Blizzard Watch Podcast

Before we say our goodbyes, there was a lot of WoW stuff to discuss, including the Forever naming window, which did not go smoothly. Joe explains why this is actually a good thing (despite the fact that someone was able to sneak my name out from under me). We also have a very short preview of Talebound, which is being called a demo because reasons. We have theories. There's a set of new tentacled shop offerings for your Player Housing, including new exteriors, which was a roller coaster ride of emotions.And then we ride the roller coaster of emotions right to the bottom with the news that EA is shuttering BioWare. The crew explains how we got here, and what we're all losing -- an icon of the industry, with a deep portfolio of moving stories that we've all replayed many times over. Not being surprised about it doesn't make it any less upsetting.

Hallow's End has begun in World of Warcraft, and with it comes all our old haunts, plus a ton of content for our Player Housing neighborhoods. After all, the best part of the holiday is trick or treating door to door! These quests take you to far-flung creepy corners of Azeroth, and somehow, Nomi is there, which is the real horror. And the scares doesn't stop there -- the new Labyrinths features have been plagued by a lot of bugs! Our experiences have certainly been spooky. And speaking of bugs, Aqir Invasions are ending in patch 12.1.7. And this is the perfect time to mention the new Old God-themed Hearthstone expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, which released earlier this week, and features an "assemble" keyword, which allows you to mash together a bunch of different effects to the wackiest of ends.But enough with the Halloween theme -- the bright spot that is WoW: Forever is fast approaching, with the name reservation window beginning October 27. And beyond that is even more -- this week we got a preview of some of the old/new stuff, including the Brotherhood of the Horse, and the timeframe for the opening of raids. By the way, yes, you will have to attune for those. Everything old is new again, including your inability to get that Headless Horseman mount drop.

This week is patch 12.1.5 in World of Warcraft, which isn't a big patch but it has some story content we aren't happy about and Labyrinths that we are happy about. Plus huge improvements to crafting decor (you don't need nearly as much lumber now), store transmog sets with hair under hats, the strange state of WoW Classic, and how gold sellers (and buyers) are already getting banned in WoW: Forever. Yes, it's still in beta, but some people just couldn't wait.

This week the crew is joined by Lore Watch co-host Eric O'Dea, and it's great that he's here, because this week was all about end game. No, not raiding, though Sunder Armor is back in Forever, which gives us a quick nostalgia hit. Instead we're talking about the transmogs from this month's Trading Post (a little disappointing), and how creative people are with their Player Housing creations (unfathomably), and just how excited we are for this year's Hallow's End, which is coming along soon.Hearthstone announced a Road to Ny'alotha opener to the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion sounds a bit like a few of the narrative adventures they used to have, and Eric digs it. Plus, Doctrine is in Overwatch, and Sombra is officially a Support now, which we still think is kinda weird.And this week we also got to questions, which is a change of pace after that whole BlizzCon gauntlet. You can email those or tag us on our socials including our fabulous Discord, or if you're our Patron you can send us a message there (being our Patron is super fun and cool, and we love our Patrons a lot).

Fresh off a triumphant return last week, Cory is back to discuss Heroes of the Storm again. There's a bit more to discuss, as a new Hero also means fixes, but we started the show with the news that World of Warcraft patch 12.1.5 has an official release date. And along with that release date also comes the list of confirmed features, and among other features, we're adding an Aqir Invasion to the mix. The crew quibbled over whether anyone even likes doing these, or if it's just throwing a whole lot of bugs on a pile of snakes.And if that makes you want to drink, good news: Brewfest is back! And there's decor, which immediately makes it worth doing. Plus, Anomalies are in Hearthstone Battlegrounds, and for little guys who summon the earth-shattering entities in WoW, they are even more overpowered than usual.

This week marks 600 episodes of the Blizzard Watch Podcast, so instead of just one guest host, Cory, Liz Patt, and Mitch all joined Liz Harper, Joe, and Matt to celebrate. One of our guest hosts in particular had a lot to celebrate, as Cory proceeded to rub it in all our faces that he was right, that Heroes of the Storm is so incredibly back with new hero Xal'atath, and he takes his accolades for being RIGHT in the form of a cash payout. We find out later in the show that Liz P. was less enthused about various BlizzCon announcements, but I don't want to spoil that for you.Then we move on to the actual new hotness, WoW Forever, which Liz H. was playing during the livestreamed recording. The crew talks beta access, and whether it ruins the experience. Liz says it wears the shine off, while Joe doesn't have any problem playing the beta and then the live game.Plus, the crew has some ideas for Diablo 5. Don't we all.