Blizzard Watch Weekly: Just a few more hours in the Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred waiting room

Last week we had WoW patch 12.0.5, and this week we have Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred (patch 3.0.0). While the WoW launch isn’t a major one — though some of the bugs packed into the patch are pretty major — we’re looking at a massive update to Diablo 4. That is to say a lot has been going on, with a lot more to come as we continue to watch bug fixes roll in for World of Warcraft and we roll out more guides for Diablo 4.

But it’s Monday, so before diving head first into the latest game, let’s take the time to look back at what happened last week and what’s happening this week. Here’s what’s going on in Blizzard games.

What happened last week?

• We’ve had a chance to play Diablo 4’s Lord of Hatred expansion before it comes out today, and you can read my overall impressions of the new expansion, Liz Patt’s impressions of the new Warlock class, or Phil Xavier’s impressions of the expansion as a returning player, who’s missed many of the intermediary game updates. Tldr: we all think expansion is pretty great (with some caveats). The expansion launches today globally at 4pm pacific / 7pm eastern.
• WoW patch 12.0.5 has launched, and for a small patch, it’s packed with features… and packed with bugs. The Voidforge’s bonus rolls have been rolling duplicates until it was hotfixed, housing was completely disabled for the first day, Void Assaults give rewards to AFKers because there’s no participation requirement, and Decor Duels don’t give rewards to winners because if you stay hidden for the entire game of hide and seek you must not be participating. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for patch problems. It’s bad enough that Blizzard has apologized for the patch’s quality, and the devs have been putting out rapid-fire hotfixes to address issues. It’s still a work in progress, but at least Abyss Anglers is working.
• One great patch 12.o.5 feature that isn’t bugged (at least not that I’ve noticed): Drathyr Evokers can now maintain Visage form in combat, only shifting to use draconic abilities.
• This week’s Hearthstone Tavern Brawl is Burndown Rekindled, which pits decks against each other to see which one wins. If you win, you can keep playing with your deck. If you lose, you get your opponent’s winning deck and can keep trying. It can be frustrating, but patience will win out in the end and you’ll get your weekly free pack.

What’s happening this week (and beyond)

• April 27: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred launches, and it may be launching sooner than you expected because the announced launch date of April 28 was a global release date: in the Americas, the game launches on April 27 at 4pm pacific / 7pm eastern.
• April 27 – March 4: WoW Children’s Week goes live, though we haven’t heard if this year has anything new.
• May 14: WoW Classic Anniversary realms TBC Phase 2 launches
• Through May 21: There’s a new WoW murloc plushie decor Twitch Drop, and you’ve got about a month to get it
• Until they’re gone: BlizzCon 2026 tickets are on sale

Other things we’re playing, watching, and more

• This week’s Epic Games Store freebie is Doomblade, a demonic Metroidvania in which you wield the titular Doomblade as you fight off the demonic forces keeping the blade imprisoned. If you like Metroidvanias, change up your gaming routine and check it out. It’s free, after all.

Our latest podcasts

• Blizzard Watch Podcast: Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred waiting room
• Lore Watch Podcast: The Diablo buddy comedy of the new The Lost Horadrim novel

Tavern Watch Podcast was off last week, but look for a new actual play episode later today!

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back next week with another weekly news recap!