Fresh from the bombshell that Diablo 5 is coming in 2029, I was lucky enough to get 15 minutes with the developers to ask some burning questions. Quickest 15 minutes of my life, but 15 minutes I am very grateful to have had, let me tell you!

Diablo 5... already?

Sitting down with Senior Producer Tiffany Watt and Art Director John Mueller, my first question was the obvious one: Why Diablo 5, and why now (or rather, why in three years)?

Since the announcement however, that question has been debated to death already, and the reason comes down to scope. Mephisto and Lilith's story has been told across an epic Hatred saga spanning three installments, and we certainly couldn't expect Diablo himself to be relegated to a simple expansion. The Lord of Terror deserves his own story, and that belongs in a brand-new chapter.

Now to anyone worried that this means Diablo 4 is effectively being taken out back and put out of its misery, you couldn't be further from the truth. I sincerely advise you to watch the Diablo 4 panel that took place at BlizzCon today, where the developers not only shared more about Season 15 but also laid out the roadmap for the game's future.

While it has been confirmed that there are no more planned expansions for Diablo 4, the team is introducing a cohesive "Seasonal Arc" rather than isolated, standalone seasonal stories.

"We have an opportunity now after Lord of Hatred to chart a little bit of a story that's based on Lord of Hatred," the team shared. They noted that upcoming seasons leading up to the launch of the Amazon will feature an interconnected story thread, ultimately culminating in a confrontation with the new Aspect of Death.

The narrative journey from Diablo 4 to Diablo 5

I asked Tiffany and John about the new status quo in Diablo 5's world and how they plan to bridge the narrative gap from the current events of Diablo 4. I also wanted to know how they plan to ensure everything we just went through in the Age of Hatred saga still matters.

"Because Diablo 5 is a new game, a sequel, it gives us the freedom to start with a really big idea. What if Diablo got everything he wanted? And that's where we open the game. As you go through the campaign and the story, you are just a survivor in a very apocalyptic state of Sanctuary. You're discovering what happened, and how did this come about? Your role in it is really unique, and that's something we have more to share about next year."

But for now...

"Diablo 5 takes place 100 years after Diablo 4, and there was a Golden Age after we defeated Mephisto. In Diablo 5 you'll actually get to see how it played out, how Diablo actually conquered Sanctuary. You have the opportunity to watch that. As you're playing the story, you'll discover more about what the fallout is. When you enter it's actually 7 years after he has taken over Westmarch, you are the heir to Westmarch. You have a deeply personal connection to the story, because you have something to fight for. You're trying to win back the lands he (Diablo) conquered, but you're on the run. It's your fallen kingdom."

The devs also noted that, while the game was just announced, it's still three years out. While the early announcement might catch some off guard, it gives them a vital opportunity to talk to the community right now and gather feedback early in development while the narrative is still fluid and subject to change.

My own personal theory is that the recently announced Netflix show could do some heavy lifting here, but we are still waiting for more details on that front.

Establishing memorable side characters, and where Diablo 4 was lacking in this sense

After a brief chat about the exciting, nostalgia-packed Season 15 of Diablo 4, I mentioned to the team that it got me thinking about how Diablo 4 really failed to cement any memorable NPCs in my memory.

I can name every NPC in Diablo 3, from Shen to Kadala, and reel off their voice lines, but a blacksmith or occultist in Diablo 4 feels like a generic background asset. How can Diablo 5 bring back some of that character?

"This is something we recognize, and as we were starting to work on Diablo 5, we wanted to get back to that smaller story where you could go deeper with the characters. You know a lot of Blizzard characters have resonated over time, hey I have a cat called Deckard Cain! And everyone remembers Charsi from Diablo 2. The caravan is how we are really spending time with the characters in Diablo 5. There is an incredible cast that Jennifer and John have partnered on; we announced Zarg yesterday. He's a treasure goblin. Because it's a post-apocalyptic world, there are very few survivors. So when you come across one in your travels, it's going to be really rare that you find someone who is worth saving. That person or demon is going to be very meaningful to you when they join the caravan, and you'll learn about their backstory.

During the campaign, we'll learn how these NPCs have survived since Diablo's return to Sanctuary, their reasons for joining us, and their motivations. Essentially, we'll be given reasons to care for others outside of our own character. "We want to sort of bring back that notion that you have one character you get to know as the blacksmith, one as the jeweler, because they're like the last denizens of Sanctuary.

Of course Diablo 4 had its memorable characters in Lilith, Lorath, and Neyrelle, to name a few, but I'm happy to see that some of the flavor of Diablo 2 and 3 is coming back to the gameplay loop itself. I want to know the guy who is salvaging my gear!

Lessons learned from Diablo 4, from launch to current day

When Diablo 4 launched, I was surprised that several quality-of-life features standard in Diablo 3 simply didn't exist in the game. Things we had to wait months, or in the case of things like Armory and Party Finder, years, to be implemented.

Given the team's previous Diablo iterations and what the community liked and disliked, how did we end up losing so much in a new game, and will Diablo 5 avoid similar pitfalls?

"This is one of the reasons we are so excited to talk about Diablo 5 today. Even though it may be 3 years out, because we are starting the conversation so early we have a lot of opportunity to hear from the community about what is important. We are able to move a lot more quickly on things, and better prioritize what needs to go into the game. As a producer, I can ensure that things don't fall by the wayside. We had every intention of having these things in Diablo 4 at launch, but were frankly prioritizing some of those amazing creative system features. But it's really important we bring the whole package, and why we want to start the conversation early here with the community. Ultimately we're building the game the community wants.

As players in the game ourselves, it's important that we're hearing back from the community like, "Hey, like, you know what? Party finder, armory- these are things that are really core to our experience, that really allow us to enjoy the game at the level that we want." Last thing is, we were building a new toolset. You know, it wasn't the same foundation; it wasn't the same tech (from the Diablo 3 to Diablo 4 engine). The whole rendering engine, basically, all of it had to be modernized because it was just from a different era.

We've had our own branch now for Diablo 5, for a while now, and we've been tooling that and making that specific to the game we're building, and I think that's something that is not broadly understood how that works in game development. But it's a big deal! Because it means we can make it for our specific needs, not just what people want. We also don't want to carry over any tech debt or things we don't necessarily want in the game for the future."

Excited for what's to come, for both Diablo 4 and Diablo 5

Unfortunately I didn't get chance to ask much more, at least nothing the team are ready to answer me on yet (e.g will the game go back to peer-to-peer servers again), but I'm hoping to get more time with them as development goes on.

