We have a surprise announcement from Blizzard President Mike Ybarra! He tweeted that the battle.net friend cap has been doubled in size just now, going from 200 to 400. The change may take a little while to get to everyone but it shouldn't take too long.

For the next five weeks, you can win $25 Battle.net Balance by following Blizzard on social media. Find out how to enter the giveaway for a chance to win!
(Source)
Help us kick off Battle.net's newly launched social media channels for a chance to win $25 Battle.net Balance. For the next five weeks, follow us on social media and submit PC gameplay videos, screenshots, or writing about your favorite games on Battle.net in order to enter the contest. Each week on Tuesday at 10AM PST we will post a new tweet with a fresh call to action, so get your submissions ready. Here's the schedule:
Week 1: 6/14 through 6/17 - Overwatch
Send us your best Play of the Game video by sharing it to the Twitter post.
Week 2: 6/21 through 6/24 - Call of Duty
We want your highlights! Post a highlight reel with the hashtag #codtopplays.
Week 3: 6/28 through 7/1 - Hearthstone
Got a hilarious in-game moment captured on video? Share it with us for a chance to win!
Week 4: 7/5 through 7/8 - Warcraft
We're looking for the most stylish heroes. Post your best transmog looks to enter.
Week 5: 7/12 through 7/15 - Diablo
Gather 'round the campfire and share your favorite Diablo stories.
Each week, we will select 12 winners at random from all participants who've met that week's submission criteria. The submission deadline each week is Friday at 6PM PST.
We can't wait to see what you'll share with us! 
CONTEST RULES
BATTLE.NET® SOCIAL CELEBRATION CONTEST
Eligibility. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION (referred to herein as "BLIZZARD") IS THE SPONSOR OF THE BATTLE.NET SOCIAL CELEBRATION CONTEST (referred to herein as the “CONTEST”), WHICH IS OPEN ONLY TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ENTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE PROVIDED IN SECTION 3 BELOW WHO, AS OF THE DEADLINE: (A) ARE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, ARGENTINA, AUSTRIA, AUSTRALIA, BELARUS, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, BULGARIA, CHILE, CROATIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, EGYPT, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HONG KONG, HUNGARY, ICELAND, IRELAND, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, KAZAKHSTAN, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MACAU, MALTA, MEXICO, THE NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, PHILIPPINES, POLAND, PORTUGAL, QATAR, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SAUDI ARABIA, SERBIA, SINGAPORE, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TUNISIA, TURKEY, UKRAINE, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND VIETNAM; (B) ARE SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AS OF THE DATE OF ENTRY; (C) ARE NOT RESIDENTS OF A JURISDICTION WHERE THIS CONTEST IS PROHIBITED OR OTHERWISE RESTRICTED BY LAW; (D) HAVE ACTIVE INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS WHICH REMAINS IN GOOD STANDING THROUGHOUT THIS CONTEST; (D) HAVE AUTHORIZED ACCESS TO A FULL BATTLE.NET ACCOUNT REGISTERED ON THE BATTLE.NET SERVICE THAT IS IN GOOD STANDING AND WHICH REMAINS IN GOOD STANDING THROUGHOUT THIS CONTEST; AND (E) NOT RESIDENTS OF A JURISDICTION WHERE THIS CONTEST IS PROHIBITED OR OTHERWISE RESTRICTED BY LAW (“ENTRANTS”). If you are between the age of seventeen (17) years of age and the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence (a “Minor”), one of your parents or legal guardians must submit a signed, written statement that they have read, understood and agree to these Official Rules with your entry, and that such agreement constitutes acceptance of these Official Rules on behalf of you and themselves. To be eligible to win a prize, entries must be completed and received by Blizzard in the format designated below, and to receive and use the digital prizes listed in Section 5, Entrants may create a free Battle.net account by visiting https://battle.net. if the Entrant does not already have a Battle.net account. Directors, officers and employees of Blizzard, its parent, and any of their respective affiliate companies, subsidiaries, agents, professional advisors, advertising and promotional agencies, and immediate families (parents, children, siblings, spouse) and household members (whether related or not) of each are not eligible to win any prizes. All applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws apply. This Contest is void where prohibited or restricted. Disclaimer. Blizzard, all participating sponsors and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees and agencies will not be responsible for: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled or distorted or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer- or communications-related malfunctions or failures; (c) any disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of Blizzard; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. Contest Period. The