"BlizzCon 2026" was held over two days, on September 12 and 13 (local time).Since it was the first time the event had been held in three years, the venue was buzzing with excitement and bustling with activity. Game*Spark was invited by Blizzard Entertainment to attend this event alongside other Japanese gaming media outlets. So, in this article, I’ll be sharing an event report capturing “BlizzCon 2026” from my perspective!
To be honest, this was my first time attending BlizzCon. In fact, it was practically my first time visiting the United States at all (though I seem to have been there once during my early childhood, a time I don’t remember…). The journey was filled with nervous moments—like navigating an unfamiliar airport—but I managed to arrive safely at the venue.
The venue for “BlizzCon 2026” was the Anaheim Convention Center in California. With Disneyland right nearby, the surrounding area had a distinctly resort-like atmosphere. The roads were wide and well-maintained, and according to my research beforehand, it’s a neighborhood with an excellent safety record.
It took a little over an hour by car from Los Angeles International Airport, and since it’s also far from any train station, from my perspective as someone living in Japan, I didn’t feel the location was particularly easy to access (though since the U.S. is a car-centric society, being far from a station probably isn’t much of an issue).However, as soon as I set foot in the area around the venue, I was immediately enveloped by the excitement and could truly feel the enduring popularity of Blizzard’s titles firsthand.
By the way, I used Uber to get to the venue, and it was very memorable how the driver—who had been silent the entire ride—suddenly got really excited as soon as we arrived and sent me off with a cheerful, “Yeah BlizzCon! Have Fun!”
Here’s what the venue looked like from the outside. “This is the same scene I’ve seen in past event reports!” I thought, and I was completely blown away the moment I arrived.
Huge banners featuring popular characters from titles like *Diablo*, *Hearthstone*, and *Overwatch* were lined up along the walls of the massive building, getting everyone pumped up even before we entered.
Finally, the first day of the event arrived. First, I experienced the opening ceremony, which was an absolute blast as the entire venue was engulfed in frenzy. Kicking off with a speech by Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment, a series of major announcements followed one after another, further fueling the fans’ excitement.
Among them, two titles in particular drew especially loud cheers from the crowd.
The first was the trailer for a new *StarCraft* game, which was surprise-announced with a planned release date of 2030.Aside from the anticipation surrounding the first new entry in the series in a long time, the trailer itself was quite unique—with a style that was both tacky and charming—and I found myself completely captivated by the screen (Blizzard’s trailers are always of such high quality, aren’t they!).
What really surprised me was that this new title won’t be a traditional RTS (real-time strategy) game, but rather an open-world shooter. While it shares the same universe as past entries in the series, it seems best to view it as essentially a completely new game.Although the announcement—a release in 2030—was quite a long way off, it gave me motivation for the future, making me think, “Let’s keep playing games with enthusiasm until then!”
And one more thing. This is purely my personal opinion, but the announcement that drew the biggest, earth-shaking cheers of the day was for *World of Warcraft: Forever*.
This title is said to fall into the “Classic+” category that long-time *World of Warcraft* (WoW) users have been asking for, and it will apparently allow players to enjoy the classic *WoW* experience from the original version indefinitely.
To be honest, I’ve never played *WoW* myself, so I couldn’t fully grasp all the nuances of the announcement.Since the game has never been officially released in Japanese, its player base in Japan is likely not that large. However, witnessing the frenzy that shook the venue made me realize that *WoW* is the backbone of Blizzard and its most beloved flagship title.
Of course, I was already aware that *WoW* is an extremely popular title worldwide. But I was struck by the overwhelming cheers—so much so that I couldn’t help but think that perhaps 80 percent of the die-hard fans rushing to the BlizzCon opening ceremony were *WoW* players.
There was also plenty of exciting news, such as the announcement of *Diablo V* and the release of *Diablo IV* for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Since *Diablo V* isn’t scheduled for release until 2029—which is still quite a ways off—we’ll just have to wait with bated breath. However, in the meantime, it was revealed that a new class, the “Amazon,” will be added to *Diablo IV*, making for a very satisfying lineup of announcements for fans of the *Diablo* series.
Furthermore, it was revealed that a new hero, “Doctrine,” will be added to *Overwatch*, and a new class, “Monk,” will be added to *Hearthstone*.
Since both are major updates that will bring significant changes to the future gameplay environment and tactics in these ongoing live-service games, they were met with particularly loud cheers from the fans of each title who had packed the venue.