It's easy to be positive when I'm in the thick of the crowds at BlizzCon and absorbing the infectious atmosphere of all the fans around me, but I haven't been completely oblivious to what's been a mixed-bag response to the announcement of Diablo 5 online and back home. There are as many who are cautious and critical of getting another chapter announced while Diablo 4 is thriving, and I totally understand the sentiment. Afterall, I lived through Diablo 3 getting dropped right before Reaper of Souls was a resounding success. However, I'm so excited for both games right now.

I remember Diablo 4 being the first time Diablo had been so, well, mainstream and thrust into the spotlight; it captured the zeitgeist in a way that no further expansions are ever going to do again, and I think that magic could be struck twice with a Diablo 5 release that will bring people back once more.

Plus, Diablo 4 is getting a new class, talk of more focused seasonal content now that the team isn't split between that and work on expansions, and we still have three years to enjoy it before Diablo 5 arrives (and I will be shocked if that goal date isn't delayed).

Season 15 celebrates 30 years of Diablo, and what better time to announce a new chapter coming than on its 30th anniversary?

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Additionally, we know that Warzone will be shutting down on Xbox One and PS4 when the final Black Ops 7 season ends, as those platforms won't be getting Modern Warfare 4 or its Warzone integration.

So it stands to reason that the Warzone Modern Warfare 4 update will come as that season ends. We know it begins on September 17, and an educated guess right now would suggest an ending around November 12. This also falls in that three-week(ish) post-launch window we've seen before.

Note, this is all speculation right now. But once the final Black Ops 7 season is underway, we will at least be able to see when it ends, as that's when we expect the switchover for Warzone to happen.

We did, of course, get an early look at the Modern Warfare 4 update to Warzone in the recent open beta, which showcased the new Zodiac Resurgence map.

Beyond this we don't really know a whole lot about how Warzone will look in a Modern Warfare 4 world, but there are still a couple of months left (we think) yet to fill in the blanks.

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Sitting in the audience here at BlizzCon, I was curious to see why CD Projekt Red was attending, given we've already had the announcement of The Witcher 3 coming to Battle.net prior to the convention. It's clear, at least to me, that today this is a statement of intent for the relationship going forward, which they've just said themselves: "more coming in 2027," but we got a bunch of other tasty announcements on the Legends Stage today.

Cyberpunk 2077 joins Battle.net

The powerful partnership between Blizzard and CD Projekt Red has just been further cemented by the announcement that Cyberpunk 2077 is also coming to Battle.net later this year, following in the footsteps of The Witcher 3. For those who prefer to keep their gaming libraries streamlined under Battle.net alongside Blizzards multiplayer staples, Night City coming to the platform too will be a massive win.

Overwatch heads to Night City

The crossover ambitions don't stop at storefront integration. CDPR and Blizzard also teased a an upcoming Overwatch collaboration featuring Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

While full details on specific character skins and legendary bundles are still under wraps, the confirmation alone has the convention floor buzzing. Seeing the vibrant, gritty aesthetic of Night City clash with the hero shooter's roster promises some standout visual designs.

The Witcher arrives in Sanctuary

Of course, for Sanctuary fans, the crown jewel of today's reveals was our first in-engine look at the Barbarian styled as Geralt of Rivia. Available exclusively for players who preorder the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion on Battle.net.

The session is still ongoing as CDPR and Blizzard dive deep into the importance of Battle.net in linking communities together, and I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard has their sights set on other franchises to incorporate into their own launcher.

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BlizzCon 2026 was an absolute banger this year, with Diablo V, STARCRAFT, Heroes of the Storm revival, and more revealed.

The show ended with World of Warcraft Forever, which is Blizzard's take on the popular "Classic+" request. WoW Classic players prefer the old-school, social-first experience the game delivered in its early years, before retail added matchmaking systems and other "modern" features that arguably decimated the game's sense of community building.

WoW Forever builds on the original classic experience, adding new "old school" zones, raids, dungeons, quests, and new race/class combinations previously unavailable. The game will take place in a separate but adjacent timeline to the current WoW lore, offering alternative "what if" scenarios that won't impact the official timeline.

One example of this is the new race coming to World of Warcraft Forever: the Skyborne elves, available to both Horde and Alliance players when the game goes live in just under two months.

The first bit of controversy is the fact that Skyborne elves aren't simply included as part of WoW Forever. They come as part of a $29.99 pack, which marks the first time Blizzard has ever "sold" a race. If this race has particularly powerful racial abilities, i.e., so powerful that they become "meta," many are wondering if this doesn't effectively constitute a pay-to-win scenario.

I didn't know that aspect of the Skyborne when I went into my interview with Blizzard earlier today at BlizzCon, but I did want to know exactly why they decided to add yet "another" elf race to the game. People on social media have already been mocking the inclusion a bit, given the fact that WoW's narrative and race additions have been effectively dominated by elves for years at this point. Void elves, Nightborne elves, Dracthyr human-form elves — the main storyline is all about elves — and now WoW Forever is adding yet another new elf. I wanted to know why Blizzard leaned further into this, knowing the memes already circling about "World of Elfcraft."

The answer might be exactly what you expect it to be.

"We know that being an elf is extremely popular," Lead Classic Designer Tim Jones tells me, "We know from our own experiences we went through going into Burning Crusade, the ability to have a so-called 'pretty character' on the Horde was a big deal. If you go back to 2004, 2005, the balance of the factions was 60% Alliance, 40% Horde, and we discovered once we added Blood Elves to the Horde, it actually flipped to 60% Horde. Being able to make a very 'attractive' character is important to our players. We knew players were going to enjoy it. We have a really cool story to tell about it ... so why not? They're not the same as the elves we know."

"There are stories that we want to tell here," explains Kris Zierhut, Principal Designer. "One of the places we talked about was Shen'dralas, that space in between Mulgore and Desolace ... where you'll get more of the story about the history of Eldre'thalas, which is what became Dire Maul. Who opposed Prince Tortheldrin when he decided to sap his own people for power to summon demons? We thought it would be a cool opportunity when we're exploring that storyline among many untold stories that we want to finish and expand upon in the Classic space ... we tied that to the Skyborne."

So, there you have it. And its core ... the reason both Horde and the Alliance are getting access to the blood elf model is for faction balance, in essence. It's absolutely true that "elves" are WoW's most popular race according to the data ... although as a long-suffering Ogre enjoyer, I can't deny that I am immensely disappointed in the tastes of my fellow Azerothian brethren. I'm never getting playable Ogres, am I?

