On this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we’re back on the Blizzard campus to talk all things BlizzCon 2026! We’re finding out what folks can expect whether they’re in-person at the Anaheim Convention Center or watching online from the comforts of their own homes when BlizzCon returns on September 12th and 13th.TRANSCRIPTGames in this podcast range from E to M.LINA MADRID: Hey, everyone, welcome to the official XBOX Podcast, the only podcast coming to you from inside XBOX.I’m Lina, and as you can tell, we’re not at our normal Redmond studios.No, we’re here in Irvine, California, at the Blizzard campus.I’m so excited.We’re going to be learning all about BlizzCon 2026.And here to give me all the juicy details is the Senior Director of Global Events for Blizzard, Kiersten Crissman.Hi, Kiersten.How’s it going?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Hi, Lina.Going great.How are you?LINA MADRID: Good.Honestly, I’m freaking out.I love Blizzard, so I’m here taking pictures with everything.This might go missing at some point, and it wasn’t me.I just want that on camera for now, okay?But before we do anything, I do actually want to read something off of the official schedule that you just published.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Okay.LINA MADRID: So people at home are not ready for this.Sunday, September 13th, 11:45 in the morning, everyone gathers in the Arena Plaza, and at noon the conch is blown.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: That is right.That is correct.LINA MADRID: That’s a real line in the real production plan?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: That is a real line in the production plan, yes, that’s correct.So that is what we call March of the Murlocs.And this year, this is our fifth edition of the March of Murlocs.And it has become one of our most beloved traditions with our community.And like we said, yes, the conch is official.It is an item, and there is an official owner with the conch, actually.And this year we are anticipating 4,000 of our community members to participate in the March of the Murlocs, dressed as adorable, unhinged Murlocs theirselves.And this year, our official color is emerald green, in case anybody at home has started their sewing.LINA MADRID: Oh, you know people have, like probably started since June or something.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: I think so.I think somebody started sewing maybe since the past BlizzCon.LINA MADRID: Actually, you’re right, yeah.They put so much time and effort into those cosplays.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: They do.LINA MADRID: So good, so good.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Very talented, very talented.LINA MADRID: Yeah.So, selfishly, I’m so excited for this episode because I’m a huge Blizzard fan, and what a time to be a Blizzard fan.I mean, earlier this year, you revealed some massive announcements during your Blizzard Showcase.But let’s start with the obvious.BlizzCon in person is back.And what made this the right moment to bring everyone back together again?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Great questions.Well, BlizzCon is a major event for us, and it is all about our community.And we want to ensure that 2026 is truly a special one.You know, we love, everyone at Blizzard loves BlizzCon so much and we are so excited to bring it back this year.Our games and experiences have always been built with a deep commitment to quality, craft, and connection.And BlizzCon this year will reflect that.The stars also aligned perfectly, because this year has been all about celebrating big anniversaries.From Blizzard to Diablo, Overwatch and Battle.net, we are celebrating historic milestones, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone and bring this to life across the show floor and across our broadcasts.LINA MADRID: So this might be someone’s very first BlizzCon.Maybe they’re new to the community or they’ve been around a long time and just never made it out to the event.What would you like folks, new and old, to know about the heart of BlizzCon?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Well, more than anything, I would say we are looking forward to being together with the entire Blizzard community as one.And we’re excited for the big announcements and everyone seeing what we have in store, playing the latest game demos, checking out the show floor, but also making connections with each other.And for many of our players, this is the moment that they’re gathering with their in-game friends and together with their guildmates, seeing old friends and making new ones.And for a show of 37,000 people attending, it feels surprisingly like an intimate experience, like an intimate event.And all of that will be felt whether you’re a part of the experience on site in Anaheim or whether you’re joining us at home.And I cannot wait.LINA MADRID: Yeah.I attended in person back in 2023.So lucky.And I just remember being absolutely blown away by the setup.You walk in and there is a giant Sword of Sargeras greeting you.You can go get a drink at the Tavern, play some games at Darkmoon Faire.I mean, the level of immersion, fantastic.So for people who may have attended or watched back in 2023, what would feel familiar?What might feel brand new?And can we expect that same level of immersion?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Oh, man, how much time do we have?