After the excitement of the opening ceremony, I took a short stroll around the venue. In the *Diablo* series area, a massive statue of “Lilith” stood prominently; its intricate craftsmanship was truly remarkable, especially given its sheer size.
There was also a photo spot set up where visitors could take commemorative photos with an equally massive statue of “Mephisto.” This spot was so popular that a small line had formed, thanks to enthusiastic fans.
While the *Diablo* series is best known in Japan for its collaboration with Burger King, at the venue there was a Fanta tasting event alongside advertisements suggesting a collaboration with Fanta.
I wasn’t able to get all the details, but I suspect existing Fanta flavors might be released in “Diablo”-themed packaging… or something along those lines. The advertising panels inside the venue clearly featured Fanta with “Diablo” designs, but the bottles being handed out on-site had standard Halloween-style packaging.
There was also a surprising booth called “HELL’S INK” where visitors could actually get “Diablo”-themed tattoos. To be honest, I was a little intrigued myself… but I didn’t quite have the courage to go through with it, so I decided to pass on the experience this time.
Since I’m a fan of the *Diablo* series myself, I ended up focusing most of my attention on that area, but of course, I made sure to check out the other areas as well.
For example, in the *Hearthstone* area, there was a monument featuring that iconic “stone” (Hearthstone)—which is not only the game’s namesake but also a familiar sight to players.
Also, when it comes to *Hearthstone*, the “tavern” motif is, of course, a familiar one.In the center of the area, there was a full-fledged bar serving mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails). By the way, mocktails cost around $12 each. Given the recent weakness of the yen, that’s actually quite a hefty price when converted to Japanese yen…!
Next up is the *Overwatch* area. Here, there was a photo spot where you could take commemorative photos with both “D.Va” and “D.Mon,” as well as…
...as well as a corner displaying scale models of the weapons that symbolize each hero. These were also incredibly intricate; even when examined up close, I couldn’t spot any flaws—they were finished to a very high standard.
In addition, there was a “Hammer Down Challenge”—a test of strength where you could strike a measuring device with a hammer, just like Reinhardt. The line for this attraction was packed with large, burly men, creating a distinctly American atmosphere.
Of course, the area dedicated to *World of Warcraft*, Blizzard’s flagship title, was also set up on a massive scale. A massive, majestic gate towered at the entrance to the area, and in front of it stood an intricately crafted, life-size statue of “Jaina Proudmoore,” a familiar face from *Hearthstone*.
One of the highlights of any major event is the merchandise sales, and the merchandise area was a huge success (and a massive chaos), with lines forming every day that required hours of waiting. I finally made my way there toward the end of the event, once the lines had died down, but it was already too late. By then, it seemed all the most sought-after items had long since sold out.
The various stage events also offered a very rich lineup. Among them, the halftime show for the “Overwatch World Cup 2026” was enveloped in an incredible frenzy of excitement.
“YOASOBI” from Japan took the stage and performed their signature songs, such as “Idol” and “Running Through the Night,” as well as “Orion,” a collaborative track with *Overwatch*. The fans packed into the venue were absolutely thrilled by the spectacular live performance, which seamlessly blended with the game’s world.
Then, at the event’s closing ceremony, “LE SSERAFIM”—who had just unveiled their new “Overwatch” collaboration outfits—took the stage. It appeared that each member’s outfit was inspired by a different “Overwatch” hero.
Their polished performance and spectacular staging sent the audience’s excitement to a fever pitch. It was truly a breathtaking stage show, a fitting grand finale for the massive “BlizzCon 2026” event.
So, while this was a bit of a whirlwind tour, that wraps up my report on the events and booths at “BlizzCon 2026.”
For me—someone who’s been playing Blizzard titles since I was young—it was a deeply memorable experience, and with so many major announcements, I’m sure it was a thoroughly satisfying two days for fans in attendance.
It’s still unclear how frequently “BlizzCon” will be held from next year onward, but even with my limited English, I managed just fine at the event itself. If this report has piqued your interest even a little, why not aim to attend in person in the future?
Finally, just a little aside… Perhaps because the Anaheim Convention Center, which hosted the event, is a historic facility, the less crowded areas around it had a unique atmosphere that somehow evoked a “liminal space.”
Since I’d just watched the movie *The Backrooms* on my flight there, I found myself lost in a strange sense of reflection, thinking, “So this is where Americans’ primal experiences of internet ghost stories and eeriness lie—in spaces like this, right on the edge of everyday life…” Of course, the excitement of a massive event is part of it, but being able to experience this unique local atmosphere firsthand—and gain various insights and fresh experiences—is a major appeal of reporting from abroad.
