Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to watch BlizzCon 2018

A blizzard of big news is coming to BlizzCon 2018! Here's how you can watch

By

Watch live video from Blizzard on www.twitch.tv

BlizzCon is an annual two-day event that showcases Blizzard’s stable of franchises and it is fast approaching. While physical tickets for the November 2-3 event at the Anaheim Convention Center are sold out, you can still watch the festivities from home. Here’s how you can tune in and learn about all the latest happenings in the worlds of Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and more.

Recommended Videos

How to watch BlizzCon 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Each year, BlizzCon starts with an opening ceremony that offers a snapshot of all the major updates from your favorite Blizzard games. This year, the ceremony kicks off at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on November 2. You can stream it directly from Blizzard’s website.

Related

According to the schedule on the BlizzCon site, the opening ceremony takes place across multiple stages, each of which focuses on one aspect of Blizzard’s business. Last year, the opening ceremony rotated between three stages: Mythic, Overwatch Arena, and the Hearthstone Tournament Stage. However, the stage names didn’t hold much weight in the end, as Blizzard discussed all of its major franchises — Overwatch, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft — except for Diablo.

The bottom line is, if you want to hear any news about new games, expansions, and significant content drops, the opening ceremony will have you covered. But if you’re a hardcore Blizzard fan you might want to invest in a Virtual Ticket.

Watch from home with a Virtual Ticket

Image used with permission by copyright holder

While BlizzCon 2018 tickets may be sold out, you can still get an inside look at the event on both days by purchasing the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket. For $50, you get access to all of the video presentations. This includes a myriad of panels on Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Diablo. Each of those franchises has a “What’s next” event on November 2 on the main stage. Check out the full BlizzCon 2018 schedule to see all the cool sessions Blizzard has planned for the event this year.

Keep in mind that if you purchase a Virtual Ticket, you can also watch the video series leading up to BlizzCon, play a working demo of World of Warcraft Classic, and access the video archive from BlizzCon 2017. Possibly the best part of getting a Virtual Tickets is the epic loot you’ll get from all of Blizzard’s most beloved games. The BlizzCon 2018 rewards include:

  • Overwatch — Legendary Demon Hunter Sombra skin
  • Heroes of the Storm — Nexus Razorgrin Mount and Spray, BlizzCon 2018 Banner and Portrait
  • World of Warcraft — Mantle of the Horde and Alliance, Stormwind and Orgrimmar Champion’s War Banners
  • Hearthstone  — BlizzCon 2018 card back and 10 card packs
  • Starcraft — SCR Console Skin for StarCraft Remastered, Classic skins for StarCraft II Terran, Zerg, and Protoss workers, and Portrait

To be clear, Blizzard won’t lock major news behind the Virtual Ticket, so if you don’t buy it, there’s no need to worry about missing a hypothetical Diablo 4 reveal, for instance. But if you’re a huge Blizzard fan and want to enjoy sessions about your favorite games, the Virtual Ticket is sure to entertain.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Blizzcon 2021 has been canceled, will return with a hybrid format in 2022
blizzcon 2021 cancelled

BlizzCon 2021 has been canceled, according to an announcement from BlizzCon's executive producer Saralyn Smith via the BlizzCon site. The company plans to pick things back up early next year with a global event that will combine its recent online event, BlizzConline, with "smaller in-person gatherings."

Smith said the COVID-19 pandemic and California's changing safety guidelines are the reasons behind the sudden cancellation. Blizzard says that those issues left Blizzard and its partners uncertain that they would be able to put on an event on the level that fans expect by November.

Read more
Overwatch 2 What’s Next livestream: How to watch and what to expect from it
Tracer, Mei, Reinhardt, Mercy, and Lucio pose in the key art for Overwatch 2.

The upcoming Overwatch 2 "What's Next" livestream will debut this week and it aims to show off some of the game's new features. What's Next will be hosted by Matt "Mr. X" Morello and Mitch "Uber" Leslie from the Overwatch League, and they'll be joined by Overwatch 2 developers to discuss the new hero shooter. Here's how you can watch the event and what to expect from it.
When is the Overwatch 2 What's Next livestream?
The Overwatch 2 What's Next event will air at noon PT/3 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 20. It's expected to last around two hours and will feature director Aaron Keller, associate art director Dion Rogers, and lead hero designer Geoff Goodman, along with the show's prolific hosts.
Where can I watch the livestream?
As with many digital showcases like these, you can watch it on the publisher's YouTube and Twitch channels. The livestream will be the same regardless of which platform you choose.
What will be shown during the What's Next event?
While Blizzard won't give away everything it will show during the event ahead of time, we do know What's Next will debut some of Overwatch 2's PvP. This is particularly noteworthy since Blizzard has mostly focused on the game's cooperative and story components thus far. Aaron Keller explained that PvP is still "at the core of what makes Overwatch 2 feel so special," much like the first entry.

The What's Next event will showcase new maps, and as Keller notes, the team plans to discuss the ideas behind PvP changes with the new entry. To set expectations, Keller warned that everything that will be shown is a work in progress. Considering the timeline of the game's development, it's highly unlikely Blizzard will reveal the game's release date during this event.

Read more
How to fix Joy-Con drift on Nintendo Switch
A Nintendo Switch controller

Shortly after launch, Nintendo Switch owners started noticing a problem. Their thumbstick would start moving without any input. Known as Joy-Con drift, the design defect has plagued countless Switch systems and spurred multiple class-action lawsuits. That said, most players can fix the problem themselves. Here's how to fix Joy-Con drift on the Nintendo Switch.

More Nintendo Switch

Read more