Wikipedia

BlizzCon

BlizzConis an annualgaming conventionheld byBlizzard Entertainmentto promote its major franchises includingWarcraft,StarCraft,Diablo,Hearthstone,Heroes of the Storm,andOverwatch.

BlizzCon
Official logo
StatusActive
GenreVideo games
VenueAnaheim Convention Center
Location(s)Anaheim, California
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2005;19 years ago(2005)
Most recentNovember 3, 2023;12 months ago(2023-11-03)
Next eventTBA
Attendance≈40,000 in 2018
Organized byBlizzard Entertainment
Filing statusCorporate
Websiteblizzcon

The first BlizzCon was held in October 2005, and since then, all of the conventions have been held at theAnaheim Convention CenterinAnaheim, California,in the same metropolitan area as Blizzard's headquarters inIrvine.The convention features game-related announcements, previews of upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games and content, Q&A sessions and panels, costume contests, and playable versions of various Blizzard games. The Closing Ceremony has featured concerts byThe Offspring,Tenacious D,Foo Fighters,Ozzy Osbourne,Blink-182,Metallica,Linkin Park,"Weird Al" Yankovic,andMuse.Blizzard also hosted a similar event outside the U.S. from 2004 to 2008, theBlizzard Worldwide Invitational.

Tickets and pricing

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General admission (since 2005)

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General admission tickets are considered to be the baseline experience for BlizzCon. It grants access to all of the panels on both days, ability to playtest new games, patches, expansions, etc. and ability to view as well as order exclusive Blizzard merchandise online before the convention. Since its inception in 2005, the prices have changed drastically as its scope and number attendees have grown with it.

  • For BlizzCon 2005, tickets were set at $120 USD.[1]
  • For BlizzCon 2007 & 2008, the price was decreased by $20 to $100 USD.
  • For BlizzCon 2009, the price was increased by $25 to $125.
  • For BlizzCon 2010, the price was increased by another $25 to $150.
  • For BlizzCon 2011 & 2013, the price was increased by another $25 to $175.[2][3]
  • For BlizzCon 2014,[4]2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018,[5]the price was increased by another $24 to $199.
  • For BlizzCon 2019, the price was increased by $30 to $229.
  • For BlizzCon 2023, the price was increased by $70 to $299.


Each general admission ticket includes agoody bagthat has contained items such as beta keys for upcoming Blizzard games, exclusive Blizzard paraphernalia and in-game prizes. The in-game prizes have ranged from pets, transmog & mounts inWorld of Warcraft&Heroes of the Storm,exclusive card backs forHearthstone,heroes forHeroes of the Storm,cosmetic wings & pets forDiablo III,skins forOverwatch,and portraits, unit skins & console skins forStarcraft: Remastered&Starcraft II.

Benefit Dinner (2009–2019)

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Starting with BlizzCon 2009, the BlizzCon Benefit Dinner, sometimes called the VIPs Dinner, was introduced as an additional ticket option. The dinner benefits theChildren's Hospital Orange County (CHOC) Children's Foundationwith all net proceeds going to them. Guests can meet and chat with game developers, artists, executives and other folks from Blizzard Entertainment.

The tickets included the dinner, a signed print of Blizzard artwork and a BlizzCon ticket. In later BlizzCons, reserved seating for the Opening Ceremony and Community Night on the first day of the show were added as additional benefits. These tickets usually had their own sale date separate from the main ticket. The price for these tickets were:

  • $500 for BlizzCon 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013[6]
  • $750 for BlizzCon 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019. This was an increase of $250 from BlizzCon 2013.

The Benefit Dinner was neither offered nor returned as part of BlizzCon 2023.

Portal Pass (since 2019)

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Beginning with BlizzCon 2019, the Portal Pass was added as an additional ticket option; effectively replacing the Benefit Dinner option with BlizzCon 2023. It is considered an upgrade over the General Admission ticket as it added several additional benefits. It cost $550 for BlizzCon 2019. This price was increased by $229 to $799 with BlizzCon 2023. It granted additional access to:[7]

  • "Night at the Faire" event in the Darkmoon Faire area the night before BlizzCon starts (BlizzCon 2019 Only)
  • Access to the convention halls before general admission (BlizzCon 2019 Only)
  • Private viewing lounge with video feeds of the panels
  • A rotating set of Blizzard employees and special guests
  • Early convention entry on both days to the Portal Pass Lounge Only
  • Preferred/Separate lines for registration and security
  • Preferred parking area
  • Private Concessions (Introduced with BlizzCon 2023)
  • Gameplay Experiences (Introduced with BlizzCon 2023)
  • Concierge Support (Introduced with BlizzCon 2023)

