To celebrate Blizzard Entertainment's 35th anniversary, the official schedule for the 2026 "Blizzard Showcase" global presentations was released today (January 27th). World of Warcraft will lead the way this week, followed by Overwatch and Hearthstone, and finally Diablo, celebrating its 30th anniversary. In addition, the official announcement also confirmed the return of the physical BlizzCon 2026 event this September!
Four major titles will be released in succession, with Warcraft kicking off this Friday.
To celebrate its 35th anniversary, Blizzard isn't going to cover everything at once this time. Instead, they'll be offering in-depth previews of their four major IPs one by one. Below is the livestream schedule (Taiwan time). Players who want to catch the latest news should set alarms (or prepare some energy drinks):
World of Warcraft: Azeroth Overview
• Time: 1:1 AM Taiwan Time, January 30th (Friday)
• Highlights: Hosted by executive producer Holly Longdale and senior game director Ion Hazzikostas, the event is expected to review recent content and reveal the next major chapter in Azeroth (new expansion news?).
Overwatch Highlights:
• Time: 2:2 AM Taiwan Time, February 5th (Thursday)
• Key Takeaway: After several adjustments, whether Overwatch 2 can offer new heroes or modes to attract returning players will be a key point of observation.
Hearthstone Highlights:
• Time: 1:30 AM, February 10th (Tuesday) Taiwan Time
• Highlights: Card rotation and expansion theme preview for the new year.
Highlights of Diablo's 30th Anniversary:
• Time: 6:2 AM, Thursday, February 12th
• Highlights: This is the most anticipated session of the event, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Diablo series. In addition to the Diablo IV season update, there are high expectations for whether there will be any Easter eggs related to the remake of the original game or even a new game.
Paying tribute to 35 years of legend, see you in person at BlizzCon in September.
To complement the promotion, Blizzard also released a video titled "Blizzard: The Next Chapter," showcasing nearly 400 physical items from the archives and taking players on a journey through classic moments from the past 35 years.
Blizzard President Johanna Faries emphasized that these online presentations are just the "beginning." The most exciting news for players is undoubtedly the confirmation that BlizzCon 2026 will return in September. After several years of suspension and online transformation, the revival of the physical BlizzCon symbolizes Blizzard's attempt to regain its connection with the community after being integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.
