Last week, Blizzard announced that BlizzCon would make its return in 2026 after a two-year hiatus. While the celebration of all things Blizzard, from World of Warcraft to Diablo to Overwatch, had been an annual staple of the convention circuit, it has taken periodic breaks in more recent years. Usually, those breaks are for good reason (i.e. COVID, controversies), but BlizzCon’s return in 2026 after a two-year break is significant.
Historically, BlizzCon is the focal point of the year where Blizzard announces new games, content releases for existing games, and spin-off projects. The last BlizzCon in 2023, however, was fairly mild by convention standards. There were announcements but nothing that would be considered a bombshell reveal.
Considering the two-year hiatus, it stands to reason that BlizzCon 2026 will feature some major announcements, presumably on the level not seen since BlizzCon 2019 when Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were both revealed. The expectation is that Blizzard will discuss new expansions and add-ons for its popular titles like the aforementioned Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2, as well as Diablo Immortal, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone, but beyond that, the studio’s plans are a mystery. For a time, we expected to hear more about the mysterious MMO Titan at each BlizzCon, but that project was canceled earlier this year.
If Blizzard only talks about existing projects, though, then the show will go down as a disappointment. This is an opportunity for Blizzard to make a big splash, and that gap between BlizzCons has only built up anticipation for what the studio could reveal. It has been three years since Blizzard revealed a new game, but those were either sequels (Overwatch 2, Diablo 4) or mobile spin-offs (Warcraft Rumble).
The Last Major BlizzCon Announcements
- BlizzCon 2014: Overwatch
- BlizzCon 2018: Diablo Immortal, Warcraft 3: Reforged
- BlizzCon 2019: Overwatch 2, Diablo 4
The other big element that suggests BlizzCon 2026 will be a huge event is Blizzard’s new parent company. Although Microsoft had newly acquired Activision Blizzard King before BlizzCon 2023, the acquisition had only just completed right before the event. The lengthy legal process that Microsoft had to go through prevented Blizzard from preparing any major announcements for that year’s BlizzCon. And then the following two BlizzCon events were cancelled.
So this is not just a big BlizzCon for Blizzard but Microsoft and Xbox as well. This is the parent company’s opportunity to showcase what direction it hopes to take the studio under its leadership. It’s a chance for fans to better understand the road ahead. Obviously, World of Warcraft and the other major IP are going to factor into those plans, but what else might be in the works?
There have been some partnerships between Blizzard and Game Pass, but not at the level that some might have hoped. Admittedly, Game Pass is in a weird spot as of late, with the price increases having fans question its appeal, but a deeper synergy between the subscription service and Blizzard’s library could be a major shot in the arm for both.
On top of that, Microsoft and Xbox have leveraged its stable of studios to support the development of projects it believes in. 343 Studios (now Halo Studios) helped Obsidian Entertainment with The Outer Worlds 2, for example. Perhaps the cancellation of Titan was in service of diverting resources towards a project that Microsoft more strongly believes in.
What to Expect from BlizzCon 2026
Both the Warcraft and StarCraft brands have lain dormant for a while now, but that could very well change at BlizzCon 2026. If Blizzard were to announce a proper sequel in either (or both) franchise that would surely make for a huge convention. Not since Diablo 4 was confirmed, after Diablo Immortal was announced to a tepid reaction, has Blizzard come out with an announcement that generates the type of buzz that the studio is used to.
World of Warcraft will have released its Midnight expansion, so the expectation is BlizzCon 2026 will play host to new information and a proper reveal for The Last Titan expansion. As the final chapter in the Worldsoul Saga, The Last Titan has a lot of anticipation behind it and could likely be a major event for an MMO that has seen its fair share of them. Whether or not, Blizzard might reveal what lies on the other side of The Last Titan and the conclusion of the Worldsoul Saga, however, is anyone’s guess.
There have also been rumors that World of Warcraft will release Classic+, an expansion on the “Vanilla” experience rather than a retread of what has already been released. It’s hard to define what fans want out of Classic+, but the idea seems to be new content that keeps in the spirit of WoW Vanilla. How that is different from new WoW expansions is a bit confusing, but the desire for Classic+ is still there.
Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, Diablo Immortal, and Hearthstone are likely to reveal new pieces of content during BlizzCon 2026, but again, that’s par for the course. It’s what we have no idea about that is the most intriguing and where BlizzCon can really surprise attendees.
Or BlizzCon 2026 could be fairly boring by convention standards. Announcing new content for the studio’s library of titles is, at this point, the bare minimum for an event like this, and after a two-year hiatus. With Microsoft’s backing, this is a major opportunity for Blizzard to establish what its future looks like. If Titan isn’t to be the answer moving forward, then something must be. Hopefully, we find out the answers to that question (and more) when BlizzCon returns in September 2026.
- Date Founded
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February 8, 1991
- Headquarters
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Irvine, California, United States
- CEO
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Bobby Kotick
- Parent Company
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activision blizzard