It's perhaps "not ideal" that they're admitting here that the reason they're adding elves is due to their popularity, only for the powers that be to paywall them behind a $29.99 package ... at that point, wouldn't it just be better to sell WoW Forever as a boxed product? I'll let the community debate that aspect of it ... clearly a lot of work has gone into WoW Forever. But monetizing races is potentially a slippery slope in my view.

In any case, how are you feeling about WoW Forever and BlizzCon 2026 in general? Hit the comments and let me know.

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One of the biggest announcements of BlizzCon 2026's Opening Ceremony was that Warcraft 3, one of the most iconic RTS games in the business, is getting a new expansion called "Forsaken Kingdom" for its modern Warcraft 3: Reforged edition.

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This expansion will follow the exploits of Sylvanas' early days waging war against the Scarlet Crusade, how she helped the Forsaken faction found the Undercity prior to World of Warcraft, and the rise of Naxxramas.

Additionally, Warcraft 3: Reforged will receive a new prologue storyline, over 30 hours of new gameplay content, a new definitive edition graphics mode, a new Forsaken Paladin hero unit, enhanced features, world editor improvements, and more.

Warcraft 3 is the latest game in a growing and welcome trend of classic titles receiving new DLC expansions after years of radio silence, like The Witcher 3's 'Songs of the Past' DLC and Age of Empires 3's 'The Baltic Powers' DLC.

And there couldn't be a more pleasant surprise than seeing a new expansion for Warcraft 3, which hasn't seen one since 2003's Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.

Judging from the trailers, The Forsaken Kingdom expansion looks like it will maintain the same classic strategy gameplay that made people fall in love with Warcraft 3 for decades.

Plus, the new content looks fun and exciting to play, especially if you enjoyed playing as the undead in Warcraft games. So, if you want to relive classic memories of Warcraft 3 while learning new lore about Warcraft's rich universe, then wage war in Warcraft 3: Reforged's "Forsaken Kingdoms", which is now available on PC via Battle.net.

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Blizzard's worst-kept secret of recent times has been revealed. This is World of Warcraft's take on "Classic+".

World of Warcraft's current retail incarnation is fun, but it's an oddly lonely experience. The game's matchmaking systems introduced some years ago, at this point, really damaged the social fabric of the game, reducing player interactions to the bare-bones functional basics for maximum efficiency.

World of Warcraft Classic, complete with retro graphics, was an attempt by Blizzard to recapture the old-style WoW used to provide, in response to pirated servers from players craving the old-school WoW. WoW arguably had far more RPG depth back in the day, even if it was mechanically more simplistic overall (I do not miss one-button damage rotations and effectively useless talent specs).

At BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard revealed "World of Warcraft Forever," which is their take on the community's "Classic+" request. Here's how it works.

Players have long asked Blizzard to offer something that retains the experience of World of Warcraft classic, while also providing new content. Blizzard's "Season of Discovery" was their first attempt at this, but WoW Forever seems far more ambitious.

WoW Forever revamps three classic zones and adds three additional ones on top. It also adds three new raids, a new battleground, and a new race in the Skyborne elves (yes ... more elves). WoW Forever also adds "Thousands" of new quests and new content in existing classic zones.

WoW Forever exists in something of a time bubble. The idea is that Blizzard will continue expanding the level 60 experience in WoW Forever, adding new raids, quests, and content in a horizontal way rather than a vertical way.

It's unclear as of writing if this exists in a separate timeline from the current WoW, giving Blizzard narrative license to diverge from the Retail pipeline.

Skyborne elves aren't mentioned anywhere in the current lore to my knowledge, for example, unless Blizzard is going to figure out some clever way to incorporate them retroactively.

Blizzard also teased the next WoW retail content patch in the form of "Eclipse," where players will take the fight to Xal'atath for one final showdown. Given that we already know the next expansion is called "The Last Titan," it doesn't sound as though we'll be victorious in our battle with Xal'atath here ... Blizzard also offered a small teaser for said expansion, although it sounds as though it'll be further out into 2027.

World of Warcraft Forever launches in just six weeks from now, so you won't have to wait long to try it out for yourself.

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Well, there you have it: Blizzard just officially announced Diablo 5 at BlizzCon, and we don’t have to wait long. A brand-new era for the action-RPG starts soon (well, soon by Blizzard standards) with a scheduled release window of Spring 2029.

There’s been talk recently of not waiting as long between announcements; from Diablo 3's launch to the Diablo 4 initial announcement, we had to wait a painful 7 years, and then another 4 for release. So needless to say, I’m stunned we are getting a Diablo 5 tease so soon, but I’m extremely happy about it.

Diablo? In MY Diablo game? Surely not!

The announcement trailer offered a brief teaser confirming the return of the ultimate prime evil: the Lord of Terror himself, Diablo. Yes, Diablo 5 is actually bringing him out of retirement and making him make an appearance in his own franchise! However, the most exciting thing about the upcoming sequel isn't just who is returning, but the state of the world when players step back into Sanctuary.

According to Blizzard, Diablo 5 is set roughly a century after the events of Diablo 4 and the defeat of the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto. But rather than our usual task of preventing some impending catastrophe, players will wake up in a grim reality where the apocalypse has already happened. Sanctuary has officially fallen, and Diablo has won.

This narrative pivot shifts the franchise's core thematic question. Previous titles cast players as the heroes desperately trying to forestall catastrophe. In Diablo 5, the central question is what a survivor must become when the world has already ended, and darkness has claimed total victory. Post-apocalyptic Diablo. Just when you thought Sanctuary couldn’t get much more depressing, they are taking it further into despair.

While gameplay mechanics, system depth, and specific class rosters are still heavily under wraps, Blizzard is wasting no time diving deeper into the vision behind the project.

A dedicated panel titled "Diablo 5: Forging the Next Era" is on the BlizzCon schedule today, where developers plan to break down the game's evolving story, world-building, itemization, and early development milestones.

Now don’t worry, this isn’t the end of Diablo 4; we have a few years of content to come yet. But it’s really bloody exciting knowing that Diablo 5 is already being worked on.

As the dust settles on Diablo 4’s current era, it will need to find a way, whether with seasonal content or otherwise, to shift us to the new, bleak, revolutionary chapter for the franchise when Diablo 5 arrives in 2029.

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While the Diablo 5 reveal was certainly a bombshell, Diablo 4 got its fair share of announcements at today’s BlizzCon, with huge updates to look forward to, including another new class to add to the roster. During the BlizzCon opening ceremony, Blizzard laid out their roadmap for keeping the game fresh well into 2027.