Event cancellations

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BlizzCon is typically held every year. However, it has been cancelled five times in 2006, 2012, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

  • The first cancellation came in 2006 with no reason given at the time.
  • It was cancelled for a second time in 2012. The cause was, according to Community Manager Bashiok, is that Blizzard was working on "releasing multiple titles that year and so felt they may not have anything big, new or cool to talk about".World of Warcraft's fourth expansion,Mists of Pandaria,andDiablo IIIboth launched in 2012 whileStarCraft II: Heart of the Swarmlaunched in March 2013.[8]
  • The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9]Avirtual eventcalled BlizzConline was held in February 2021.[10]
  • BlizzCon 2022 was to be held in a modified format with virtual programming and "smaller, in-person gatherings".[11]It was again cancelled in October 2021 in order to prioritize "supporting our teams and progressing development of our games and experiences", and to provide time to "reinvent" the event to be "safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible". This cancellation came amidan employee discrimination lawsuit against parent company Activision Blizzard in the state of California.[12]
  • BlizzCon 2024 was cancelled in April 2024, with no reason given.[13]

BlizzCon events

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Year Dates Number of attendees (approx.) Closing Ceremonies Ticket Price (USD) Portal Pass Price (USD) Virtual Ticket Price (USD)
2005 October 28–29 4,000[14] The Offspring,Christian Finnegan,L60ETC 100 N/A N/A
2006 Not held
2007 August 3–4 13,000 Video Games Live,Jay Mohr,L70ETC 100 N/A N/A
2008 October 10–11 15,000[15] Video Games Live,Patton Oswalt,Kyle Kinane,L70ETC 100 N/A N/A
2009 August 21–22 20,000[16] Ozzy Osbourne 125 N/A 39.95
2010 October 22–23 27,000 Tenacious D,Dave Grohl 150 N/A 39.99
2011 October 21–22 26,000 Foo Fighters,TAFKL80ETC/L90ETC 175 N/A 39.99
2012 Not held
2013 November 8–9 26,000 Blink-182 175 N/A 39.99
2014 November 7–8 26,000 Metallica,L90ETC/Elite Tauren Chieftains 199 N/A 39.99
2015 November 6–7 25,000 Linkin Park 199 N/A 39.99
2016 November 4–5 27,000+ "Weird Al" Yankovic 199 N/A 39.99
2017 November 3–4 35,000+ Muse 199 N/A 39.99
2018 November 2–3 40,000+[17][18] Train,Lindsey Stirling,Kristian Nairn 199 N/A 49.99
2019 November 1–2 Fitz and the Tantrums,The Glitch Mob,Haywyre 229 550 49.99
2020 Not held
2021 February 19–20 Online Only Kristian Nairn,Metallica,Mamamoo Free N/A 19.99/39.99/59.99 Celebration Collection[19]
2022 Not held[20]
2023 November 3–4 TBA LE SSERAFIM 299 799 Free Live Stream (29.99/49.99 BlizzCon Collection Packs)
2024 Not held[21]

2000s

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2005

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Attendees were able to try one of the two new playable races, the Blood Elves, for upcoming expansion based in Outland which was released asWorld of Warcraft: The Burning Crusadein 2007. Playable demos of the single and multiplayer modes of the since canceledStarcraft: Ghostwere available. A songwriting competition was judged byJonathan DavisofKorn.

Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain, comedianChristian Finnegan,andThe Offspringperformed at the closing concert.[22]

2007

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The opening ceremony at the 2007 BlizzCon

A pre-release version ofStarCraft IIwas available for play (the game would be released asStarCraft II: Wings of Libertyonly in 2010), as single player or 2v2 as Terran or Protoss.[23][24]Much of the game was revealed and explained as well as Q&A with attendees. The Zerg race was, however, not unveiled at that time.[25]The second expansion toWorld of Warcraft,titledWrath of the Lich King,was officially announced and it was available to play.[26]

ComedianJay Mohrentertained at the closing ceremony followed by Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain (who changed their name to reflect the new level cap inThe Burning Crusade) alongsideVideo Games Liveperforming at the closing concert.[27]

2008

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Fan in Thorim costume

In the opening ceremonies, Blizzard presidentMichael Morhaimerevealed the third playable class forDiablo III:the Wizard, as well as the major announcement thatStarcraft IIwould be separated into three games.