Contest shall commence on 12:01 PM PST June 14, 2022, and shall continue in duration until 11:59 PM PST on July 15, 2022 (the "Deadline"). All entries must be received by the Deadline to be eligible to win a prize. How to enter, and determination of Winners. The Contest is a five (5) week contest, with each week featuring a game franchise playable on Battle.net. During that week of the Contest, Entrants will need to post a video to the Battle.net Social Celebration post located at https://twitter.com/battlenet (the “Contest Channel”), that meets the criteria for that particular week to be entered into that week’s contest drawing. At the end of the week, six (6) Entrants the who qualified by submitting an entry for that week’s phase of the Contest will be chosen at random to win Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) in Battle.net Balance, and have their submission featured by Blizzard on the Contest Channel. The weekly submission criteria are as follows: Week 1 – Overwatch® Week. The Overwatch week of the Contest will occur during the week of June 14th to June 17th, 2022, and to enter this phase of the Contest, Entrants shall post an Overwatch, “Play of the Game,” in-game video featuring an Overwatch Character played by Entrant to the Contest Channel. Week 2 – Call of Duty® Week. The Call of Duty week of the Contest will occur during the week of June 21st to June 24th, 2022, and to enter this phase of the Contest, Entrants shall post an in-game Call of Duty®: Warzone video to the Contest Channel that features one of the characters in the video being played by the Entrant with the hashtag #codtopplays, to the Contest Channel. Week 3 – Hearthstone® Week. The Hearthstone week of the Contest will occur during the week of June 28th to July 1st, 2022, and to enter this phase of the Contest, Entrants shall post an in-game funny play video to the Contest Channel that features the Entrant as the Entrant experiences an funny moment during a Hearthstone game. Week 4 – Warcraft® Week. The Warcraft week of the Contest will occur during the week of July 5th to July 8th, 2022, and to enter this phase of the Contest, Entrants shall post screenshot taken from World of Warcraft to the Contest Channel that features the Entrant’s character in an armor set that has been transmorgrified. Week 5 – Diablo® Week. The Diablo week of the Contest will occur during the week of July 12th to July 15th, 2022, and to enter this phase of the Contest, Entrants shall post their favorite personal Diablo story from their experience playing one of Blizzard’s Diablo game. Odds of Winning / Prize Award Terms. The odds of an Entrant’s submission being chosen to be featured on the Contest Channel will depend on the total number of Entrants who submit entries for that phase of the Contest. ALL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE AS WELL AS ANY COSTS AND EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF A PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNERS. Unclaimed prizes will remain un-awarded. Prizes are not transferable. No substitutions or exchanges (including for cash) of any prizes will be permitted. All prizes will be awarded. All prizes are awarded “AS IS” and WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied, (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement) Blizzard Use of Entries. Each Entrant, in consideration of their being allowed the opportunity to enter the Contest, hereby grant Blizzard a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide license and right to utilize the entry materials, or ‘Task Submissions,’ submitted to Blizzard in connection with the Contest (collectively, “Entry Materials”), as well as Entrant’s name, address (city, state, and country), character, likeness, prize information, statements about the Contest and biography, for any publicity, advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law, and releases the Released Parties (defined below) from any liability with respect thereto. The Entry Materials will not be returned to any Entrant. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Entrant acknowledge that Blizzard shall have the right to use, modify, reproduce, publish, perform, display on all forms of media, distribute, make derivative works of and otherwise commercially and non-commercially exploit the Entry Materials in perpetuity and throughout the universe, in any manner or medium now existing or hereafter developed, without separate compensation to you or any other person or entity. Entrant further agrees to take, at Blizzard's expense, any further action (including, without limitation, execution of affidavits and other documents) reasonably requested by Blizzard to effect, perfect or confirm Blizzard's rights as set forth above in this paragraph. Collection of Information. As stated above, the Contest is not open to anyone under the age of majority in your country of citizenship or state of residence without the written consent of their parent or guardian. In the event that Blizzard becomes aware that you are under the age of majority in your country of citizenship, and consent