The biggest news by far is that the Amazon class is finally heading to Diablo 4 in the first half of 2027. Following the exploration of the Nahantu and Scosglen regions in Lord of Hatred, the team is bringing back the fan-favorite warrior archetype to her proper homeland of Skovos. The Amazon promises to inject a whole new combat style and tactical depth into the current roster when she arrives.

When Lord of Hatred launched earlier this year with Paladin, many fans thought the Amazon would be the second mystery class given the setting of the expansion and the class link to Skovos, but we got the Warlock at the time.

It's interesting that Diablo 4 devs seem to be striking a balance with their class rollouts, doing something completely new to the franchise (like Spiritborn and Warlock), but also bringing back some classic archetypes, starting with Paladin and now getting the Amazon from Diablo 2.

In the near term, we also have Season 15 (Season of Hell's Legacy) to look forward to. Positioned as a massive franchise 30th-anniversary celebration, Season 15 offers some neat callbacks to the series' storied history. It will feature some iconic past enemies, legacy items like In Geom, Stone of Jordan, etc., and a bunch of stuff pulled from decades of Diablo lore, including encounters involving the Prime Evils themselves.

Attendees at BlizzCon can get hands-on time with a playable version of Season 15 on the show floor in Hall B, while broader details will be unpacked during the "What's Next" panel on Sunday.

And in the worst-kept secret in Diablo, Blizzard officially confirmed that Diablo 4: The Age of Hatred collection is heading to the Nintendo Switch 2. Playable demos of the portable version are currently available in both the press center and the show floor.

There's also confirmation that the long-rumored Netflix collaboration is actually happening.

I hadn't heard a peep about this since chatting to Rod Fergusson back in 2024, I had definitely felt during our interview he held back on answering my question about this "I think that's something that could translate very well to something like that (screen). You know, I wish I had something I could talk to you about today. But in terms of just the general idea, do I think it could work? I definitely do." But even this coupled with Johanna Faires recent comments about Blizzard being Blizzard Entertainment, not Blizzard Games, didn't prepare me for an official announcement. We don't know anything else at this stage, but animated adaptation like Castlevania and Cyberpunk Edgerunners have been such a hit for Netflix, I can't wait to see how they tackle Diablo too.

Between a nostalgic heavy anniversary season, the expansion to Nintendo Switch 2 and the inclusion of the Amazon class from Skovos, Diablo 4 players have plenty of blood, loot, and lore to sink their teeth into over the coming years.

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During the BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, Blizzard Entertainment's popular hero shooter, Overwatch, received a new cinematic trailer for a new playable hero called Doctrine.

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Doctrine is a Support-type hero that glides through the battlefield using vampiric powers to destroy enemies and support allies by healing them with robot drones shaped like bats.

In addition to Doctrine, Blizzard Entertainment has announced that Overwatch Season 5 will begin on October 6, 2026.

It will feature: a rework of Sombra into a Support-type Hero, a rework of Roadhog's toolkit so it's not a nightmare for enemy players to deal with, a new Watchpoint: Grimsvotn map set in Iceland to battle in, the return of Dokiwatch, and so much more.

Stay tuned for more info on Doctrine, which will be revealed later today during the Overwatch Developer Livestream portion of BlizzCon 2026.

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Finally, after over a decade of waiting, Blizzard is returning to StarCraft.

Revealed at BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard lifted the lid on one of gaming's biggest rumor mills of recent memory. STARCRAFT is coming in 2030, and here's the first cinematic trailer.

StarCraft has historically been a real-time strategy franchise, often credited with kickstarting the mainstreaming of live esports. The franchise focuses on three main factions: humans of the United Earth Directorate, advanced aliens known as the Protoss, and the Xenomorph-like Zerg swarm.

The classic RTS and its follow-up, StarCraft II, have effectively been on ice since StarCraft II shipped its final expansion, Legacy of the Void, some years ago.

StarCraft has previously attempted a foray into shooters too, with the famously canceled "StarCraft: Ghost." The new STARCRAFT seems like something of a soft reignition of the franchise, particularly given the fact it shares its namesake with the original StarCraft (which is always a tad annoying when discussing games which literally share a name ...). But to me, it feels indicative of a Blizzard intent on reintroducing the franchise to a new, potentially more mainstream audience.

What remains to be seen is whether or not we get a tried-and-true StarCraft 3 RTS, as I'm sure many StarCraft fans will be slighted by the decision to step away from the franchise's traditional roots.

There are rumors that Nexon and other companies have pitched Blizzard to work in the StarCraft franchise, so we'll have to wait and see.

I'm curious why Blizzard decided to announce it so early too, considering we're literally four years away from its stated landing strip. I guess this helps Blizzard ramp up hiring for the game's development; it could also be indicative of the game's potential scope.

From what I've heard and seen, the game has been in development for quite a while already. Blizzard may also have its work cut out differentiating StarCraft from a surging Warhammer 40K, which has truly found mainstream success in recent years. It'll be interesting to see how Blizzard navigates some of that.

In any case, what do you think of StarCraft's pending return? Hit the comments, let us know.

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Long-suffering Heroes of the Storm fans got a small reprieve at BlizzCon 2026 with the reveal of a new hero.

Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA in the vein of League of Legends, inspired by the classic Warcraft 3 DOTA mod. It's perhaps ironic that it was a Warcraft 3 mod in the first place, but Blizzard was unfortunately a bit slow to capitalize on the trend. Riot took full advantage, and effectively cornered almost the entire market.

Blizzard's answer was Heroes of the Storm, which is generally seen as more approachable than League of Legends, which ended up being a double-edged sword in some ways. Without an item economy and slower gameplay, Heroes of the Storm failed to draw in interest from League of Legends and other similar games, but remained popular with a dedicated Blizzard audience niche.

Heroes of the Storm is comprised of characters from across the Blizzard mythos, including Overwatch, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and more. There are still dozens of characters from across the Blizzard metaverse that fans have hoped to see emerge in the game, but unfortunately Blizzard put the game in "maintenance mode" after the launch of Hogger back in December 2020, promising bug fixes and occasional balance patches only. That changed at BlizzCon 2026 this week.

Blizzard revealed that Xal'atath is now coming to Heroes of the Storm, hitting Heroes' public test realm on Monday, with a launch penned in for towards the end of September.

Xal'atath is the current big evil in World of Warcraft, threatening to take over the cosmos itself by taking control of Azeroth's planetary world soul.

