California gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment announced Thursday that its popular event BlizzCon is coming back after several years off.
The celebration of all things Blizzard, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, is scheduled for September 2026. Blizzard last held the event in 2023. Next year's BlizzCon will include staples like its opening ceremony - which typically includes big game announcements - as well as panels and other experiences.
Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said BlizzCon is part of Blizzard's role as an entertainment company that stretches beyond the boundaries of making games. BlizzCon, she said, is an entertainment platform and "an opportunity to create a different kind of gathering well for gamers."
"There are so many stories at an individual level, just at BlizzCon alone, about how people's lives were changed: I met my partner there. I finally could bond with my son in a way that I couldn't before, thanks to BlizzCon," said Faries. "We take that role very seriously."
Faries discussed gaming's growing popularity in pop culture, and why the medium is at the forefront of entertainment, with comedian Conan O'Brien at the SXSW Film TV Festival in Texas on Tuesday.