BlizzCon 2016 dates and details

BlizzCon 2015

Blizzard has announced that the “epic gaming convention and community celebration” known as BlizzCon will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on November 4-5. As always, the 2016 event will feature discussion panels with Blizzard developers, hands-on time with the latest games, and esports tournaments featuring some of the top pros from around the world.

BlizzCon 2016 will see the culmination of four major esports seasons: The 2016 StarCraft 2 Global Finals, with the world's best players battling for a share of the $500,000 prize pool; the $1 million 2016 Hearthstone World Championship; the 2016 Heroes of the Storm Fall Championship, with another $1 million up for grabs; and the $250,000 World of Warcraft Arena Championship.

Tickets will go on sale at Universe.com in two batches, the first on April 20 at 7 pm PT, and the second on April 23 at 10 am PT, at a cost of $199 each. Tickets to a pre-BlizzCon benefit dinner in support of the Children's Hospital of Orange County on November 3 will also be offered, at 7 pm PT on April 27, for $750 each. If you can't make it in physical form, virtual tickets, providing “comprehensive live coverage of the event via a multichannel Internet stream,” will be available for purchase, as will a limited-quantity BlizzCon Goody Bag, for those who want the swag without putting in the miles.

There may be even more in store, as this year's event promises to be a big one: 2016 will mark the tenth BlizzCon, and it's also the 25th anniversary of Blizzard itself. We'll keep you posted—and yes, we'll be there!

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.