Playable versions ofDiablo III,StarCraft II,andWorld of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich Kingwere available to test during the convention. As well, there were tournaments and competitions for theWorld of WarcraftTrading Card Game,World of Warcraftminiatures game,StarCraft,StarCraft II,Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne,andWorld of Warcraftarena. The Zerg race was now playable in theStarCraft IIdemos.

BlizzCon 2008 was broadcast live on both days as aPPVevent onDirecTVfor US viewers only, for eight hours per day in high definition.[28]Official Blizzard fansite WoW Radio broadcast live audio viaSHOUTcast.[29]

For the closing ceremonies on Saturday, comedians Kyle Kinane andPatton Oswaltperformed. The closing concert was performed by Video Games Live, playing arrangements from all of the Blizzard games, and a performance including theWrath of the Lich Kingmusic.

2009

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Blizzcon 2009 at theAnaheim Convention Center

In an attempt to reduce frustrations linked to lack of ticket availability for previous BlizzCons, there were four halls (increased from three) of space available. Blizzard implemented a new system designed to make buying tickets easier. The new system implemented an online queue, effectively creating an organized online "line" for anyone who wants to purchase tickets, an improvement on 2008's chaotic sale of tickets.[30]

Ozzy Osbourneat BlizzCon 2009

As in 2008,DirecTVcarried both days of BlizzCon 2009 as a PPV event ($39.95 for both days) for eight hours per day in both standard and high definition. All BlizzCon 2009 Pay Per View event purchasers received an exclusive "Grunty the Murloc Marine"World of Warcraftin-game pet.[31]and had access to the online stream for no additional cost. New in 2009, BlizzCon was broadcast live via an internet stream, calling it a "Virtual Ticket". The site covered both days of the convention featuring exclusive interviews and commentary, main stage presentations including the opening ceremony and tournament coverage with team highlights. All purchasers received an exclusive "Grunty the Murloc Marine"World of Warcraftin-game pet.[32]

The third expansion,World of Warcraft: Cataclysmwas announced.Diablo III,StarCraft II: Wings of Libertywere available to play.

Ozzy Osbourneperformed for the closing concert.[33]

2010s

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2010

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Resto Druid in Tree Form at Blizzcon 2010

The fifth playableDiablo IIIclass was revealed to be the Demon Hunter and theStarCraft IImodification called "Blizzard DotA" was presented, which later evolved intoHeroes of the Storm.Diablo III,StarCraft II: Wings of LibertyandWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysmwere playable.

Tenacious Dat Blizzcon 2010

Similar to 2009, BlizzCon 2010 was available live via an online broadcast on the "BlizzCon Virtual Ticket". The Virtual Ticket provided four live feeds from the convention floor, offering 50+ hours of HD BlizzCon programming. DirecTV again offered both days of BlizzCon 2010 as a PPV event (US$39.95 for both days) for ten hours per day in both standard and high definition.

Korean pro-gamer MVP_Genius won the StarCraft II BlizzCon Invitational[citation needed]The vinyl recordRevolution Overdrive: Songs of Libertywas released for the event.

Tenacious D(Jack Black/Kyle Gass) played for the closing concert withDave Grohl.[34]Recordings of the event were released for free as part of theLive Music Archive.[35]

2011

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The opening ceremony showcased a newDiablo IIIcinematic trailer titled "The Black Soulstone", aStarCraft II: Heart of the Swarmreveal trailer showcasing new units and abilities, a "Blizzard DOTA"trailer for a new game made fromStarCraft IIand the reveal ofWorld of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria,a new expansion forWorld of Warcraft.Diablo III,StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm,andWorld of Warcraft: Mists of Pandariawere playable. DirecTV once again offered both days of BlizzCon 2011 as a PPV event.

TheGOMTV Global Starcraft II LeagueOctober final match took place in Anaheim alongside BlizzCon.[36]Moon "MMA" Sung Won beat Jeong "Mvp" Jong Hyeon, 4–1.

