BlizzCon 2026 should be Blizzard's biggest event ever: Here's what to expect

Historically, BlizzCon is the focal point of the year where Blizzard announces new games, content releases for existing games, and spin-off projects. However, the last BlizzCon 2023 was pretty mild by conventional standards. There were announcements but nothing that would be considered a bombshell.

Considering the two-year hiatus, it is reasonable BlizzCon 2026 will feature some big announcementsprobably at the level not seen since BlizzCon 2019 then Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were both revealed. The expectation is Blizzard will discuss new expansions and additions for its popular titles such as the aforementioned Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2as well as Diablo Immortal, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstonebut beyond that, the studio's plans are a mystery. For a while, we expected to hear more about the mysterious MMO Titan at every BlizzCon, but that project was canceled earlier this year.

But if Blizzard only talks about existing projects, the show will be a disappointment. This is an opportunity for Blizzard to make a big splashand that gap between BlizzCons ​​has only built anticipation for what the studio might reveal. It's been three years since Blizzard revealed a new game, but it was either a sequel (Overwatch 2, Diablo 4) or mobile spin-offs (Warcraft Rumble).

The last big BlizzCon announcements

• BlizzCon 2014: Monitoring
• BlizzCon 2018: Diablo Immortal, Warcraft 3: Reforged
• BlizzCon 2019: Overwatch 2, Diablo 4

The other big element that suggests BlizzCon 2026 will be a big event is Blizzard's new parent company. Although Microsoft had recently acquired Activision Blizzard King ahead of BlizzCon 2023, the acquisition had just been completed right before the event. The lengthy legal process Microsoft had to go through prevented Blizzard from preparing any major announcements for that year's BlizzCon. And then the next two BlizzCon events were canceled.

So this is not only a big BlizzCon for Blizzard, but Microsoft and Xbox as well. This is the parent company's opportunity to show the direction it hopes to take the studio under its leadership. It's a chance for fans to better understand the way forward. Apparently, World of Warcraft and the other major IP will factor into these plans, but what else could be in the works?

There have been some partnerships between Blizzard and Game Pass, but not to the level that some might have hoped for. Admittedly, Game Pass has been in a strange place of late, with price hikes that have fans questioning its appeal, but a deeper synergy between the subscription service and Blizzard's library could be a big shot in the arm for both.

Beyond that, Microsoft and Xbox have leveraged their stable of studios to support the development of projects they believe in. 343 Studios (now Halo Studios) assisted Obsidian Entertainment The Outer Worlds 2for example. Perhaps the dismissal of Titan was in service of diverting resources to a project in which Microsoft believes more strongly.

What to expect from BlizzCon 2026

Both that Warcraft and StarCraft brands have been dormant for a while nowbut that may well change at BlizzCon 2026. If Blizzard were to announce a true sequel in either (or both) franchises, it would certainly be a huge convention. Not since then Diablo 4 was confirmed, after Diablo Immortal announced to a lukewarm response, Blizzard has come out with an announcement that is generating the kind of buzz the studio is used to.

World of Warcraft will have released its Midnight expansion, so the expectation is that BlizzCon 2026 will host 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 big event for an MMO that has seen its fair share of them. Regardless of whether Blizzard can reveal what's on the other side of The Last Titan and the conclusion of the Worldsoul Saga is anyone's guess though.

There have also been rumors that World of Warcraft will release Classic+an expansion of 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 in the spirit of WoW Vanilla. How it differs from new WoW expansions is a bit confusing, but the desire for Classic+ is still there.

Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, Diablo Immortal, and Hearthstone will likely reveal new pieces of content during BlizzCon 2026, but again, that's par for the course. It's the things we have no idea about that are the most exciting and where BlizzCon can really surprise attendees.

Or BlizzCon 2026 could be pretty boring by conventional 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 support, this is a great opportunity for Blizzard to determine what its future looks like. If Titan isn't going to be the answer going forward, something has to be. Hopefully we'll find out the answers to that question (and more) when BlizzCon returns in September 2026.

Date founded

February 8, 1991

Head office

Irvine, California, USA

CEO

Bobby Kotick

Parent company

Activision Blizzard