After an on-again, off-again run for BlizzCon since 2020, the fan convention is officially returning next year. BlizzCon 2026 is set to return as a live event at the Anaheim Convention Center near Los Angeles on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13.
"For 2026," Blizzard says in a press release, "alongside BlizzCon staples like Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, hands-on gameplay, and more, we aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it."
The initial announcement is light on concrete details about what any of that means in practice, but the announcement comes just ahead of a SXSW panel featuring Blizzard president Johanna Faries, which may provide some additional detail on what to expect. You can also expect a sure-to-be exciting dive into "how long-lasting IPs continue to excite audiences and build communities."
BlizzCon was first held back in 2005, and with just a couple of exceptions ran annually through 2019. The event was naturally canceled amid the COVID pandemic in 2020, returning as an online-only event in 2021 – only to be canceled again in 2022. It came back in 2023, got canceled again in 2024, and obviously today's announcement means there will be no BlizzCon 2025, either.
With the likes of World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, Blizzard still operates some of the most popular games in the world, but somewhere between the debacles of Warcraft 3 Reforged and Diablo Immortal – plus the mediocre response to some of the studio's bigger releases – it's safe to say the shine of that fandom has worn off in recent years.
But hey, nowadays World of Warcraft seems to be on an upswing, recent Diablo 4 updates have been well-received, and Overwatch 2 is clawing its reputation back one Steam review at a time. Here's hoping that momentum continues into 2026.
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