from your parent or guardian was not obtained, Blizzard will delete, erase or destroy any and all personally identifiable information that is obtained from the Entry Materials. In the event that you are a citizen of France and/or any of the other countries whose citizens are eligible for this Contest, and pursuant to French law pertaining to data collection and processing, you are informed that the data collector is Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., and the data collected will be transferred to the United States of America. Upon request, you will be provided with access to your personal data. You also have a right of opposition to the data collection, under certain circumstances. To exercise such right, you may write to “Battle.net Social Celebration - Personal Data,” c/o Blizzard Entertainment, P.O. Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92612. You may also withdraw your personal data upon request; however you will be disqualified as an entrant in the Contest if you withdraw your personal data prior to the determination of winners as listed above. General Release. By participating in this Contest, you release Blizzard, participating Blizzard licensors, any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agencies and Instagram (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, use of or inability to use any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory, any activity or travel related to the Contest or from any interaction with, or downloading of Contest information and any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. EVERYTHING PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSES OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. Some jurisdictions do not allow (i) the exclusion of implied warranties on applicable statutory rights, so the above exclusions and limitations may not apply in some cases. Additionally, Entrant acknowledges that the Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. Privacy. Blizzard will be collecting personal data about entrants online in accordance with its privacy policy in each region. Please review Blizzard’s privacy policy at https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/a4380ee5-5c8d-4e3b-83b7-ea26d01a9918/blizzard-entertainment-online-privacy-policy. By participating in the Contest, Entrants hereby agree to Blizzard’s collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledge that they have read and accepted Blizzard’s privacy policy. Miscellaneous. The Contest and these Official Rules will be governed, construed and interpreted under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Blizzard, which are final and binding in all respects. No automated entry devices and/or programs are permitted. All entries become the sole and exclusive property of the Blizzard and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Blizzard. Blizzard is not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit Entrant’s ability to enter the Contest, including any injury or damage to Entrant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest. Blizzard reserves the right to change these Official Rules at any time, in its sole discretion, and to suspend or cancel the Contest or any Entrant's participation in the Contest should viruses, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Blizzard’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Contest or Blizzard otherwise becomes (as determined in its sole discretion) incapable of running the Contest as planned. Entrants who violate these Official Rules, tamper with the operation of the Contest, engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Blizzard, the Contest or any other Entrant (in each case as determined in Blizzard’s sole discretion), attempts to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception or other unfair playing practices (including but not limited to the use of automated entry programs, the use of automated entry devices, the creation of multiple accounts, or by participating in, or benefiting from, a syndicate, group or block playing process or system), or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Entrants or Blizzard representatives are subject to disqualification from entry into the Contest. Blizzard reserves the right to lock out persons whose eligibility is in question or who have been disqualified or are otherwise ineligible to enter the Contest. If you have any questions about these Official Rules or the Contest, please e-mail them to [email protected] or send written questions to “Battle.net Social Celebration Contest,” P.O. Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92612. Contest Sponsor. The sponsor of this Contest is Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Copyright Notice. This Contest and all accompanying materials are © 2022 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

A global maintenance is scheduled for later today and all Blizzard services will be unavailable from 22:00-23:00 CEST.

(Source)
As many players noticed, there’s an extra maintenance time scheduled for 22:00-23:00 CEST tonight, 6 October.
