate Gift Exchange Tavern Brawl, in which Greatfather Winter is handing out gifts to you and your opponent… so you’d better rush to open yours first. We have some decks to help you do it.

What’s happening this week (and beyond)

Here’s what’s coming up that isn’t the end of a holiday event.

• December 31: Diablo 3’s Darkening of Tristram event is back for another year, giving you a chance to relive the joy (?) of original Diablo gameplay with a nostalgia trip through Tristram Cathedral. The event starts this week with mysterious cultists spawning in Adventure Mode, and on January 3 you’ll be able to dive through a portal into Tristram’s past. The event runs through January 31, so you have some time to enjoy this one!
• Through January 12: Free character transfers are currently available from Classic anniversary realms to other Classic realms for players who don’t want to continue to The Burning Crusade, but you have to make the leap by January 12.
• January 13: The Burning Crusade Classic expansion pre-patch launches on the anniversary realms! (We don’t yet have a confirmed date for the expansion itself.)
• Through January 19: Legion Remix ends, so you have less than a month to collect all of the rewards you want!
• January 20: WoW’s Midnight pre-patch launches
• Until they’re gone: BlizzCon 2026 tickets are on sale

Other things we’re playing, watching, and more

• The free games continue! The Epic Games Store has a new freebie every day through January, and we’re keeping a list of all of them. Check in daily for a new free game!
• The Steam Winter Sale is live through January 5, and it’s an excellent time to build up your game backlog with heavily discounted titles.

This week’s podcasts

• Blizzard Watch Podcast: The spirits of WoW expansions past, present, and future
• Lore Watch Podcast: Santa Doctor Doom, and other comics crossovers
• Tavern Watch Plays Brindlewood Bay, episode 2: A tragic accident… or murder?

Thanks for reading everybody and have a happy holiday week, whatever you’re celebrating.