BlizzCon returns in 2023 for its first in-person show in four years

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BlizzCon 2023 will return to California's Anaheim convention center for Blizzard's first in-person annual showcase in four years.

The publisher announced the event earlier today, on the heels of promises from president Mike Ybarra, and was quick to note that "after four years of gathering online – adventuring through Azeroth, teaming up in Overwatch, traversing the fields of Sanctuary, or warming yourself by the fire in the Tavern – it's finally time to gather in person once more."

BlizzCon 2023 will cover November 3 and November 4. More details, including ticket and competition information for folks going to the convention center, will be released in June, Blizzard says. The rest of us will be able to watch the show online as usual.

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"Whether you're coming to hang out with friends you only ever get to see online, celebrating epic moments in the games we love, exploring what's on offer in the convention center halls, or eager to learn what's next for our universes, BlizzCon is being created for you," Blizzard said in a blog post. "It's the community that has always made this event so special, and we can’t wait to see you all again."

"We're excited," Ybarra previously said of the show. "We have a lot to show and celebrate together. I can't wait."

BlizzCon has had a rocky couple of years. It was initially derailed by the covid pandemic – like every other in-person event in every other industry – but BlizzCon 2022 was canceled in the aftermath of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit in order to, as the company said at the time, prioritize "supporting our teams and progressing development of our games and experiences."

BlizzCon 2023's announcement has also come at a relatively dicey time for the company. Many Blizzard employees have been critical of the company's mandatory return to office, with one World of Warcraft producer recently claiming the studio is bleeding talent because "someone in power doesn't listen."

Meanwhile, Overwatch 2, one of Blizzard's biggest pillars, has just suffered some heavily disappointing news: the long-awaited PvE mode that the sequel was going to be built around has been gutted.

Of course, Diablo 4 is now only weeks away and just dropped an early launch trailer, so there's sure to be some excitement in the air come June.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.