By Olivia Davies Blizzcon 2026 is set to kick off a weekend of announcements and celebrations from September 12th to September 13th.
This marks the event’s return after a 2 year hiatus where it missed its 20th anniversary in 2025. It’s been a very bumpy ride for the con as it has missed out on live events for the majority of this decade.
There haven’t been concrete reasons why BlizzCon has been so sparse, but it may be due to the company undergoing major restructuring, as it had recently been acquired by Microsoft.
However, this year it’s back and fans are excited with what Blizzard have to show!
“For 2026, 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.”
Diablo
Let’s start things off with Diablo. Blizzard have a list of events to do with their ARPG on their website.
“Diablo takes the stage during the BlizzCon Opening Ceremony, followed throughout the weekend by new reveals, development insights, and a closer look at the past, present, and future of Sanctuary.“
They include behind the scenes talks on cinematics, workshops with artists, and a main stage presentation on what’s next for the franchise.
There are a few rumors drifting around, mainly about a Diablo TV show in the works and a big season reveal for Diablo IV.
Jez Corden from Windows Central said,
‘One thing I’ve heard is that Blizzard wants the waiting time between tentpole Diablo launches to be shorter, although it’s probably still too early for a reveal of Diablo 5 if I had to guess.’.
It may be a bit too early for a new Diablo instalment, but it seems we are still in for a weekend of updates and news.
StarCraft
It’s been a while since we got the last instalment in StarCraft, but it seems Blizzard are gearing up for the next title with rumours of a StarCraft Shooter.
You can find out more over on a piece we did on the rumors of the revival or this dormant IP!
Overwatch
It’s an understatement to say that Overwatch is one of Blizzard’s most prevalent IPs with millions of players across the world so of course, Blizzcon is full of events for players to enjoy.
It includes the Overwatch World Cup finals, a developer livestream, and even concerts by popular South Korean stars LE SSERAFIM and J-pop singer YOASOBI.
Overwatch will also enjoy 20-30 minutes of content in the opening ceremony.
Rumors are saying that we could be getting new hero announcements and the potential for transmedia reveals like an animated series.
World of Warcraft
We already know what’s coming next for Warcraft, with their next expansion, The Last Titan announced back in BlizzCon 2023.
The new world will serve as the end to the World Soul Saga and its release date is looking to be 2027 at the earliest, so we may get some more insight over the weekend.
For now though, it’s rumoured that Warcraft’s current expansion, Midnight, will see a a new major content patch and a we will hopefully get a first look at the elusive ‘Classic+’.
In a recent data mine, the code ‘Camelot’ was found in relation to Classic+, hinting at a WoW classic prequel.
‘Warcraft Chronicles’ was also found in the code, which may point to new RTS content, including Warcraft 1/2 remakes or Warcraft 3 added content. There is a lot to get excited for.
When and Where To Watch
So, how can you get involved in all the excitement of this year’s BlizzCon?
It’s being held in California’s Anaheim Convention Centre this year, but when Opening Night kicks off on Saturday the 13th of September you can watch it live at these times on official channels:
6.30pm BST
10.30am PDT
1.30pm EDT
7.30pm CEST
For UK watchers, streams will happen well into the night, ending at around 3.00am BST.
You’ll be able to catch livestreams of all the events on YouTube and Twitch for each IP. Schedules for times can be found on Blizzard’s website.
So stay tuned at Xbox Nation for all news and announcements at BlizzCon 2026!
Fletcher Wilkinson
Jordan Campbell