She's a bit of an enigma, with her origins shrouded in mystery, but what's less of an enigma is how powerful she is. She has the capability to level entire cities with her void powers, responsible for the destruction of Dalaran itself.

Blizzard has cautioned players not to expect Heroes of the Storm to be fully revived yet, though ... noting to me that future updates will depend on how well-received Xal'atath is.

It's something of an industry trend to revive classic games at the moment, with games like Age of Empires 3, Witcher 3, Diablo 2, and other old-school titles getting updates after decades of dormancy in some cases. Heroes of the Storm has huge potential to be Xbox's answer to Super Smash Bros. in my view, if Blizzard was willing to add heroes from other franchises. I could see characters like Geralt of Rivia given Blizzard's new collab with CD Projekt RED, and other Xbox characters like DOOM Slayer or Master Chief jumping into the Nexus.

Blizzard faithful might find it annoying ... but a dead game is potentially more annoying in my view. Expanding to other franchises (and even putting the game on console) could give Heroes of the Storm the unique hook it needs to exist in a niche dominated by League of Legends.

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Given that everyone will be starting Modern Warfare 4 from zero, now is a good time to stop using up any 2XP tokens you currently have on your account. They'll be far more beneficial giving you a boost in the new game if you're going to play it.

We don't yet know exactly what the Prestige system looks like in Modern Warfare 4, but there's going to be plenty of leveling to do, and those 2XP tokens will make life a lot speedier in the new game.

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Do I get to keep my old weapons, operators, and blueprints in Warzone when Modern Warfare 4 launches?

The exception to carry forward is Warzone, where traditionally older weapons, their attached blueprints, and unlocked camos are still usable in the battle royale modes. Likewise, previously unlocked operators and their skins can also be used.

It's highly unlikely that Black Ops 7 items would be removed given that it's the most current game at this point, so you can still go ahead and unlock battle pass rewards or spend COD Points and use those items in Warzone when it migrates to Modern Warfare 4.

There's no confirmed date for this yet, but the current best guess is mid-November, when we expect the final Black Ops 7 season to end.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on all platforms on Friday, October 23, 2026. Players who pre-order the game digitally on any platform will have early access to play the campaign a week prior on Friday, October 16.

Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Based on Microsoft's previous statements, it's not expected to join Game Pass until October 2027 at the earliest.

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We've already had the Modern Warfare 4 beta weekends at the time of writing this post, so the next chance for anyone to play will be the early access period.

During this window, only the campaign will be playable. Anyone hoping to get a head start on the multiplayer camo grind will have to wait until the general release date.

The early access period does at least give players a chance to clear the campaign before full release. though, leaving the floor clear to jump right into multiplayer and DMZ.

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• Xbox Series X|S / Xbox on PC (supports Xbox Play Anywhere)
• PS5
• Steam
• Battle.net
• Nintendo

It's also worth a reminder that unlike Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. The only way to play early is to pre-order. Modern Warfare 4 isn't currently expected in Game Pass until October 2027 at the earliest.

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Razer is on a tear this year for gaming keyboards ranging from a new Huntsman low-profile to the $499 Huntsman Signature Edition and a few in between like the new-fangled $139 Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic.

But Razer is known for its top-tier and expensive gaming accessories, which makes this new Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% such an intriguing addition, as it's only $49.99.

Even my jaw dropped a bit when I was getting briefed on it, as very few Razer products hit below $50, especially when not on sale.

Of course, the $49.99 question is it any good? To be fair, I'm a bit biased against 65% keyboards (I miss my media keys), but I've spent the last 10 days using it, and let's just say the price wasn't the only surprise.

Let's get into the pros, cons, and who this is for.

Razer had no input, nor did it see the contents of this review, prior to publication.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Price and specifications

The Reclusa X Mini 65% launches at just $49.99 (Razer.com, Amazon; I expect Best Buy to get it eventually), making it one of the most affordable mechanical keyboards Razer has released in recent memory. That's especially notable when you consider it isn't cutting corners on enthusiast-friendly features such as hot-swappable switches, south-facing LEDs, pre-lubed stabilizers, per-key RGB lighting, and support for Razer's competitive gaming technologies.

Among its highlights are Razer's Gen-3 Orange tactile switches, compatibility with both 3-pin and 5-pin mechanical switches, dual-layer silicone dampening, and a new tri-tone visual design that immediately separates it from the rest of Razer's keyboard portfolio.

Specs

• Layout: 65%
• Switches: Razer Gen-3 Orange Tactile
• Hot Swap: 3-pin and 5-pin compatible
• RGB: Per-key Razer Chroma RGB
• Polling Rate: Up to 1,000Hz
• Sound Dampening: Dual-layer silicone
• Keycaps: Doubleshot ABS, tri-tone design
• Features: Snap Tap, Snap Flex, Dual-Keypress Priority
• Price: $49.99 USD

What I like

The biggest surprise with the Reclusa X Mini 65% is just how good it feels to type on.

I'm generally not a huge fan of 65% keyboards. I miss dedicated media controls, and shrinking a layout inevitably introduces compromises. Yet after a few days with the Reclusa, I found myself reaching for it more often than expected.

The Gen-3 Orange tactile switches deserve a lot of the credit.

Razer describes them as delivering a tactile bump with quieter operation and improved consistency, while maintaining a 100-million keystroke lifespan. In practice, they're some of my favorite tactile switches Razer has produced, even compared to the more expensive Huntsman line.

The keys feel snappy, springy, and responsive, with excellent travel and a satisfying bottom-out characteristic that's surprisingly difficult to describe. The closest comparison is that each keystroke feels deliberate, controlled, and rewarding.

The keyboard's dual-layer silicone dampening helps elevate the experience further. Razer specifically tuned the board to reduce resonance and hollow acoustics, and it shows.

The overall sound profile sits somewhere between mid-volume and clacky. Meanwhile, the space bar and backspace produce a deeper, more pronounced thock that adds personality without becoming distracting.

For a $50 keyboard, the construction is also impressive.

My review unit measured roughly 710 grams, giving it enough heft to stay planted on the desk. The chassis doesn't feel flimsy, cheap, or hollow. The matte finish does a great job resisting fingerprints, and the included braided USB-C cable is the same type of quality cable Razer ships with more expensive products.

The hot-swappable design is another major selling point.

Users can install both 3-pin and 5-pin switches without soldering, making the board approachable for newcomers while still appealing to enthusiasts. Razer even notes that the keyboard can be opened through screws in the top plate for additional modifications, although doing so may affect warranty coverage according to the FAQ

I experimented with swapping switches and found the process straightforward. More importantly, I never felt a pressing need to do so. The stock experience is already strong enough that many users will be perfectly happy leaving it untouched.

