by JR Cook - 6 months ago     show comments

It’s that time of year again! BlizzCon 2023 is just around the corner, and the gaming community is buzzing with anticipation. As a Blizzard fan with 12 BlizzCons under my belt, I must admit that this year feels a bit different. The past few years have been rocky for Blizzard, marred by controversies that have left many of us feeling uncertain. However, despite the turbulence, I still hold out hope for this year’s BlizzCon.

I want to make it clear that my reservations aren’t a reflection of the hardworking folks behind the scenes – the game designers, PR teams, and community managers who live and breathe the Blizzard values. They’re the heart and soul of BlizzCon, and they’ve consistently delivered fantastic experiences. My hope is that this BlizzCon marks the end of an era and the beginning of a brighter future, especially with Microsoft’s involvement.

Now, let’s address the changes this year. Some of them have left me scratching my head. The idea of a single stage with limited seating for the opening ceremony is a tough pill to swallow, especially with the substantial increase in ticket prices. The focus on immersive experiences is interesting, but it’s not what I initially fell in love with. And making the convention entirely dry doesn’t sit well with me – BlizzCon is about celebrating with friends, after all.

However, I don’t want to dwell on the negative. Despite my reservations, I believe that the dedicated Blizzard teams have something exciting in store for us. They’re eager to see if we’ll share their enthusiasm, and it wouldn’t be BlizzCon without some predictions.

First I want to start on looking at the schedule. Most every BlizzCon Blizzard hides the announcements in 2 places, one of those is the schedule and the other is the map. Looking at the schedule – there are 2 places where there might be some unannounced panels. The first is after the Opening Ceremony, the 2nd is before Community Night. Both can easily fit another hour long panel in those spaces, especially since this year we only have panels happening in the arena.

I’ll explain below what I think these will be filled with.

The second is of course the map

With the map we usually look for potential areas for a section in the demo. Honestly, the only one that sticks out to me is that the Diablo streamers do not need that much room in the Diablo area and that is prime real estate for a demo. Which furthers what I am doing to say below.

So let’s dive into the predictions!

Predictions for BlizzCon 2023

World of Warcraft Expansion

It’s been 2 years since last WoW Expansion. WoW team has been very consistent in being on a 2 year cycle of WoW expansions since the beginning of WoW. We have a demo area. We’re going to see a WoW Expansion announcement and maybe a cinematic. Rumor has it, this one will be dwarf themed but I’ll be honest, I haven’t dived too much into what it could be so I’ll leave that one to the experts.

Overwatch 2 New Hero – Plus, New PvE Content?

We already know we are getting a new hero. Blizzard has announced as much. I’m curious to see if they will do anything to save face from their pivot away from BlizzCon 2019 and their promise of PVE content and then turning away from that earlier this year. But I honestly doubt it. We might see something new around PVE content, but not to the level that was initially promised.

Hearthstone’s New Game Mode or Hearthstone Client 2.0

This one is interesting because we already have the new expansion announcement. We know pretty much all the cards in the expansion at this point and we will see that expansion in a little over a week. We know we are getting the cinematic, but I don’t think that is the reason we have a demo area for Hearthstone. It’s hard for me to say new game mode because Mercenaries didn’t go well, and Battlegrounds went extremely well. I do not see them catching lightning in a bottle twice here. Instead I want to bring everyone’s attention to the weirdness that they keep calling it the “Warcraft Tavern” not to mention the social media posts calling Hearthstone people to meet up in the “Warcraft Tavern”. We even had some social media teasers with a video but that didn’t lead me anywhere either.

I am honestly leaning toward a prediction I made last BlizzCon – it’s time for the client to get updated. We might be seeing a Hearthstone 2.0 and I am curious to how this ties into calling everything Warcraft again after they removed that Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft title a long long time ago.

I do fully expect to see some kind of demo that is not just the upcoming expansion and it will be a complete unexpected and totally cool surprise.

Diablo IV Expansion

This is where I think the panel is hidden. We do not have a Diablo “What’s Next?” Panel. I’m fully expecting this to be after the Opening Ceremony. I also pointed out, there is a spot in the Diablo section for a demo. This is probably where I bee-line after being let into the show floor to confirm. I think we’re going to hear about Diablo IV’s expansion which I think we see get released next summer. Remember, it has been quoted that this team would like to see a yearly expansion for Diablo IV and we’re going to see what Mephisto is up to.

Dark Horses – Heroes of the Storm Update and an Unannounced Survival Game Reveal

Last but not least, we do have what I call our dark horses. First let’s talk about Blizzard’s unannounced Survival Game which I believe is code named “Odyssey”. We might get a glimpse of the real title, maybe a cinematic? Would be cool if we get something around this game, but I doubt we get a demo for it, which is why I don’t think we’ll get anything. It could be something that could fill in the final panel on Saturday, but I feel like that goes to Diablo IV so I am just not really seeing this at this BlizzCon like people hope.

The next is of course we saw a patch a week or so ago with Heroes of the Storm. Could that be making a comeback? I have a lot of friends that love that game and want to see it have some love again. But I’ll be honest, I don’t see anything at BlizzCon about it. I don’t see a panel about it, I don’t see a demo about it. I think it would be cool to hear about either one of these, but if I am being honest here, I think the hidden panel goes to Diablo IV expansion after opening ceremony – and there is no hidden panel before Community Night.

As we approach BlizzCon 2023, I’m excited to see what the future holds, and I hope my predictions come true. Whether you’re a long-time Blizzard fan or new to their universe, there’s something for everyone to look forward to at this year’s event.

Join me in keeping our fingers crossed for a BlizzCon that leaves us inspired, entertained, and eager for what’s to come in the Blizzard universe.