The closing concert featured a performance from Blizzard's own in-house band, The Artist Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftains (TAFKL80ETC), who changed their name mid-concert to Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftains (L90ETC). TheFoo Fightersperformed for the closing concert.[37]

2013

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Blizzcon 2013 was announced to be held on November 8 and 9 in Anaheim.[38]The tickets were sold in two batches, on April 24 and 27, 2013, and both batches quickly sold out.[39]Blizzard also sold special tickets that include access to a pre-Blizzcon Benefit Dinner. Blizzard once again sold a Virtual Ticket for live online streaming of all of the events in BlizzCon 2013.[40]

TheHeroes of the Storm"Cinematic Trailer" was presented with an Alpha version of the game available for playing.Hearthstonewas announced to begin beta testing and that the game would be released on iOS and Android. The fifth expansion toWorld of Warcraft,Warlords of Draenor,was officially announced and a trailer was shown. TheWarcraftfilm concept art was shown.Diablo III: Reaper of Soulswas announced to be released on PC,Xbox OneandPS4.

The gaming events included the finals of the 2013StarCraft IIWorld Championship Series[41]as well as the Hearthstone Innkeeper's Invitational, aHearthstone: Heroes of Warcrafttournament featuring a handful of prominentTwitchstreamers.[42]The StarCraft II competition was won byKim "sOs" Yoo-jin,World of Warcraftarena was won by team Skill-Capped andHearthstonewas won byDan "Artosis" Stemkoski.

The closing concert was performed byBlink-182.[43]

2014

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Lifewon the BlizzCon 2014StarCraft IItournament.

The tickets went on sale May 7 and 10, 2014. For 2014, tickets were sold viaEventbriteinstead of the Blizzard Store.[4]Blizzard once again sold a Virtual Ticket for live online streaming of all of the events.

Overwatch,a new class-based multi-playershooter,was announced on November 7, 2014.[44]The third part ofStarcraft II,Legacy of the Voidwas announced. The first expansion pack forHearthstone,Goblins vs. Gnomes,was also announced on the same day.[45]The first Hearthstone World Championship was hosted at the event.

The 2014StarCraft II World Championship SeriesGlobal Finals was won byLee "Life" Seung Hyunbeating Mun "MMA" Seong Won. TheWorld of Warcraftchampionship was won by team Bleached Bones.Hearthstonewas won by James "Firebat" Kostesich and first official tournament inHeroes of the Stormwas held at the event that was won by team Cloud 9.

The closing ceremony concert was opened by Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftains (changed their name during the show to Elite Tauren Chieftains) and closed byMetallica.[46]

2015

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For details about theHeroes of the StormWorld Championship, see2015 Heroes of the Storm World Championship.
Fan in Illidan costume

The tickets went on sale on April 15 and 18 using Eventbrite, and were sold out nearly instantly. Blizzard once again sold a Virtual Ticket for live online streaming of all of the events held at BlizzCon. The convention's online broadcast was watched by over 10 million people.

Hearthstone's third adventure,League of Explorers,was announced on November 6, 2015, which was later released on November 12.[47]Overwatch was announced to have a Q2 2016 release date, later confirmed for May 24. The expansionWorld of Warcraft: Legionreleased its cinematic trailer and announced a release date on or before September 21, 2016 and was playable. TheWarcraft (film)released its first official trailer and revealed its release date of June 10, 2016.StarCraft IIwas announced to have upcoming single player mission packs,Nova Covert Ops,which each consist of three missions.

The2015 Heroes of the Storm World Championshipand the second Hearthstone World Championship were hosted at the event.Hearthstonewas won by Sebastian "Ostkaka" Engwall andHeroes of the Stormwas won by team Cloud 9 again. The 2015StarCraft II World Championship SeriesGlobal Finals was won byKim "sOs" Yoo-jinbeating last year's winner Lee "Life" Seung Hyun and becoming the first two-time StarCraft II World Championship Series world champion. TheWorld of Warcraftarena team championship was won by SK Gaming.

The closing concert was performed byLinkin Park.[48]

2016

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BlizzCon 2016, also known as BlizzCon X, was the tenth BlizzCon event. Its tickets were sold on April 20 and 23 using the ticketing service Universe. Blizzard offered a Virtual Ticket for live online streaming of all of theesportsevents and major panels, remaining at the $39.99 price. Other panels and interviews in smaller rooms were not included for streaming.

