At long last, BlizzCon 2023 is upon, taking place this weekend in Anaheim, California. The event will return to an in-person event for the first time in four years, with the last one taking place as BlizzConline, digital only event in 2021. Since then a lot has happened with some of Blizzard’s IP’s, a lot of which will be featured to some extent during both the Opening Ceremony and on the showroom floor. The fact that the company is now officially owned by Microsoft makes this even more intriguing, and we could be in store for some surprises. That being said, this is a strictly Blizzard Entertainment event, and our expectations should probably stay within that area. We’ll be at the convention ourselves, giving our first hands impressions on some of the titles revealed, as well as updates to current ones, but for now, here’s what we could possibly see at BlizzCon 2023.
World of Warcraft: It’s been a whole year since the last expansion for World of Warcaft, Dragonflight, released. With this in mind, we’re more than likely going to get a brand new expansion at the event, and with that comes new races and new continents to explore. This could also have some major nostalgic tones as well now that longtime Blizzard legend Chris Metzen has returned to the fold as the creative director for the entire franchise.
Overwatch 2: Overwatch 2 has also been out more a little more than a year, and with the changes that the company made to the title, as well as the removal of a previously promised feature, it hasn’t exactly gone well. We already know that a brand new hero will be announced for the title, as well as details on Season Eight and changes to competitive play following the supposed end of the Overwatch League.
Diablo IV: Blizzard has been constantly updating and patching Diablo IV since it launched this past Spring. The itemization issues aside, it has firmly brought the franchise back from what many thought would be it’s inevitable end, and with Seasons One and Two already in the books, we’re probably going to get a Season Three reveal with a potential launch for early 2024. It’s also a possibility that Blizzard will unveil the first major expansion for the title, something that was hinted at when the game released. However, it’s a little too early to tell if they’re ready to show us that just yet. Either way, we’ll find out this weekend.
World of Warcraft: Classic: Perhaps one of the biggest wild cards of this weekend is the company’s other MMORPG, World of Warcraft: Classic. The game, which is currently in the Wrath of the Lich King phase, is in a bit of a crossroad, as the next expansion is the infamous Cataclysm. However, the whole point of Classic was to have it in the playable state before that expansion’s events completely changed the game. Either they continue forward and basically have two of the exact same title, or they come up with something brand new and make Classic fully realized separate entity from its retail counterpart with brand new content that has not been seen before.
Hearthstone: We already know that the next expansion for Hearthstone, Showdown in the Badlands, is coming out the week after BlizzCon 2023. The fact that the company chose to reveal this way in advance means that they could have some sort of twist up their sleeve. It’s possible that a brand new mode will be revealed for the title that will coincide with the expansion’s launch.
Blizzard’s New IP: It has now been nearly two years since Blizzard revealed that they were working a brand new IP, with the working title of Codename: Odyssey and their first since 2016’s Overwatch. The only information to come out for the title is that it’s a survival type game set in an open world fantasy universe. The concept art suggests that it will have a much more natural and colorful aesthetic, as opposed to the world of Diablo. While there aren’t any specific panels set for this IP, it’s possible that Blizzard is ready to unveil what they’ve been working on.
As we mentioned earlier, this is still considered strictly a Blizzard event, and all reveals and updates will mostly pertain to their own universes and characters. That being said, it wouldn’t surprise us if there was some sort of representation with Xbox somewhere in this weekend. We might even see an appearance by Xbox Head Phil Spencer too, all while hinting at another major tease, something that he is well known for doing.
BlizzCon 2023 will take place this weekend from Friday, November 3-Saturday, November 4. You can watch the Opening Ceremony on Blizzard’s official Twitch and YouTube channels here.