There will once again be no BlizzCon event this year, but it will return in 2026.
Blizzard made the announcement in a post on the official BlizzCon website, saying the show will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on the weekend of September 12-13, 2026.
The news therefore confirms that there will be no BlizzCon this year, as was also the case last year.
“We’ve come a long way since our first event in 2005,” reads Blizzard’s statement, which doesn’t acknowledge the lack of a 2025 event. “Over the past nearly 20 years since its inception, BlizzCon has inspired us to innovate, push the boundaries of creativity, and deliver once-in-a-lifetime moments. It’s important that we put on an event worthy of our community.
“For 2026, alongside BlizzCon staples like Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, hands-on gameplay, and more, we aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it.
“We are building this event just like we build our games – with a deep commitment to our players, with respect for your connections to our universes, and as a celebration of the strength of the bonds formed through shared adventure.”
The news marks the sixth time a physical BlizzCon event has been cancelled, with previous cancellations in 2006, 2012, 2020,2021, 2022 and 2024. The last in-person BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in 2023.
In May 2020 Blizzard officially cancelled plans for that year’s event, due to the ongoing challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In February 2021 it held a digital-only event called BlizzConline, before later scrapping plans for a physical event later that year.
It then planned to hold a hybrid event in 2022 that would mix the formula of BlizzConline with “smaller in-person gatherings”, but this too was cancelled following the emergence of a sexual discrimination and harassment scandal at Blizzard.
Last year Blizzard announced in April that BlizzCon 2024 wouldn’t be happening, saying it would “bring BlizzCon back in future years”.
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