The new tri-tone keycap design is another win.

Razer says the design is intended to give the keyboard a distinctive visual identity, and it succeeds. Combined with south-facing RGB LEDs, the Reclusa feels like one of Razer's clearest nods yet toward the custom keyboard crowd.

Gaming features that actually matter

The Reclusa X Mini 65% also includes Snap Tap, Snap Flex, and Dual-Keypress Priority, technologies aimed primarily at competitive players.

Snap Tap helps prioritize directional inputs for cleaner counter-strafing behavior, while Snap Flex can bind two actions to a single keystroke for more consistent multi-input actions. Dual-Keypress Priority is designed to maintain movement consistency when overlapping directional inputs occur.

During a few gaming sessions in Call of Duty and DOOM: The Dark Ages, the keyboard behaved exactly as I'd expect from a modern Razer gaming board. The features worked as advertised, though none fundamentally changed my experience during limited testing.

The more important takeaway is that entry-level pricing doesn't mean sacrificing gaming-focused functionality.

What I don't like

The 65% form factor itself remains my biggest complaint.

That's more personal preference than a flaw, but users accustomed to dedicated media keys, function rows, or larger layouts may feel constrained. That said, I like typing so much on this; I haven't switched back yet, so that's saying something.

Another drawback is the lack of adjustable feet.

The keyboard sits completely flat, and there are no built-in risers to alter the typing angle. Some users will appreciate the low profile, but I would have liked additional adjustment options.

RGB lighting is also merely good rather than exceptional. It gets the job done, but don't expect the depth, diffusion, and visual impact of premium Razer boards like the Huntsman V3 Pro series.

Finally, Synapse remains a potential sticking point. While Razer has been increasingly expanding web-based support options across its ecosystem, some users still prefer products that avoid software requirements entirely.

Should you buy it?

✅You should buy this if...

• You want a quality mechanical keyboard under $50
• You want hot-swappable switches without entering the custom keyboard rabbit hole
• You enjoy tactile switches and satisfying typing acoustics
• You want enthusiast-friendly features from a major gaming brand

❌You shouldn't buy this if...

• You need a full-size or TKL layout
• Dedicated media controls are a must-have
• Adjustable typing angles are important to you
• You want flagship-tier RGB lighting

Final thoughts

The Reclusa X Mini 65% feels like the beginning of something larger for Razer.

The company explicitly describes the model as the debut of a new enthusiast-focused Reclusa family and "the first step in the Reclusa journey." While Razer hasn't announced additional models, the messaging strongly suggests the line will expand into other sizes and configurations over time.

If that's the plan, this is an excellent start.

At just $49.99, the Reclusa X Mini 65% delivers a surprisingly refined typing experience, useful gaming features, broad customization potential, and a build quality that belies its budget-friendly price. I still prefer larger layouts, but that's the highest compliment I can give this keyboard: despite my reservations about 65% boards, I genuinely enjoyed using it.

Who should buy it?

The Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% is ideal for gamers and keyboard enthusiasts looking for a genuinely good mechanical keyboard without spending triple digits. If you've been curious about hot-swappable keyboards, custom keycaps, and enthusiast-focused features but don't want to dive headfirst into the custom keyboard rabbit hole, this is one of the easiest and most affordable entry points Razer has offered.

It'll also be a great gift for young aspiring gamers this holiday season.

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A few days ago, Microsoft shocked the gaming world by revealing that it has acquired Xbox exclusivity for Hideo Kojima's 'Physint', an upcoming stealth-action game that's billed as a successor to the legendary Metal Gear Solid franchise.

It was originally a PlayStation-exclusive, but Hideo Kojima cut ties with Sony after the company tried to cancel Physint without warning, as stated on his X account.

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Fast forward to today, and Bloomberg found a scoop from an anonymous source who was familiar with the project about why the company decided to axe Kojima Productions' latest IP.

According to Bloomberg's report, "[Physint] missed deadlines and was on track to be well over budget despite being years away from release".

It then stated, "Kojima’s previous two games, Death Stranding and its sequel, didn’t meet PlayStation’s revenue expectations," and "PlayStation was reluctant to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in another game that wouldn’t remain permanently exclusive to the company’s own hardware."

Window's Central's take

In short, it seems Sony was running out of patience with Hideo Kojima and wanted to cancel it for taking too long to make, going over budget, and to prevent it from being ported to other systems that aren't PlayStation.

While I'm personally ambivalent about this (my favorite Kojima game will always be Metal Gear Rising), it can't be denied that Xbox is reaping the benefits of this situation.

Microsoft now has Kojima Productions' full support for publishing Physint on Xbox and PC, and with them also working together on the upcoming horror game OD, this could be the start of a long, profitable friendship between the two studios.

With how quickly Kojima Productions' relationship with Sony has deteriorated over this situation, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an Xbox port of Death Stranding 2 with Xbox Play Anywhere in the future, as the original Death Stranding did.

But whether or not Physint and OD will turn out to be good games and make enough money to warrant Microsoft's investment, we will have to wait and see to find out.

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Google Gemini now competes with Microsoft Copilot for space on your keyboard. Google just released Gemini for Windows, and that app uses the same keyboard shortcut as Copilot (Alt + Space).

That shortcut is popular and those hoping to use Gemini may have to remap some shortcuts to perform other tasks. In addition to summoning Copilot, Alt + Space opens PowerToys Run.

The Gemini app is available for both Windows 11 and Windows 10. You can download it through Google's website.

The general functionality of the Gemini app is similar to Gemini's web experience. One key difference is that you can summon the AI tool with a keyboard shortcut, which allows you to launch it quickly.

The macOS version of Gemini supports sharing your screen and other native capabilities, such as dictating by pressing both Command keys. Google explains that more native features will ship to the Windows version of Gemini in the future.

I prefer Gemini over Copilot for many tasks. I recently swapped to Google's AI tool for a month to see how it performed as an editor. While Copilot felt more personal, Gemini was often more accurate when it came to correcting tasks.

"In my specific use case, Gemini felt like an upgraded Microsoft Editor while Copilot felt like a modern Clippy," I said a couple months ago.

Both Copilot and Gemini have their strengths and weaknesses, but Google's option is better for my workflow. Our readers disagreed.

21% of those who voted in our poll about proofreading with AI use Microsoft Editor. Another 29% of participants use Microsoft Copilot. Only 11% of voters rely on Gemini to proofread documents.