In September 2016, Blizzard Entertainment released a sneak peek at the BlizzCon 2016 in-game item rewards and offered for the first time the "goody bag", normally only for physical attendees, was offered for sale to virtual ticket holders.[49]

The gaming announcements included the fourth expansion forHearthstone,Mean Streets of Gadgetzan,expected to be released in December 2016.Overwatchhad two big announcements: it confirmed the hero Sombra after teasing her via an ARG and the creation of an official esports league forOverwatch.Diablo IIIalso had two big announcements: it would be getting a remake ofDiablocalled The Darkening of Tristram which would reoccur every January and the necromancer class would be added in aDLCpack called Rise of the Necromancer.[50]

The gaming events at BlizzCon 2016 included the 2016StarCraft II World Championship SeriesGlobal Finals won by Byun "ByuN" Hyun Woo, theWorld of Warcraftarena championship, theHearthstonethird world championship, theHeroes of the Stormfall championship, and theOverwatchWorld Cup.[50]

Kristian Nairn,who playedHodoron theHBOseriesGame of Thrones,was the DJ during Blizzard's 25th anniversary party.[51]The closing ceremony concert was performed by"Weird Al" Yankovic.[52]

2017

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Outside of the Anaheim Convention Center for BlizzCon 2017

On March 14, Blizzard Entertainment announced that BlizzCon 2017 would be held on November 3 and 4, with tickets being available to purchase on April 5 and 8 using the ticketing service Universe. A third round of tickets were sold on July 5 due to the convention center adding a new hall.[53]On September 13, 2017, Virtual Tickets began being sold; this ticket included a faction-specific flying mount in World of Warcraft, and other special items in the various Blizzard games.[54][55]

Blizzcon 2017 had a record number of more than 35,000 attendees due to a recently completed expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center.[56]

The gaming announcements included that the next expansion toWorld of Warcraftwould beBattle for Azeroth,there would be officialWorld of WarcraftClassic servers, a new hero forOverwatchnamedMoirawas added as well as a new map called "Blizzard World",StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty's first campaign, multiplayer and other modes of the game are now free,[57]andHearthstone's next expansionKobolds and Catacombsand it would be released in December 2017.[58]

The esports events at BlizzCon 2017 included the 2017StarCraft II World Championship SeriesGlobal Finals won by Lee "Rogue" Byung Ryul, theWorld of Warcraftarena championship won by ABC, theHearthstoneInn-vitational won by the Grimestreet Grifters, theHeroes of the StormHGC Finals won by MVP Black, theOverwatchWorld Cupwon by South Korea for the second time, andStarCraft: RemasteredUltimate Title Fight won by Bisu.[59]

The closing concert was performed byMuse.[60]

2018

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Blizzard Entertainment announced that BlizzCon 2018 would be held on November 2 and 3 at the Anaheim Convention Center, with tickets being available to purchase from Universe on May 9 and 12.[61]A third round of tickets went on sale on August 18.[62]

The announcements on the first day includedWarcraft III: Reforged,a remaster ofWarcraft III: Reign of Chaosand its expansion,The Frozen Throne,with a release sometime in 2019;[63]Ashe, a new Western-themed hero forOverwatch;[64]Orphea, daughter of the Raven Lord, the first original character forHeroes of the Storm,who will be given free to attendees and Virtual Ticket holders;[65]theRastakhan's Rumbleexpansion forHearthstone;[66]World of Warcraft Classic,which had a playable demo available for both attendees and Virtual Ticket holders, will be released in the middle of 2019, and will be included in the regularWorld of Warcraftsubscription;[67]andDiablo: Immortal,anaction role-playing gamefor mobile devices.[68]The announcement ofDiablo: Immortalwas poorly received by attendees and Blizzard fans across the board, resulting in a high number of dislikes on the YouTube gameplay and cinematic trailers, and considerable criticism from gaming journalists, streamers, and the YouTube community.[69]

The esports events at BlizzCon 2018 included the StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals won byJoona "Serral" Sotala,[70]the World of Warcraft Arena World Championship won by Method Orange,[71]the World of Warcraft Mythic Dungeon Invitational All-Stars won by Free Marsy, the Hearthstone Global Games won by the China team,[72]the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship won byGen.G,[73]and theOverwatch World Cupwon by South Korea for a third consecutive time.[74]

Closing festivities included three simultaneous concerts byTrain,Kristian Nairn,andLindsey Stirling.[75]

2019

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Blizzard Entertainment announced that BlizzCon 2019 would be held on November 1 and 2 at the Anaheim Convention Center, with tickets being available to purchase from AXS on May 4 and 8.[7]In lieu of the traditional "goodie bag," convention attendees will be able to choose between an orc grunt or human footman statue to commemorate 25 years of Warcraft.[76]

