by JR Cook - 2 months ago     show comments

Here’s what happened in Blizzard gaming this week: BlizzCon announcements are heating up, World of Warcraft dropped a gold sink that’ll make your wallet weep, and Microsoft might be taking your favorite franchises to streaming. Let’s break down the big stories from August 31 through September 4.

World of Warcraft

Sporebearer Fungal Strider Mount Costs Up to 7 Million Gold

Blizzard just set a new high-water mark for WoW gold sinks. The Sporebearer Fungal Strider starts at 5 million gold and tops out at 7 million if you want the full package, and it’s only available during Midnight’s expansion cycle. If you’ve been sitting on a gold hoard waiting for the perfect prestige mount, this is your moment.

Midnight Patch 12.1.5 Adds Single-Boss Raid and New Labyrinth System

Patch 12.1.5 is bringing more than just filler content. The Unbinding of Kith’ix gives us a single-boss raid, but the real headline is Labyrinths, a new solo content system that sounds like it’s trying to split the difference between Delves and something more replayable. This could be the mid-expansion content boost Midnight needed.

Blizzard Working to Fix Missing Sparks of Tides Bug

Players have been missing Sparks of Tides they should’ve earned, and Blizzard’s still working on a fix after last week’s maintenance didn’t catch everyone. The team says a solution’s coming within the next few days that should restore what’s missing, which matters because Sparks are key to current crafting progression.

WoW Classic Plus Evidence Found in Blizzard Website Code Ahead of BlizzCon

Dataminers spotted color codes labeled “wow 2” in Blizzard’s website CSS that don’t match any existing WoW project. With BlizzCon starting this Saturday, the Classic community is convinced this is the smoking gun for a Classic Plus reveal. The timing’s too perfect to be coincidence.

BlizzCon 2026 Twitch Drops Reward Watch Time with Mounts and Tender

BlizzCon’s Twitch Drops program is back with actual rewards worth caring about this year. The promotion runs from September 12-27 and includes mounts and Trader’s Tender for WoW players who watch on Twitch or the official YouTube channel. Set those reminders now if you want the goods.

Blizzard Investigating Mythic Plus Boosting After Season 1 Leaderboard Drama

Blizzard’s doing a full review of Season 1 Mythic Plus leaderboards after the community flagged what looks like widespread paid boosting. Top one percent rewards include a unique mount and achievement, which apparently made cheating tempting enough that Blizzard had to step in. Expect some leaderboard cleanup soon.

WoW’s Race to World First Has Become a Legit Spectator Sport

Race to World First has evolved from scattered forum posts into a full-blown esport with professional production and sponsorships. Tens of thousands of viewers now watch top guilds stream their progression attempts live, complete with commentary. It’s wild how far this has come from guilds just racing quietly to clear content first.

Black Temple Now Open on Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Realms

Phase 3 of Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary realms launched on August 27, bringing Black Temple and Mount Hyjal back into rotation. Illidan’s back on the raid calendar just two weeks before BlizzCon, which is perfect timing for anyone feeling nostalgic about late TBC content.

Hearthstone

Patch 36.4.2 Nerfs The Food Chain, Buffs Battlegrounds Beasts and Demons

Patch 36.4.2 is live with targeted balance changes across all three modes. The Food Chain got a creative nerf in Standard to address frustrating gameplay patterns, while Battlegrounds’ struggling Beasts and Demons got some much-needed buffs. Light patch, but it hits where it needs to.

Hearthstone Worlds: Broadcast Schedule and Casters for BlizzCon

The Hearthstone World Championship is coming back to BlizzCon after years away. Sixteen of the world’s best players will compete on September 12-13 for the title and a $100,000 grand prize, with group stage play kicking off September 8-10. It’s great to see Worlds back on the main stage where it belongs.

StarCraft 2

Blizzard Teases StarCraft Announcement Ahead of BlizzCon 2026

The official StarCraft website is glitching out with flickering backgrounds and logos, and with BlizzCon starting next week, the timing’s not subtle. Something’s definitely getting announced for the StarCraft universe on September 12-13. The question is what exactly Blizzard has cooking.

BlizzCon

BlizzCon 2026 Know Before You Go Guide Now Live

Blizzard dropped the official Know Before You Go guide for BlizzCon 2026 with everything attendees and viewers need to prep for September 12-13. The convention returns to Anaheim with in-person events and free livestreaming for everyone at home. Check the guide for the full programming schedule and details.

Blizzard

Microsoft Shopping $300M Xbox TV Deal, Netflix Among Top Suitors

Microsoft is shopping a massive $300 million film and TV rights package covering its entire gaming library, including Halo, World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, and Diablo. Netflix is reportedly one of the top bidders. If this deal goes through, we could be looking at a flood of Blizzard franchise adaptations hitting streaming in the next few years.

That’s the week in Blizzard gaming. Head over to blizzpro.com to read the full articles, and we’ll catch you next week with all the BlizzCon announcements and fallout.