Of course, Gemini and Copilot can do a lot more than proofread documents. Google recommends the new Gemini app for fact-checking documents, coming up with titles for a presentation, and creating images and videos.

For more complex tasks, you can hand things off to Gemini Spark within the app.

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Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo this week, taking the tech world by storm and dominating social media. While folding phones are hardly new, Apple used some clever tricks to make the iPhone Duo stand out. Apple's classic approach of perfecting a product category after other companies have tested the waters is fully on display.

Windows Central readers and Surface enthusiasts were quick to point out that Apple's new foldable has a remarkably similar name to the Surface Duo. Multitasking on the iPhone Duo also works in a similar way to split-screen work on the Surface Duo.

From the passport-like aspect ratio to multitasking to the literal name of the device, it's clear that Apple took inspiration from Microsoft's foldable. It appears that someone in the Apple marketing department had a bit of fun with this fact.

In a video demonstrating the multitasking capabilities of the iPhone Duo, Apple chose to have an article from Surface Magazine appear on the screen. That piece is not just a mockup made by Apple, it's a real article that was published in 2018.

X users @zenbookpro1 spotted the Surface article.

It's an interesting read about how Comporta, Portugal became a hot spot for architecture and how the area evolved from its agricultural roots. It also seems to have nothing to do with the iPhone Duo, at least directly.

I confess that I'm not an Apple historian. There is a chance that Comporta's rich architectural history is somehow related to the iPhone Duo, but that seems unlikely.

Before joining Windows Central full time, I worked for a company that presented on stage at WWDC. While I wasn't part of making that presentation, I have experience working on a team that makes videos for that audience.

Marketing videos are meticulously edited. At a company the size of Apple, every single frame that appears on stage will have been looked over several times by an entire team of people. There's almost no chance that the word "Surface" appeared by accident. The only debate that's possible is arguing that there's some other reason for it to appear.

Easter eggs like this are commonplace in the tech industry. Heck, Office 97 had an Easter egg that was not discovered until this year.

I suspect the appearance of Surface in the iPhone Duo announcement is a mixture of a playful jab at Microsoft and a nod to the work done on foldables to refine the category.

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The memory crisis rages on, driving PC gaming prices through the roof. But that won't stop Dell (as Alienware) from offering powerful gaming desktops and letting players enjoy their favorite titles at high resolutions and smooth frame rates.

One rig in particular is the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop, currently discounted by $1,000 and offering an RTX 5070 (12 GB) GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU configuration for $2,229.99 at Dell (was $3,229.99).

Why buy Alienware?

The "Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop" (a.k.a. the Alienware Aurora R16) is a top-class gaming PC that has earned top marks across a few of our sister sites, including a 4.5/5 star review from Tom's Guide and a 4.5/5 star review from TechRadar.

It didn't earn these top review scores lightly either, as the Alienware Aurora R16 configuration that's on sale is equipped with some of the most mainstream and capable hardware for gaming.

These include an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card to help it run graphically intense games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and 60fps (with some DLSS support), 32GB RAM to help it maintain stability during heavy multitasking (like playing a game while opening several browser tabs), and an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU to aid it during content creation (like photo editing and rendering graphics) or everyday tasks (like browsing the web or writing reports).

It also has a 1TB SSD, so the Aurora can store plenty of game files or work folders that can be transferred in mere seconds.

To top it off, the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop has a superb ventilation and cooling system that will prevent this gaming PC from overheating during heavy-duty tasks while keeping it quiet.

Extra accessories for the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop

So if you're looking for a reliable gaming PC rig that can play the best PC games at their full graphical potential while getting some work done on the side in a jiffy, then you won't regret snagging the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop, now on sale for $2,229.99 at Dell.

While you're at it, here are some additional discounted accessories to help complete your Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop setup and enhance your gaming experience.

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After the somewhat underwhelming Insect Glaive trailer, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's weapon trailer series picks up the pace again with a new trailer highlighting changes to the Hunting Horn.

The Hunting Horn is a slow weapon that mixes offensive blunt attacks with musical songs that buff allied players' stats. However, the execution made the weapon feel slow and clunky compared to all the other weapon types.

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Thankfully, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is planning to fix Hunting Horn's slow playstyle by giving it a metric ton of new offensive attacks, combos, and more mechanics to make it more fun to use thanks to the DLC expansion's new Boost Bracer mechanic.

First of all, Hunting Horn will feature a new Boost Driver attack where you powerslide across the battlefield like a Rock & Roll star, and jump into the air to smash monsters in the head and let loose a sonic wave by slamming the weapon into the ground.

Once you fill a meter called the Boost Gauge with successful Boost Driver attacks, the Hunting Horn will gain the following features while active:

• Faster attacks and new combo paths.
• A new Offset Counter attack where you punch the Hunting Horn to fire a sonic wave (which can be charged for more damage), which can be followed up with an attack where you do several forward somersault slams with the Hunting Horn.
• You can now attack enemies while placing Echo Bubbles.
• Your regular Offset Counter can now be followed up with the aforementioned somersault slams.

Windows Central's take

I'll admit, I was kind of disappointed in how the Hunting Horn was handled in the base game of Monster Hunter Wilds because it felt like a downgrade compared to its predecessor, Monster Hunter Rise.

Monster Hunter Rise's version of the Hunting Horn was my favorite iteration of the weapon because it finally embraced the power fantasy of killing enemies with music attacks I always wanted, instead of just being a longer Hammer that sacrificed damage potential for short-term buffs like in most games.

It was so awesome giving enemies concussions with rock-solo super moves that it felt like I was playing Brütal Legend all over again.

So I'm happy to see Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance bring back some of Monster Hunter Rise's aggressive playstyle for Hunting Horn, and I can't wait to try its new attacks when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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Move over iPhone Duo announcement, the real news is here. Windows 11 will soon feature a few more emojis. Microsoft recently shipped Windows 11 Builds 26100.9539 and 26200.9539 to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Among other changes, the update adds support for Emoji 17.0.

Since these are Release Preview builds, many of the included changes have already been seen during earlier Insider testing.

Several changes have been made to File Explorer that should make for a smoother experience. Home within File Explorer now preserves the state of sections, so the next time you open the app things will be expanded or collapsed as before. Thumbnail previews for cloud files should appear more consistently as well following this update.

Emoji lovers will be happy to hear that Emoji 17.0 support comes with this build of Windows 11. Emoji 17.0 adds the distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature (Bigfoot) emojis.

Microsoft continues on its recent push to create more widgets. These Insider builds add a Tips widget that provides guidance about Windows features. Microsoft recently announced a battery widget that's in the works as well.

