BlizzCon 2026 Starts Today: How to Watch and What to Follow

BlizzCon 2026 starts today, September 12, at the Anaheim Convention Center, and gamers do not need to be in California to follow the biggest parts of the show. Blizzard says select programming will stream live for everyone, including the Opening Ceremony, major panels, and esports. The Opening Ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. PDT, or 1:30 p.m. EDT, and the event continues through Sunday, September 13. Blizzard has separate channels for some games, so knowing where to watch can make the weekend much easier to follow.

Start with the Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony is the easiest starting point if you mainly care about announcements. Blizzard confirms that it starts Saturday at 10:30 a.m. PDT and will be part of the programming available to viewers at home.

Blizzard is also using game-specific streams for much of the weekend. The exact programming varies by channel, so gamers interested in one franchise should switch to that game’s official stream after the main ceremony.

Diablo has a developer update Saturday

Diablo fans have a dedicated developer update scheduled for 1:45 p.m. PDT on Saturday. Blizzard says most Diablo broadcast content will be available through the official Diablo YouTube and Twitch channels. A Diablo IV cinematics panel follows at 4:15 p.m. PDT.

World of Warcraft has panels and esports

World of Warcraft has a busy Saturday. Blizzard’s WoW schedule includes a What’s Next presentation at noon PDT and another What’s Next session at 2:45 p.m. PDT. The weekend also includes the Mythic Dungeon International and Arena World Championship Grand Finals, with a combined $600,000 prize pool.

Some BlizzCon content is only at the convention

Not everything will appear online. Blizzard says musical performances and some other parts of the event are exclusive to people attending in Anaheim. The convention itself runs from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PDT on both Saturday and Sunday.

There are watch rewards too

Several Blizzard games have viewership rewards tied to BlizzCon. World of Warcraft rewards are available through eligible Twitch streams and the official WoW YouTube channel during specified viewing windows. Diablo IV also has Twitch Drops, with rewards unlocking after two, four, and six total hours watched.

Gamers who only have time for one part of BlizzCon should start with the Opening Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. EDT today, then move to the official channel for the Blizzard game they care about most.