[Laughter]I’ll be honest with you, right?Listen, all of our beloved staples, they are going to be returning, such as our major announcements across opening ceremony.One thing is our main stage is actually relocating back to Hall D.This is the largest hall within the Anaheim Convention Center.And we’re happy to say that there’s going to be over 7,500 seats in this hall this year, which we’re really excited about.So 7,500 live attendees are going to be experiencing those biggest moments together.I can also promise that whether you play our games or not, there is going to be something there for you.Darkmoon Faire is also back, and it is bigger than in 2023.For those unaware, Darkmoon Faire is a replica build of World of Warcraft’s in-game experience.And at BlizzCon, it’s really our major hub for things like pin trading.There is collector’s items.And you can also snag things like mystery items, limited edition pins, plushies, and much more.And if you stay there long enough, you might find yourself even trading with fellow collectors as well.This year, we’ve relocated Darkmoon Faire back to the North Hall on level two with a footprint over 70,000 square feet.LINA MADRID: That’s huge!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: It’s huge.This is actually our largest Darkmoon Faire experience to date.And we actually have new experiences, including a duck pond that you can fish in.Yep, it’s true.Obviously, fake fishing here.LINA MADRID: Okay, I was going to say [laughter].KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Right?But we’ve got our return staples like pet adoption.We have Toy Capsule Depot, the Trading Post, and a fair amount of controlled chaos, we like to say, in between.There’s exclusive prizes that are scattered across the experiences, so wanderers will definitely be rewarded.The Hearthstone Tavern, like you mentioned, will also be back bigger than ever as well, which we’re excited about.And it’ll include community favorites like the Artist Nook, Doula Dev, a 360 Mocktail Bar.And the team also has a couple few surprises thrown in there that we can’t talk about today.LINA MADRID: Dang it!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: But the Tavern is really the perfect spot for you to go to kind of kick back, take a break, grab a bite as you’re enjoying your overall BlizzCon experience.We’ve also dramatically increased our overall stage programming, and we are going to have programming running across six stages this year over two days.We’ve got our What’s Next panels, we’ve got our Deep Dives, we’ve got special guests, cosplay contests, and five esports programs running concurrently.It’s quite large.And aside from sharing the latest of our most beloved universes, many of these panels are also offering amazing insights into the development process, arts, cinematics, sound, and much more.We’re excited about that.And then closing out on actually Saturday evening is one of our favorites, which is Community Night.And Community Night, this is where we highlight the most amazing individuals and creations across our community.This year’s Community Night is going to feature several different contests.We’ve got art, short film, talent, and the cosplay contest, as well as a cosplay exhibition.And now, the cosplay contest is actually going to be hosted by Darren DePaul, which is the voice of Reinhardt, which you know.LINA MADRID: Yes, yes!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Very exciting.And this is one of my favorite parts of the show.And all 7,500 of those seats in main stage, they will be packed, we can guarantee it.And I honestly, I truly believe, and you saw it probably in ’23, we have the most talented cosplayers across the globe.So be sure, again, whether you’re in there and in person in Anaheim or at home, be sure to catch that programming.LINA MADRID: So obviously some folks won’t be attending in person.They’ll be at home watching online through stream.What can you tell us about what their BlizzCon experience will look like?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Yeah, absolutely.So earlier today, we actually dropped our Viewers Guide.Never done any Viewers Guide like this before, so pretty exciting, actually.So that just came out alongside the programming schedule.And within the Viewer’s Guide, you will actually find where, when, and how to watch.So all of BlizzCon is actually free to watch for everyone, no pass required.You can watch on all of our official Blizzard channels on YouTube and Twitch.The channels specifically are Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch channels.Our opening ceremony broadcast starts Saturday, September 12th at 10:30 AM Pacific, and we will broadcast through Sunday at 7 PM Pacific as well.Now, of course, we can’t stream every minute, right, of the whole show, and there are some in-person exclusives, but we’ve got you covered on opening ceremony, all the panels, Community Night, and of course, esports competitions.It’s over 117 hours of goodness.LINA MADRID: Wow!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: So we hope that everyone has cleared their weekend.LINA MADRID: And if they perchance want to be rewarded for their dedication, sitting still for two days straight?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Drops!LINA MADRID: Yes!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Drops, everyone.We’ve got drops!So tune into participating streams across YouTube and Twitch to earn your in-game rewards.Which ones you get varies by game and by stream and by platform.And all of our drops will be shared through our social channels, so make sure to stay tuned there.LINA MADRID: Loot is my love language, so I loved hearing all of that.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: There you go.LINA MADRID: Yeah.So I have a bit of a softball question for you up next.What sort of announcements can we expect at this year’s BlizzCon?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Lina, you know we can’t talk about that!LINA MADRID: Okay, I know.I had to try.I had to try for you.I had to try.Okay, all right.The real question, though, let’s talk esports.