The gaming announcements included thatDiablo IVwas under development,Overwatch 2was confirmed, World of Warcraft's eighth expansionShadowlands,and a Hearthstone expansionDescent of Dragonsalong with a new game mode called Battlegrounds which are due to be released in December 2019.[77]

The esports events at BlizzCon 2019 included theOverwatch World Cupthat was won by the United States,[78]StarCraft II WCS Global Finals won by Park "Dark" Ryung Woo,[79]the World of Warcraft Arena World Championship won by Method Black, and the World of Warcraft Mythic Dungeon International won by Method EU,[80]and the Hearthstone Grandmasters Global Finals won by VKLiooon, the first female to win Grandmasters in that game.[81]

Closing festivities included three simultaneous concerts byThe Glitch Mob,Haywyre,andFitz and the Tantrums(the last concert was viewable for attendees only).[82]

2020s

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2020

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In April 2020, Blizzard announced[83]that they were still working on plans for the next Blizzcon, noting that it may occur in some other form or be cancelled entirely due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.In May 2020, Blizzard confirmed they will not hold the physical event, but was considering some online replacement which would not likely occur until early 2021.[84]

2021

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On September 21, 2020, Blizzard announced that thevirtual eventBlizzConline would be held from February 19–20, 2021.[85]It featured the unveilings ofDiablo II: Resurrectedand the remastered version ofThe Burning Crusadeexpansion forWorld of Warcraft Classic,and further details onOverwatch 2andDiablo Immortal.[86]

In May 2021, Blizzard announced that BlizzCon as an in-person event would be cancelled once again due to COVID-19, as the "ongoing complexities and uncertainties of the pandemic" made it impossible to organize an event at the required scale for its traditional November scheduling. Blizzard stated that there were plans for a "global event" with online components and "smaller in-person gatherings" to be held in early 2022.[87]

2022

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On October 26, 2021, amid, but without specifically mentioningongoing litigation against the companyover its workplace culture and treatment of female employees, Blizzard announced that the previously announced "global event" had been "paused", and that it would "take the time to reimagine what a BlizzCon event of the future could look like."[88]

2023

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In May 2023, Blizzard announced that BlizzCon will be held on November 3 and 4 at the Anaheim Convention Center.[89]

On June 29, 2023, Blizzard announced several new changes to BlizzCon but did confirm that tickets would be sold once more thru AXS in two waves. The first wave would be sold on Saturday July 8, 2023 at 10 AM PDT while the second wave would be sold on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 10 AM PDT. A new restriction was placed that attendees could only purchase a maximum of two tickets per transaction. This is down from four tickets per transaction for BlizzCon 2019.

Additionally, they included a Mature warning for some content at BlizzCon. Therefore children under the age of 7 would not be permitted to enter and anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult. They further announced that BlizzCon 2023 will be live stream for free. The Virtual Ticket will be a purely optional purchase and still contain several in-game goodies for various Blizzard games.

Further changes being made to BlizzCon include: the Opening Ceremony seating will now be a random-draw system since it will take place in the smaller BlizzCon Arena. In addition, all panels and Community Night events will also take place in the BlizzCon Arena and sitting will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. All events that take place in the BlizzCon Arena will be simulcast around screens at BlizzCon. They state that this is in an attempt to being a one-of-a-kind immersive experience throughout the venue.[90]

Hall E of the Anaheim Convention Center was also not used, it was historically dedicated to the Blizzcon Store and merchandise pick-up, as well as hosting the costume contest. It was moved to the bottom half of the North Hall.[91]

Blizzard WorldWide Invitational

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Blizzard WorldWide Invitationals were events similar to BlizzCon held outside the United States.

Edition Dates Location Price Game announce Beta key Playable games Web sites
1 January 15 to 18, 2004 Seoul, South Korea, COEX Convention Center Free None ? ? ?
2 February 3 to 5, 2006 Seoul, South Korea, COEX Convention Center ? None ? ? WWI 2006
3 May 19 and 20, 2007 Seoul, South Korea Free[92] StarCraft II None None WWI 2007
4 June 28 and 29, 2008 Paris, France, Porte de Versailles 70 euros Diablo III WoW Wrath Lich King StarCraft II, WoW Wrath Lich King WWI 2008ArchivedApril 25, 2009, at theWayback Machine

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