After canceling BlizzCon 2020 due to the pandemic, Blizzard is back — earlier than usual in the year — for BlizzCon 2021. Blizzard is actually calling it “BlizzConline 2021.” Expect to hear updates on anticipated titles, including Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and perhaps a sneak peek at the rumored Diablo 2 remaster.
Activision, Blizzard’s parent company, announced during a recent earnings call that both Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 wouldn’t see a 2021 release. And while that’s disappointing, there will likely be some news on games releasing this year. A likely candidate is the Diablo Immortal game for iOS and Android phones, which my colleague Andrew Webster got to experience hands-on.
If you want to watch the festivities (which should still be plenty festive even if they won’t be replete with the usual amount of in-person cosplay), here’s how to do that.
When is BlizzCon 2021 happening?
BlizzCon will start with the usual opening ceremony at 5PM ET / 2PM PT on Friday, February 19th, and it’s slated to last for an hour and 10 minutes. From then, the convention splits off into five different broadcasts, each focusing on a different game. Here’s the full schedule. All broadcasts are scheduled to wrap up by 8:40PM ET / 5:40PM PT. If you’re looking for news on games, it’ll likely happen on day one.
However, it’ll start up again on Saturday, February 20th, at 3PM ET / 12PM PT. The day two schedule consists of Q&A sessions, community showcases, and additional entertainment, like a Diablo tabletop campaign hosted by the Critical Role crew.
Does it cost anything to attend BlizzCon 2021?
Nope. It’s free to attend, unlike previous in-person BlizzCon events that required tickets. If you want some of the goodies that usually came with a ticket, you can buy a BlizzCon bundle of in-game items and cosmetics right here.
Where can I watch BlizzCon 2021?
Blizzard is hosting its online convention at BlizzCon.com, or through Battle.net, Activision Blizzard’s game launcher on desktop and mobile. It’s also going to stream live from YouTube and Twitch.