This maintenance is for a global infrastructure upgrade, so we need to carry it out at the same time for all of our services around the world. We chose this time for having the least global impact, but recognize that it is not ideal for European players, especially those in Western time zones.
We’re hopeful that the actual maintenance will be completed in a matter of 15-30 minutes, and while players will likely be unable to log-in during this maintenance, we won’t need to shut down realms. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee the stability of the game service during this timeframe.
Thank you.

Blizzard is rolling out a range of discounts on some of the biggest games on Battle.net from now through September 6. Shadowlands is 30% off, you can save 25% on Overwatch, and more.
(Source)
Now through September 6, we are rolling out a range of discounts on some of the biggest games on Battle.net. Treat yourself to that game you’ve been meaning to check out, or gift a friend and grow your squad. These deals are now live on the Battle.net Shop; head over there and see what’s on offer. If you’d like to save a click, you can see the complete list of discounts below.
VISIT THE GAME DEALS PAGE
World of Warcraft (deals last through September 12)
Shadowlands— 30% off
Shadowlands Heroic Edition— 28% off
Shadowlands Epic Edition— 27% off
Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War— 50% off
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Ultimate Edition— 40% off
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare— 40% off
Overwatch
Overwatch— 25% off
Legendary Edition— 50% off
StarCraft II
Campaign Collection— 25% off
Campaign Collection Deluxe— 33% off
Nova Covert Ops Mission Bundle— 30% off
StarCraft: Remastered
StarCraft: Remastered— 33% off
Cartooned Bundle— 30% off
Cartooned Upgrade— 20% off
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time—25% off
The Celebration Collection
Essentials Pack— 20% off
Heroic Pack— 20% off
Epic Pack— 20% off
VISIT THE GAME DEALS PAGE

Later today, Blizzard is making Battle.net global, meaning friends lists from different territories will be merged into one, so you won't need to switch regions in Battle.net. This excludes China.
(Source)
We’re breaking down barriers. 
We’ve always envisioned Battle.net as a place for players to connect, collaborate, and play their favorite games. Now, we’re realizing that dream on a truly global level.
“When Battle.net first came out, the purpose was to deliver a connected, multiplayer experience for a single title,” says Arron Goolsbey, VP of Platform Engineering for Battle.net. “Fast-forward 10 to 15 years, and Battle.net had evolved into a service that spanned all Blizzard games but was still constructed with the primary notion that players would mostly play with others within their region. The internet has come a long way in the last 10 years, enabling global and cross-platform experiences with high levels of quality. So now, Battle.net is evolving once again.”
Starting today, friends lists from different territories will be merged into one*, so you’ll no longer need to switch regions in Battle.net to talk to your buddies on the other side of the planet. “As Global Battle.net rolls out, players around the world will be able to come together all across the larger Blizzard ecosystem without any hurdles for the first time ever,” says Diana Hubbard, Platform Design Manager. In doing so, they will be able to effortlessly expand their friendships, groups, and communities—paving the way for forging new bonds over our present and future epic gaming experiences. This is just the first step, and it will only get better from here.” To accent this new era of global gaming and social connectivity on Battle.net, we’ve also updated our logo.
 
“We realized some time ago that our players would be better served by a global Battle.net that did away with the concept of regions,” says Jeff Allison, Lead Product Manager for Battle.net. “But breaking down these barriers was a significant engineering task. Now that we’ve done it, we look forward to a future where all Battle.net players can communicate and game together no matter where they are.”
Battle.net’s global updates also include cross-platform functionality. This has given our game developers the ability to let you play with others between PC and console seamlessly. Overwatch players will be the first to experience these new cross-play capabilities; for more information, check out this blog.
“You will be able to make friends anywhere as games published on Battle.net begin to utilize this evolved experience,” says Goolsbey. “We look forward to a future where billions of players worldwide can make friends and play together, regardless of where they are and what device they play on.”
These backend updates to Battle.net will also enable developers to build even more globally connected experiences for our players in the future, so stay tuned!
 *Excluding China.