BlizzCon is an annual gaming conference hosted by Blizzard Entertainment. The event takes place in Anaheim, California, and features previews, panels, live performances, cosplay, and major announcements in the industry. This year, BlizzCon will take place November 3 – 4 and feature announcements for Diablo IV, World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, and other Blizzard games. The event will include a charity auction, a developer chat around a campfire, and a community evening. Video gaming fans can watch the event online on Blizzard’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Let’s dig deeper and shed some light on what fans can expect this year from this event.
World of Warcraft (Retail)
One thing that we are sure about is that the next World of Warcraft expansion will be announced. This is the first in-person BlizzCon since 2019, commemorating World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary and the Warcraft franchise’s 30th anniversary. If they intend to release a new expansion next year, they must do so immediately. Time passes between the development of alphas, betas, and all the many versions targeted at launching a new expansion. Furthermore, if they have a playtest area, BlizzCon is the ideal venue to discuss it.
The Dragonflight storyline also makes sense in this regard. On November 14, right after BlizzCon, players will be able to take on the next challenge, Guardians of the Dream, where they will face Fyrakk in a titanic fight for the new World Tree. A new arena season will also be available, where committed PvP players will once again compete for the title of “Gladiator.”
As before, many people can order Wow Arena Boost to increase their PvP rating to 2.100 or higher. Naturally, even with a very optimistic launch date for the new expansion in August, we will still be playing 10.2 content for about nine months. Even though this gap isn’t as long as some of the previous ones, it’s still too long, especially when we consider the pacing of Dragonflight. Version 10.2.5 will probably resemble “Fated season” of Shadowlands.
World of Warcraft (Classic)
There is a lot of back-and-forth that Blizzard will probably make Cataclysm, but this time, they will do it differently. Some players are calling for different story choices or reconstruction of the old world in a way that keeps the old experiences in these zones intact. Though we doubt it would make sense, Blizzard could definitely do this. First, if they make big changes to the narratives, they’ll soon stray from the path of re-releasing previous expansions and produce brand-new content instead. Additionally, the chances of simultaneously discovering the entire old and new globe are probably sky-high.
It makes more sense to offer players fresh ways of engaging with previously released content. An excellent example of what may be done in the setting of a Classic or Wrath Classic is Classic Hardcore, which has been a great success. The game devsr could easily duplicate the Season of Mastery concept and have numerous seasons a year, each with unique twists and thrilling occurrences.
Diablo IV
Diablo IV has had a turbulent path in recent months. The launch was solid, and the plot that accompanied it was great. That being said, what can we expect from Diablo IV at BlizzCon? Many players believe that if Blizzard releases the first Diablo IV expansion, it will considerably increase interest from the gaming community. It’ll probably be a while before we see more of the campaign’s tale and learn what happens to Neyrelle. Season 2 has also just begun, so we doubt that we’ll hear much about what the following season will be like. The lack of a “What’s Next” panel on the Diablo IV schedule confirms our suspicion that there would be no major revelations.
It’s much more likely that developers will talk about what they’ve already done and their general ideas for changes or adjustments. Most fans of the game believe that the developer is not yet adding any extra classes to the expansion, so this will not be mentioned at the conference either.
What Is Lacking?
A lot of panels that were previously highly anticipated are missing from the recently revealed BlizzCon schedule. Some of them are the “Heroes” and “Starcraft” games; both have disappeared. The voice actors panel is also absent, as these are frequently the most captivating moments from BlizzCon. After all, the live performance of Daughter of the Sea took place at the 2018 Voices of War Panel. Unfortunately, given the numerous strikes that are currently occurring, we do not think that they are going to happen this year.
Additionally, no story/lore or art panels are planned for BlizzCon 2023, which will definitely disappoint a lot of fans. However, Blizzard said the goal of this year’s event was to provide a more immersive experience. And it is difficult to guess what exactly this means. It can be assumed that there will be additional exhibits and monuments in addition to traditional panels. Looking back at the last BlizzCon, it was amazing to see the full art reveal for Diablo IV and Shadowlands in 2019. Perhaps BlizzCon organizers have come up with a new secret method to make this event truly spectacular. Either way, we are sure it will be a memorable event since the conference will be the first BlizzCon to be held in person since 2019.