by JR Cook - 1 month ago     show comments

BlizzCon 2026 is just months away and Blizzard has revealed the host and judging panel for this year’s Community Night contests. The announcement comes with just over a week left for artists and creators to submit their entries before the May 15 deadline.

Darin De Paul Returns as Host

Blizzard is bringing back one of the most beloved voices in their gaming universe to emcee the event. Darin De Paul, who’s voiced Reinhardt in Overwatch and N’Zoth in World of Warcraft (among countless other roles), will host Community Night for another year. If you’ve been to previous BlizzCons, you know he brings serious energy to the Main Stage, this should be another great show.

World Class Cosplay Judges

The cosplay contest is getting judged by some serious talent this year. Tiffany Gordon Cosplay, who won Best in Show at BlizzCon 2023 for her Lilith cosplay, joins the panel alongside SameerTikkaMasala from India who’s racked up over 40 cosplay awards and now works in film and television designing costumes and props.

Kamui Cosplay, known globally for elaborate builds and DIY content, rounds out the international judges. Cinderys brings her 2019 BlizzCon Grand Prize win (Prime Evil Leah) and professional concept art background to the table. Cestlasara, who specializes in sewn armor and has been cosplaying since 2002, completes the panel. She’s also a Blizzard IT Support Engineer and BlizzCon Ambassador, which gives her a unique perspective from both sides of the convention.

For the Art Contest, Short Film Contest, and Talent Contest, Blizzard’s tapping internal experts. Art and creative directors from across their game teams will judge artwork submissions. The Story and Franchise Development team (the folks who make those cinematics we all lose our minds over) will evaluate short films. Blizzard’s own performers will pick winners in the Talent Contest.

Last Chance to Enter

Time’s running out if you want to compete. The submission deadline is May 15, so you’ve got just over a week to get your entry in through the official form on the Community Night page. Whether you’re submitting a cosplay, artwork, film, or talent performance, make sure to check the official rules for each contest’s specific requirements.

BlizzCon passes are sold out, but the public resale market is open on Tixr if you’re hunting for tickets. Can’t make it to Anaheim? The official BlizzCon livestream will have you covered for watching Community Night and the rest of the show from home. If you’re planning to catch the show in person or online, investing in quality gear like the Elgato Wave 3 Microphone can level up your streaming setup if you want to share the experience with others.

Source: Blizzard Entertainment