Where apps hide your files

Battle.net on Mac: game folders and launcher files

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Battle.net puts each Blizzard game in its own folder in /Applications unless you chose somewhere else, and keeps the launcher's cache in a shared folder. Here is how to find both, clear the cache the way Blizzard describes, and move a game to another drive.

Where the games are

Blizzard's own Mac troubleshooting article lists each game in a folder of its own in Applications:

/Applications/World of Warcraft
/Applications/StarCraft II
/Applications/Diablo III
/Applications/Hearthstone
/Applications/Heroes of the Storm

Each folder holds the game's app (for example Hearthstone.app). That article predates some later changes: World of Warcraft now keeps its app and files in version sub-folders such as _retail_ inside its folder, as the post on World of Warcraft add-ons explains. The folder itself is still the one to look for.

Those are the defaults. When you install a game, Battle.net lets you change Install Location, so if you picked another drive or folder, the game is there instead. To check which games are in Applications:

ls /Applications | grep -i -E 'warcraft|starcraft|diablo|hearthstone|heroes'

To open a game's folder, use Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) in Finder, or in Terminal:

open "/Applications/World of Warcraft"

Replace the name with your game's folder.

The launcher and its files

What	Where
The launcher	/Applications/Battle.net.app
A game	Its own folder, by default in /Applications
Launcher cache	/Users/Shared/Blizzard/Battle.net (Blizzard's cache article)
Launcher support files	~/Library/Application Support/Blizzard/Battle.net (Blizzard's uninstall steps)
Launcher preferences	Files such as net.battle.net.app.plist and com.blizzard.launcher.plist in ~/Library/Preferences
Update agent data	/Users/Shared/Battle.net, per Blizzard forum posts

Moving the launcher does not move your games, and Blizzard notes that moving the Battle.net app to a different drive from your system files can cause problems with your games, so leave it in Applications. To see which of the shared folders exist on your Mac, list them; this changes nothing:

ls -la /Users/Shared | grep -i -E 'blizzard|battle'
ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support | grep -i -E 'blizzard|battle'

Some of the preference files hold sign-in data, so do not open, copy or share them.

Clearing the Battle.net cache

Blizzard's "Deleting the Battle.net Cache Folder" article says a corrupted cache can cause problems and that deleting it will not affect your game data. Quit the Battle.net app and any Blizzard game first (Blizzard's Windows steps begin that way), then follow its Mac steps:

1. In Finder, choose Go > Computer, then open Macintosh HD.
2. Go to /Users/Shared/Blizzard.
3. Control-click the Battle.net folder and choose Move to Trash.
4. Start Battle.net again and relaunch the game.

Blizzard's article about the app stuck on "Loading Account Information" repeats those steps and adds: if a Blizzard Entertainment folder is also there, move it to the Trash too. Removing ~/Library/Application Support/Blizzard/Battle.net and the preference files is part of Blizzard's steps for a full uninstall of the app, not a cache reset, so do that only when you mean to reinstall Battle.net. Never delete a game's folder as a cache fix.

Moving a game to another drive

Blizzard's own advice is to keep the Battle.net app and games on your main drive. If you need to move a game anyway, its supported route is to reinstall:

1. Uninstall the game from the Battle.net app.
2. Open the game's tab and click Install.
3. Under Install Location, browse to the drive and folder you want.
4. Click Start Install.

That downloads the game again. A shortcut players use is to copy the folder instead: quit the game and Battle.net, copy the game folder to the new location (copy, not move), then click the Battle.net icon in the top-left corner, choose Settings, open Game Install/Update and click Scan for Games. Blizzard gives that scan for games moved onto a local drive. Players report that Battle.net sometimes refuses a copied folder and asks for a full download, so keep the original until the game starts from the new place and Battle.net says it is up to date.

For World of Warcraft, your add-ons and per-character settings live in the Interface and WTF folders inside each version folder such as _retail_, so copying the whole game folder carries them.

Game settings and saves

Blizzard says player data is saved on its servers and is available from any computer with the game installed, so there is little to back up. Local settings, add-ons and screenshots sit inside the game folder or its sub-folders. For a particular game, search Blizzard's support site for the game's name plus "Mac".

Repair and permission trouble

Before reinstalling, use Blizzard's repair route: in Battle.net, select the game, click the cogwheel next to the Play button, and choose Check for Updates, then Scan and Repair if the problem stays. For launch failures after a macOS update, Blizzard has a Mac article on resetting game folder and file permissions through the folder's Get Info window; follow it rather than changing permissions from Terminal.

Space

To see which game takes the room:

du -sh /Applications/World\ of\ Warcraft /Applications/Hearthstone

Uninstall games you no longer play from Battle.net, so the launcher updates its own records.

Why a normal search misses these

~/Library and /Users/Shared are left out of Spotlight and Finder searches, and the files inside a game folder carry the engine's own names, not the game's title.

Finding it again

Typing Battle.net into Everywhere lists the launcher, its cache in /Users/Shared/Blizzard and its support folder in ~/Library together, so you can see which ones exist before you clear anything. A game's name finds its install folder, even one on a drive that is not plugged in now; external drives are covered once Everywhere has Full Disk Access. ⌘T opens a Terminal in the match for the commands above. It searches file names only.

Common questions

Where does Battle.net install games on a Mac?

By default each game gets its own folder in /Applications, such as /Applications/World of Warcraft or /Applications/Hearthstone. If you changed Install Location when installing, the game is in the folder you chose.

How do I move a Blizzard game to another drive on Mac?

Blizzard's route is to uninstall the game in Battle.net, click Install, and pick the new drive under Install Location. Players also copy the folder and use Settings, Game Install/Update, Scan for Games, but that does not always work.

Where is the Battle.net cache on Mac?

In /Users/Shared/Blizzard/Battle.net. Blizzard says moving that folder to the Trash does not affect your game data. Quit Battle.net first, then start it again afterwards.

Does moving the Battle.net app move my games?

No. The games are separate folders, and Blizzard warns that moving the Battle.net app to a different drive from your system files can cause problems with your games.