BlizzCon 2026: Blizzard confirms no annual schedule for the next edition
In brief
- Kotaku reports Blizzard has not confirmed a yearly return after BlizzCon 2026. Johanna Faries mentioned a next BlizzCon, but gave no date.
Blizzard president Johanna Faries closed the event with a reference to “next BlizzCon,” but without any annual promise or schedule.
BlizzCon’s recent history already shows an irregular pattern, with multiple skipped years and an online edition in 2021.
What happened
Kotaku wrote that Blizzard had not responded on Tuesday to a question about when the next BlizzCon will take place. At the time of publication, there was no official confirmation of a new date, no year, and no public schedule for a return in 2027 or later.
At the end of BlizzCon 2026, Johanna Faries reportedly said, “We have so much more in store, so keep your eyes on Blizzard” and “Until then, and until next BlizzCon, thank you everybody. Take care.” Those words point to a future edition, but they do not include concrete planning, a yearly commitment, or confirmation that BlizzCon will now return every year.
The reporting contrasts that with the event’s history. Kotaku describes BlizzCon as a show that ran almost every year between 2005 and 2019, with skips in 2006 and 2012. Then there was no edition in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, BlizzCon 2021 was held entirely online, Blizzard skipped 2022 because of the harassment scandal and lawsuit, and the event returned in 2023 as an in-person show. That means the calendar has not been consistent for several years.
Kotaku’s framing is therefore not about an official cancellation, but about the lack of a clear annual promise. The publication says Blizzard has not explicitly stated that BlizzCon will once again become a fixed yearly event. Faries’ closing words suggest continuity, but the article does not mention a confirmed date, a fixed frequency, or a new edition already announced by Blizzard.
Timeline
2005-2019: BlizzCon runs almost every year, making it a regular fixture on Blizzard’s calendar.
2006: no BlizzCon, one of the first two years the show is skipped.
2012: no BlizzCon again, showing the event was not fully annual even before the recent breaks.
2020: no BlizzCon because of the COVID-19 pandemic, temporarily ending the physical show.
2021: BlizzCon is held entirely online as an alternative to a traditional live event.
2022: BlizzCon is skipped following Blizzard’s harassment scandal and lawsuit.
2023: BlizzCon returns as an in-person event.
2026-09-18: Kotaku reports Blizzard has not answered when the next BlizzCon will take place.
2026-09-18: BlizzCon 2026 ends with Johanna Faries referencing a next edition, but giving no date or yearly schedule.
2026-09-18: Kotaku’s publication emphasizes that Blizzard has made no explicit commitment to an annual return.
Background
BlizzCon is an important event for Blizzard announcements around games such as World of Warcraft and Diablo, but its schedule has become less predictable in recent years. The show was long seen as a fixed place for major reveals, yet the skips in 2006, 2012, 2020, 2021, 2022, and the return in 2023 show that the rhythm is no longer guaranteed.
Kotaku’s article is therefore not about an official cancellation, but about the absence of a clear yearly promise. Faries’ closing words suggest Blizzard wants to continue the event, but the publication names no confirmed date or fixed cadence. That distinction matters: according to the report, a reference to “next BlizzCon” is not a formal announcement of a future edition on a set schedule.
The context of the past few years makes that caution understandable. In 2020 the show was cancelled due to the pandemic, in 2021 Blizzard opted for a fully online edition, and in 2022 BlizzCon was absent again amid Blizzard’s internal crisis. Only in 2023 did the event return as an in-person show. Against that backdrop, Kotaku’s news is mainly that Blizzard still has not given a clear answer on whether the event will once again be held annually after BlizzCon 2026.
For now, the key point is that Blizzard is referring to a future BlizzCon, but has not confirmed a date, a year, or a recurring schedule. The open question is not whether the event will ever return, but when and how often that will happen.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- World of Warcraft: Forever shows controller support in alpha at BlizzCon 2026
- Diablo 5 platforms still unconfirmed after BlizzCon 2026
Sources
- Kotaku: “It Sounds Like BlizzCon May No Longer Be an Annual Event”