BlizzCon is back in 2023 and Blizzard Entertainment has an action-packed schedule to go along with it. Returning to its in-person format for the first time since 2019 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), this BlizzCon will also mark the first event with Blizzard’s new overlord in Microsoft, following the historic $69.7 billion acquisition. BlizzCon 2023 will be a two-day event on November 3rd and 4th, starting with the Opening Ceremony at 11am PT / 2pm ET on the 3rd.
The first game to get its own segment this year is none other than World of Warcraft. With the success of the Dragonflight expansion and the return of Chris Metzen to a full-time staffer on the Warcraft team, the “WoW: What’s Next” segment has caused quite a bit of hype. There has been a lot of talk about an announcement of the next expansion (which makes sense based on previous expansion timelines) and it sounds like a dwarf-themed one may be in the cards.
The game that gets the unfortunate pleasure of following WoW’s segment is Overwatch 2 with their deep dive. The “OW2: What’s Next” will take place on Nov. 4th. Not much is known about what Blizzard will do with OW2 since the announcement of the PvE side of the game being canceled. The roadmap they have released offers some insight, but the OW2 team needs a big BlizzCon to try to salvage what’s left of the OW2 community. One thing we do know is that they will be announcing a new hero.
In addition to the WoW and OW2 updates, Classic WoW, Warcraft, and Hearthstone will all have segments for what’s coming next in their prospective titles. One game not being shown is the ever-popular but often-forgotten StarCraft. Maybe with the Microsoft acquisition, the developers at Blizzard would consider reviving the beloved franchise, but that remains yet to be seen.
Record crowds are expected to zerg-rush the Anaheim Convention Center (even with record high ticket prices), while even more will watch on the free virtual ticket broadcast. In-person attendees will have the opportunity to get exclusive merch that can only be obtained in-person, and also get the perks from BlizzCon collection bundles. Also making its return is the 2023 Overwatch World Cup where the final stages will be held live at the convention center in front of a live audience.
Image from: Blizzard