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Okay.LINA MADRID: I heard Overwatch World Cup is back.And Overwatch is my game.I love it.So I’m very excited for that.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Yeah, we are very excited for Overwatch to be returning.Overwatch is actually going back into the arena, which we are super excited about and we love.It is the ultimate location to celebrate our World Cup athletes and really feel that global nature of that competition.And in addition to Overwatch World Cup, we’re really excited to have multiple esports returning to BlizzCon, to the BlizzCon stage.World of Warcraft is actually back with Arena World Championship, as well as the Mythic Dungeon International.Hearthstone has the Hearthstone Masters Tour World Championship.And we’ve got the first ever Classic Cup at BlizzCon.And all are going to be featured on brand new stages, which we’re extra excited about.And now, I want to take a second, if you’re cool with it.LINA MADRID: Yeah.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: To talk a little bit about the Classic Cup, which again, as I mentioned, we’ve never done before.The Classic Cup is going to feature some of our most legendary players returning to the stage for a point-based showcase hosted by two captains representing our communities.And those captains are Tasteless and Artosis.Now, the lineup again includes some of our legendary teams and players across esports’ history.And this includes Hall of Famers like BoxeR and Nal_rA.The total prize pool across all of our esports at this event is going to be more than $1.2 million as well.LINA MADRID: Wow!KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Yeah.LINA MADRID: Is it not too late for me to put my name in?I play a pretty good DPS Juno, just so you know.Okay, anyways, so it sounds like there’s so much more to see and experience at BlizzCon, but if we went through it all, we’d be here for hours, and you kind of have some important things to get done.So we’ll wrap this up, but before we do, outside of what we already discussed, are there any other moments or competitions or demos that you think fans definitely should not miss?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Absolutely, we can touch on a couple here.So for fans of Diablo and tattoos, we have exciting news.Hell’s Ink is going to make a return to BlizzCon.So it’s time to get that necromancer tattoo — LINA MADRID: Matching tattoos?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: you’ve always dreamt of.LINA MADRID: Sorry, I went — that was great and I went — [ LAUGHTER ]The Blizzard Arcade is also making a return, and that is a retro-themed corner of Blizzard Games.It’s going to feature StarCraft, Heroes of the Storm, and some of our favorites from the Blizzard Arcade collection.And speaking of gameplay, BlizzCon 2026 is going to feature over 1,300 gameplay demo stations.And if you recall, our 35th anniversary video of the long table of retro items from 35 years of Blizzard for the very first time, with the help of our amazing archives team here at Blizzard, is going to make an appearance on the BlizzCon show floor.We’ll also have two days of back-to-back meet-and-greets across three halls, featuring Blizzard developers, creators, esports players, cosplayers, and more.And you’ll see many of them, including some of our celebrity guests, on the BlizzCon and the BlizzCon broadcast as well.And as far as what’s more, I can’t share everything, like we talked about earlier.And as you noted, we’ll be here for hours.But what I can say is that we are occupying every inch of the 1.8 million square feet of the Anaheim Convention Center.And we are so excited to welcome our community and immerse them into our worlds like never before.LINA MADRID: And finally, BlizzCon, September 12th through Sunday, September 13th, which, not to stress you out, but it’s in a week and a half.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: It is, it is [laughter].LINA MADRID: But you and the teams have been just dedicating so much time and effort and passion into making sure this event is ready for the world.I know we talked about a lot, but is there anything that you personally are most excited for folks to experience?KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Well, above everything else, I’m most excited to celebrate and be with our community.Like we said at the beginning, BlizzCon is for the community.And we just can’t wait to have you join us in Anaheim or online.LINA MADRID: Kiersten, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast.This was a lot of fun.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: It was awesome.Thank you for having me.LINA MADRID: Yeah.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Thank you for having Blizzard.LINA MADRID: We’re going to have to take pictures with the statue afterwards.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: Absolutely.LINA MADRID: And I’m serious about the matching tattoos, though.KIERSTEN CRISSMAN: And the life-size one out in the crowd.LINA MADRID: Oh, yeah [laughter].Thank you so much for being here.And with that, a reminder that BlizzCon is September 12th and 13th.And if you’re not going to be there in person, no worries.Like we said, you can watch at home via livestream.You can catch all of the fun, the competitions, the announcements, and we’ll actually be shooting a few episodes of this podcast on site.Thank you so much, Kiersten and the Blizzard crew for having us here on campus.It’s been a lot of fun.And thank you to who’s watching, listening at home.We really appreciate you, and we’ll see you on the next episode of the official XBOX Podcast.Bye.The post BlizzCon 2026 Preview: We’re So Back! | Official XBOX Podcast appeared first on XBOX Wire.