BlizzCon

The Convention Format and Activities

BlizzCon is held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, near Blizzard's headquarters. The event is structured around game-related announcements and previews of upcoming Blizzard games and content. Attendees can participate in Q&A sessions and panels with developers, enter costume contests, and play early versions of various Blizzard games. The convention closes with a concert, which has featured performances by acts like Tenacious D, Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osbourne, Blink-182, Metallica, Linkin Park, and Muse.

The physical experience is augmented by exclusive merchandise and in-game items included with admission. Each general admission ticket comes with a goody bag containing beta keys, exclusive paraphernalia, and digital prizes for games such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch. These prizes have included pets, mounts, card packs, heroes, cosmetic items, and skins.

Ticket Tiers and Historical Pricing

Access to BlizzCon has been managed through several ticket types with prices that have changed significantly. The General Admission ticket, providing the baseline experience, started at $120 in 2005. The price was decreased to $100 for the 2007 and 2008 events before beginning a steady climb. It rose to $125 in 2009, $150 in 2010, $175 in 2011 and 2013, and $199 from 2014 to 2018. A jump to $229 occurred in 2019, followed by a peak of $299 in 2023. For the 2026 event, the price was set at $289, with an early-bird option of $249.

Starting in 2009, the BlizzCon Benefit Dinner ticket was introduced as an additional option, with all net proceeds donated to the Children's Hospital of Orange County. Priced at $500 for the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 events, it increased to $750 from 2014 to 2019. This ticket included a dinner with developers, a signed art print, and later added benefits like reserved seating for the opening ceremony. In 2019, the Portal Pass was introduced at $550, replacing the Benefit Dinner for the 2023 event where its price was $799. The Portal Pass offered upgrades like a private viewing lounge, early entry, preferred parking, and, in 2023, private concessions and concierge support.

Broadcast History and Virtual Access

BlizzCon expanded its reach through paid broadcasts. In 2008, the event was broadcast live as a pay-per-view event on DirecTV for eight hours per day. The following year, BlizzCon 2009 was again on DirecTV for $39.95 and also introduced a live internet stream via a Virtual Ticket, which included the pay-per-view feed. This Virtual Ticket model continued, with the 2010 offering providing four live feeds and over 50 hours of programming.

The Virtual Ticket became a standard feature, sold for subsequent events like BlizzCon 2013 and 2014, allowing global online viewing of panels, tournaments, and main stage presentations. When the in-person event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was replaced by a dedicated virtual event called BlizzConline in February 2021.

Major Game Announcements by Year

BlizzCon has been the site for numerous major game reveals. In 2005, attendees could try the Blood Elves for World of Warcraft's first expansion, The Burning Crusade, and play the since-canceled StarCraft: Ghost. The 2007 event featured a playable pre-release version of StarCraft II and announced World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King.

The 2008 convention revealed the Wizard class for Diablo III and announced that StarCraft II would be split into three separate games. In 2009, the third World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm, was announced. The 2010 event revealed the Demon Hunter class for Diablo III and presented Blizzard DOTA, which evolved into Heroes of the Storm.

BlizzCon 2011 revealed the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion and showed trailers for Diablo III and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. The 2013 convention presented the Heroes of the Storm cinematic trailer, announced Hearthstone for mobile devices, and revealed the World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor expansion and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. In 2014, Blizzard announced the new game Overwatch, the StarCraft II: Legacy of Void expansion, and the first Hearthstone expansion, Goblins vs. Gnomes.

Esports Tournaments and Results

Competitive gaming has been a consistent part of BlizzCon. Early events featured tournaments for the World of Warcraft trading card game, miniatures game, StarCraft, Warcraft III, and World of Warcraft arena. The 2010 BlizzCon included the StarCraft II Invitational, won by Korean player MVP_Genius.

The 2011 event hosted the GOMTV Global Starcraft II League October final, where Moon "MMA" Sung Won beat Jeong "Mvp" Jong Hyeon. BlizzCon 2013 held the finals of the StarCraft II World Championship Series, won by Kim "sOs" Yoo-jin, the Hearthstone Innkeeper's Invitational won by Dan "Artosis" Stemkoski, and a World of Warcraft arena championship won by Skill-Capped.

BlizzCon 2014 was a major esports event, hosting the first Hearthstone World Championship, won by James "Firebat" Kostesich, and the first official Heroes of the Storm tournament, won by team Cloud9. It also featured the 2014 StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals, won by Lee "Life" Seung Hyun over Mun "MMA" Seong Won, and a World of Warcraft championship won by Bleached Bones. The 2015 convention hosted the Heroes of the Storm World Championship and the second Hearthstone World Championship, won by Sebastian "Ostkaka" Engwall.

Detailed History of Cancellations

BlizzCon has been cancelled six times. The first cancellation was in 2006, with no reason given at the time. The event was cancelled again in 2012. A Blizzard community manager stated the company was releasing multiple titles that year and felt they may not have enough new content to discuss. Those releases included World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Diablo III, and the upcoming StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

The 2020 cancellation was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the BlizzConline virtual event in February 2021. BlizzCon 2022 was initially planned as a modified event with virtual programming and smaller in-person gatherings but was cancelled in October 2021. Blizzard stated the cancellation was to prioritize supporting their teams and game development, and to take time to reinvent the event to be as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible. This decision came during a California state government lawsuit against parent company Activision Blizzard. BlizzCon was also cancelled in 2024 and 2025, with no explicit reason given for 2024, and with the 2025 announcement focusing on plans for the 2026 event.

Notable Features of Specific Conventions

Individual BlizzCon events have introduced their own elements. The 2005 convention featured a songwriting competition judged by Jonathan Davis of Korn and a concert by Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain and The Offspring. In 2007, comedian Jay Mohr performed, and the band Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain played with Video Games Live.

To address ticket availability issues, BlizzCon 2009 added a fourth hall and a new online queue system for ticket sales. The 2010 event saw the release of the vinyl record Revolution Overdrive: Songs of Liberty and a concert by Tenacious D with Dave Grohl. At the 2011 closing concert, Blizzard's in-house band changed its name mid-performance from The Artist Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftains to Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftains.

BlizzCon 2014 tickets were sold using Eventbrite instead of the Blizzard Store. The 2015 online broadcast was watched by over 10 million people. The convention has also hosted related events like the Warcraft film concept art reveal in 2013 and the first trailer for the film in 2015.