Another welcome change is the update to remap the Copilot key to function as the Right Control key or Context Menu key. Copilot already has a keyboard shortcut (Alt + Space) for those who want to use it, so having a dedicated key for a niche tool felt a bit like overkill.

Microsoft detailed the changes that are gradually rolling out.

Build 26100.9539/26200.9539

File Explorer

• New! This update adjusts how the preview pane handles files downloaded from the web. For HTML files, a new Preview anyway button lets you acknowledge the warning and preview the file. Non-HTML files, such as PDFs, are now previewed automatically.
• New! File Explorer Home now preserves the state of sections (expanded or collapsed), so you can pick up where you left off.
• New! This update improves the reliability of thumbnail previews for cloud files in the Details pane. The pane has also been reorganized so file properties are easier to find and review at a glance.
• New! This update addresses an issue that could clear the address bar contents when entering edit mode by clicking near the right side of the address bar.

Emoji

• New! This update adds support for Emoji 17.0, including new emoji such as distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature. To insert them, press Windows key + Period (.) to open the emoji panel.
• New! This update also refines the design of several existing emoji for better consistency across platforms, including saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat.

Widgets

• New! This update introduces the Tips widget, which provides short, helpful guidance about Windows features. To add it to your Widgets board, open the board, select Add widgets, and then choose Tips. To add it to your lock screen, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and add Tips to your lock screen widgets.

Personalization

• This update includes a variety of improvements to desktop background experiences:
  • This update improves the reliability of the Personalization > Background page in Settings.
  • This update adds support for using DIB image files as desktop backgrounds.
  • This update improves the reliability of desktop slideshow transitions on newly created accounts.
  • This update improves the resolution of previews when selecting a desktop background in Personalization > Background.
  • This update improves the desktop background preview display in Settings for users with portrait mode monitors.
  • This update improves the reliability of processing desktop wallpaper changes when they happen in quick succession.
  • This update adds support for using slideshow wallpapers with multiple desktops, so that it won't automatically switch you back to Picture.

Bluetooth

• This update contains several enhancements to improve reliability and the experience when connecting to and using Bluetooth devices:
  • During voice calls, the Windows shell volume flyout now appears when adjusting the volume of a Bluetooth Classic Audio accessory using the volume controls on the accessory, providing visual feedback of the new volume level.
  • This update improves the accuracy of the connection state displayed by Windows for accessories that have disconnected from the PC.
  • This update improves the stability of the Bluetooth & devices page in Settings when managing Bluetooth and audio devices.
  • This update resolves an issue where the Bluetooth radio could be turned off, but the radio control toggle on the Bluetooth & devices page in Settings appeared on.
  • This update improves Bluetooth audio stability and compatibility.
  • This update improves microphone compatibility with certain Bluetooth Classic Audio accessories.
  • This update resolves an issue that could result in a crash (error code 0x139) while streaming Bluetooth audio.
  • This update improves reliability and performance with LE Audio accessories.
  • This update improves the reliability of shared audio.

Accessibility

• New! This update introduces Open apps maximized, an accessibility setting that automatically maximizes app windows as they open. It removes a bit of everyday friction whether you use a screen reader or magnification, work in tablet mode, or simply prefer a consistent, full-screen workspace. To turn it on, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn on Open apps maximized.
• This update improves navigation of the Bluetooth quick settings page when using keyboard input, gamepad input, or Narrator.

Magnifier

• New! This update brings a modernized visual refresh to Magnifier on the taskbar:
  • Updated icons: Magnifier's toolbar icons align with the Windows 11 visual design, giving the tool a cleaner, more modern feel.
  • Refined spacing and padding: The padding is adjusted with consistent spacing across the toolbar for a more polished layout.
• Views, zoom controls, keyboard shortcuts, and Read Aloud all behave exactly as they did in earlier versions.

Settings

• This update improves the reliability of Settings when interacting with the contents of the Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners page.
• This update updates Settings > Apps > Installed apps to show the version number at the top level for packaged apps, as it already does for other apps.
• This update improves the time picker control in Settings so that it reflects your preferred time format when you switch between 12-hour and 24-hour formats. This applies in places such as setting active hours and scheduling night light.
• This update improves the persistence of the Allow multiple apps to use camera at the same time option in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Camera.

Touchpad

• New! Additional gesture controls for precision touchpads are available in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad:
  • Single-finger scrolling: Scroll vertically with one finger starting from the left or right side of the touchpad.
  • Automatic scrolling: Keep scrolling without lifting your fingers by moving them near the edge of your touchpad while scrolling.
• Previously, gesture controls for scroll and zoom speed and accelerated scrolling were released in the July 2026 update (KB5101684).

Copilot key

• New! This update introduces a new Windows 11 setting that lets you remap the Copilot key to function as the Right Ctrl or Context Menu key, helping preserve familiar keyboard shortcuts and accessibility workflows. For more information, see Understand updates to the Copilot key on Windows devices.

Camera Roll

• New! This update introduces Camera Roll Backup in Settings, helping eligible users protect their photos with OneDrive. You can turn on the feature from the Settings Home or Accounts page and complete setup on your mobile phone using a QR code.¹

Fonts

• New! This update adds support for the Garay and Beria Erfe scripts to the Ebrima font, the first Microsoft font to support both. Garay was encoded in Unicode 16.0 and Beria Erfe in Unicode 17.0.
• New! This update also refines the Adlam glyph designs in Ebrima to align with the current Unicode standard and improve consistency.

Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

• New! This update enables WinRE to automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved in Windows, including supported certificate-based networks. Devices can now get online automatically during recovery scenarios such as quick machine recovery or cloud rebuild, without preconfiguring Wi-Fi credentials in WinRE. This capability is on by default, and IT admins can disable it. For more information, see Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).
• New! This update adds a recovery remote management plug-in for extending WinRE management capabilities for mobile device management (MDM) providers. For more information, see Recovery Remote Management Overview.

Kiosk mode

• The Windows key + Tab keyboard shortcut is now disabled when using a restricted user experience kiosk.
• The Windows key + A and Windows key + C keyboard shortcuts are now disabled when using single-app kiosk mode.

Windows Backup

• PC-to-PC Migration is no longer available. This feature, introduced through a phased rollout, previously allowed you to transfer files and settings directly from your previous PC when setting up a new Windows PC. To back up and restore your files, settings, and other supported items when moving to a new PC, use Windows Backup. For more information, see Back up and restore with Windows Backup.

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