BlizzCon creates an ‘oasis’ for gamers in its return to Anaheim

Thousands of gamers, cosplayers and enthusiasts gathered in Anaheim on Saturday, Sept. 12, for the first time in three years for BlizzCon 2026.

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The two-day event is bringing together fans of popular Blizzard Entertainment franchises such as Diablo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, StarCraft and World of Warcraft for sneak peeks at new releases and content, competitive gameplay, celebrity panels and fan experiences. It continues on Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The opening ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 12, packed the convention center’s arena and kicked off with remarks from Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, which has long been based in nearby Irvine.

While not her first time at BlizzCon, this year’s convention is a special one for her, Faries said: It’s her first since taking over as president in 2024.

“To everyone here making BlizzCon what it is, thank you for fostering more joy in the world, even when times can be tough,” Faries said. “Even when we might be carrying so much, sometimes unseen or unspoken, it makes it all the more significant to come together in this way, and to join us in the journey of dreaming bigger and for pushing what’s possible.”

Ultimately, BlizzCon 2026 is a weekend that can serve “as a kind of an oasis” for gamers, while still being a party, she said.

In addition to the thousands attending this weekend’s event in Anaheim, many more around the world were watching the livestreams on YouTube, Twitch and Blizzard’s own online gaming service, Battle.net, Faries said.

Saturday’s kick-off marked the first BlizzCon since 2023, when the gaming giant’s parent company, Activision Blizzard, was acquired by Microsoft Corporation for $69 billion.

Following the opening ceremony, attendees poured out of the main stage area to find the Anaheim Convention Center halls once again transformed into a gamers’ paradise, with places to try games, watch top players compete, get transported into immersive environments and buy plenty — and plenty — of merchandise.

But for thousands of convention-goers, Saturday’s opening ceremony and its many announcements were far from the beginning — or the focus — of this weekend’s festivities.

Hours before Faries took the stage, crowds of Blizzard fans — most decked out in gear from their favorite game or cosplaying as their favorite characters — lined the streets outside the Anaheim Convention Center, down West Katella Avenue, wrapping down South Harbor Boulevard and even onto Orangewood Avenue.

Tristan Mercier, 30, who traveled from Quebec City to attend this year’s convention, said he was one of the early risers this year, waking up at 5 a.m. and getting in line at 6:30.

But the early morning did not take away from any of the excitement, Mercier said.

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“I don’t think anything can make you ready for these crowds. Just the size of this venue is insane,” he said. “I know conceptually that there was going to be a lot of people; it’s like one of the biggest single-company conventions that there is in gaming, but … it’s overwhelming.”

This year’s convention is special for a few reasons for Mercier, outside of it being his first time ever attending any sort of gaming convention, let alone BlizzCon. Mercier said he grew up playing the early Diablo games and now is working with Blizzard, starting about four years ago. Though he works for the company, Mercier decided to attend this event on his own — and by himself.

“I’ve been a fan of Blizzard forever. My first game was (Diablo 2) on my PC and then I played a lot of D3 … I just kind of had to be here,” he said. “If (I attended) any BlizzCon, it was going to be this one.”

Tanner Bruch, 35, travelled from his home in the Minneapolis area to attend BlizzCon for the first time. Bruch has friends who work for Blizzard who got him to come out, he said. But like Mercier, Bruch said he has a long history with the company’s games.

This year’s event marks the first time he’ll be meeting people face-to-face that he’s known and gamed with for a decade, Bruch said.

“Getting to be able to finally meet them and see them, it’s going to be really cool. I’ve met some (of my guild members) in the past, but this is just ticking a lot of boxes,” he said. “I love seeing people in their element with the things that bring them joy. I think that brings me a lot of joy. So when I see people having fun and enjoying things, I’m having fun and enjoying things.

“People are just free to be themselves without fear of judgement here,” he added, “and I think that’s awesome.”

While there’s always a first time for something, this is far from the first BlizzCon for Lori Quinonez, 52. She’s attended the Anaheim event every year it’s happened, except for one: the 2010 event when actor Jack Black’s band, Tenacious D, performed. It’s something Quinonez is still kicking herself about, she said, and she hasn’t missed a convention since.

For Quinonez, BlizzCon is not about the new announcements, cool fan events or celebrities who show up: it’s all about the gaming. As a diehard World of Warcraft player since it released in 2004, she has some gripes about how the game has changed over the years. But those changes haven’t affected her love for BlizzCon, she said.

“Even though (the new Warcraft expansion) has the old stuff and they did add to it, which is exciting to see (at) some of the previews in there, there’s nothing like the old Warcraft,” she said. “It’s kind of exciting to see the gameplay, and I want to play, but I’d rather wait (until release). I like to be surprised.”

And although the convention center buzzed and brimmed Saturday morning with excitement from people of all ages eagerly awaiting a schedule full of events based on Blizzard’s flagship titles, ultimately the weekend-long gaming nirvana serves as a reminder to the rest of the world, Faries said. To show “why community like this matters so very much.”

“My hope is that BlizzCon can feel like a sacred space,” she said. “Where you can enjoy, you can make lasting bonds, and make this place and this community feel like home.”

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