BlizzCon 2026 Final Thoughts: Bringing That Old Feeling Back

It’s a wrap on BlizzCon 26. My feet and back are killing me, my voice is hoarse from screaming at esports matches and trailers (and recording Cosplay Red Carpet content), and I could severely use a water.

We got WoW Forever, the return of StarCraft, the “return” of Heroes of the Storm, a shitload more content for Diablo IV leading into a fully-confirmed Diablo V, tons of new heroes and stories for Overwatch, a super interesting looking new set for Hearthstone (as well as lots of other goodies coming to the game)… And a whole lot more.

I don’t know if there’s ever been a BlizzCon that has covered all the bases and truly gave EVERYONE something to get hyped for like this, but I’m so glad the first BlizzCon I actually got to attend was such a banger.

But, of course, with anything good that happens – there will always be trolls, grifters, and whiners at the ready to scream about how let down they are about everything. I truly don’t know how you people live like this. Constant complaining, pissing and moaning even though what you’re seeing is probably somebody else’s dream to see revealed and VERY likely many other people’s dreams to create and see realized. There’s no pleasing them (mostly because of the aforementioned grift that comes along with being a miserable prick online), but I say all that to say this… And I say it with my whole chest:

Bravo, and THANK YOU, to Johanna, Holly, and the rest of the Blizzard staff who got onstage this weekend, especially to the entire roster from the Opening Ceremonies.

BlizzCon’s opening ceremonies were 90 minutes of straight up passion. I saw plenty of people online (again, perpetually miserable grifters, not truly “people”) criticizing the emotions behind Johanna and Holly’s words. But what these morons fail to realize, is that they’re witnessing a truly lost art.

If you want to learn about a game in 2026, you get a teaser trailer. Or a teaser for a trailer. Or a targeted ad. Or a 10-min pre-canned digital direct. Or a quick intro to a trailer onstage at the TGAs or SGF that maybe lets the devs speak onstage for a few minutes if they paid Geoff Keighley enough money… Nobody in this industry gets up on stage and pours their heart and soul out for hours anymore like the Blizzard team did, and I thought it was moving from start to finish.

I don’t know Johanna Faries personally, but as someone who was in the room at BlizzCon – trust me when I say that you could truly feel all the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into producing this event and all the games that it is a monument to. Gone are the days of the “celebrity” or “rockstar” game dev that jumps onstage and roars about their creations to thousands of adoring fans, but BlizzCon came pretty damn close to delivering that throwback feeling of skipping school to watch E3 and BlizzCon livestreams from my buddy John’s sun room and hanging on every single word.

Not everything that BlizzCon had in store was “for me”, but that’s the beauty of it. All of their core games are “for someone” and Johanna’s main message is that “everyone is welcome”. Everyone can find something to love about BlizzCon 2026 (as long as you’re not a soulless, miserable grifter who can’t let yourself love anything), and it genuinely was moving to see firsthand how much love and passion the entire Blizzard team puts into creating the worlds that we spend so much time living in.

Thanks again Blizz, see ya next year.