It’s a warm Friday in Anaheim and a line of fans snaked around the nearby streets as they waited for the doors to open.
This would be a normal occurrence for the Anaheim Convention Center, except the convention floor wasn’t open.
This was the line to get the BlizzCon badge and some free giveaways.
It had been a three-year wait since BlizzCon last opened its doors to fans and some couldn’t wait to just have the badge to enter.
“It was incredibly meaningful,” said Monica Austin, Blizzard’s chief marketing officer. “We welcomed 35,000 people back to Anaheim and saw millions more join us around the world through what became our most-watched BlizzCon livestream ever.”
BlizzCon remains a special place for many gamers.
The publisher’s titles remain some of the most memorable in the world. Games like Starcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Diablo, and the groundbreaking massively multiplayer online RPG, World of Warcraft made their impact beyond the in-game moments.
It’s the relationships forged between players that remain one of BlizzCon’s most memorable aspects.
“You haven't had a chance to reconnect and see your people hang out,” said entertainer Khleo Thomas, who played Zero in the movie Holes. “This used to be the thing where they would come after not seeing each other [for a while] and enjoy the weekend with their friends. They're back now, and you could feel the energy. Everyone was outside waiting to get their passes. As soon as they came inside, they saw that showroom floor. You could just feel the electricity.”
Blizzard has been through a period of transition since the last time fans were at a BlizzCon.
Microsoft acquired the studio in October 2023, which was one of Microsoft’s first investments into game publishing and development.
Shortly after, though, came the layoffs, the employees’ fight for unionization, and the periodic updates about adding characters or new in-game content. That’s why it was vital for the publisher to make the event as memorable and similar to those in the past.
“We wanted to bring BlizzCon back in a way that felt authentic to what our players love about it, while also giving them a sense of where Blizzard is headed next,” Austin said. “It was a chance to listen, reconnect, and show the community what our teams have been building.”
Whether it was new characters in Overwatch, expansions for Hearthstone and Diablo, fans packed the venue to hear what the publisher had in development at the return of the beloved convention, which acted as one of the first publisher-run conventions.
“BlizzCon has always been one of the clearest expressions of the relationship between Blizzard and our players,” Austin said. “We think it helped pioneer the idea that a publisher-led convention could be more than a showcase, that it could be a genuine community celebration.”
Former Hearthstone professional and Overwatch team owner Jeremy “DisguisedToast” Wang, attended his first BlizzCon nearly 10 years ago. At the last BlizzCon, Wang saw popular K-pop band Le Sserafim at the convention. Three years later, he had the opportunity to play Overwatch alongside one of the group’s members.
“A lot has changed from the very beginning,” Wang said. “Not playing as much Hearthstone, but still love the game, of course.”
Fellow former Hearthstone professional Jeffrey “TrumpSC” Shih grew in popularity from playing the Blizzard digital card game.
He’s pivoted away from Hearthstone to play other strategy games, but fans still recognized him from those early days.
“A lot of people come up to me and still recognize me,” Shih said. “People that have watched my stream and YouTube, I have had a lot of fun just meeting and greeting everyone.”
Shih, however, remained hopeful for a new Starcraft title, and he got his wish to a small degree. Blizzard announced that Starcraft would be returning as an open-world shooter, though it was not a new game in the niche real-time strategy genre.
The company hasn’t released details if there will be a follow up event, leaving fans in anticipation on when they will hear from the company and see their friends again.
“Seeing 35,000 people in Anaheim, alongside millions joining online, reinforced something we’ve always believed: our games are at their best when they bring people together,” Austin said. “That’s what makes BlizzCon so special. It’s not just about what we announce on stage; it’s about the community that forms around the games and the relationships people build through them. That’s something we want to keep investing in and celebrating.”