IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BlizzCon^® 2017, Blizzard Entertainment’s epic celebration of gaming and community, is almost here!

This Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, gamers from around the globe will gather at the Anaheim Convention Center for a weekend filled with Blizzard gaming news, events featuring players’ favorite community personalities, epic esports tournaments, contests spotlighting cosplayers and other talented creators, a performance by Grammy Award–winning band Muse, and much more. While tickets to the convention are sold out, anyone can join the party online with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket.

“The community is the heart of Blizzard’s games, and BlizzCon is our favorite way to connect directly with our players and geek out over the things we’re passionate about,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’ve worked hard to make this our biggest and best BlizzCon yet, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone this Friday.”

BlizzCon will be a can’t-miss destination for gamers everywhere, packed with an array of activities, events, exciting announcements, and more:

Don’t Miss the Epic Opening Ceremony

The BlizzCon festivities officially begin Friday at 11 a.m. PDT with the opening ceremony, where the world gets the download on Blizzard’s latest development plans. For the first time, attendees can watch developers presenting live on three different stages—the Mythic stage in Hall D, the Overwatch Arena, and the Hearthstone stage in the new North Hall—and everyone can watch free online at BlizzCon.com. Tune in early at 10:30 a.m. for the free BlizzCon All Access Channel preshow to kick things off.

Discover Four Live Stages of Developer and Community Events

Experience four stages of live game and community content. Learn what’s in store for your favorite Blizzard games in developer discussions; connect with your favorite online personalities in an array of activities such as live podcasts and Blizzard-themed game shows; and get in touch with your inner creator at sessions featuring live art demos, cosplay tips, engineering workshops, and more. See the complete schedule at www.blizzcon.com/schedule.

For the first time ever, all four stages will be streamed live online for people watching with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, and VODs will be available in English, French, German, Russian, and Korean. Before the show begins, gamers can get in the BlizzCon spirit by watching more than 40 pre-show videos (many free; all included with the Virtual Ticket) at www.blizzcon.com/watch.

Cheer On Your Favorite Esports Players

All weekend long, the spirit of competition fills the convention center as the final rounds of the World of Warcraft^® Arena World Championship, Overwatch^® World Cup, StarCraft^® II World Championship Series, Heroes of the Storm^® Global Championship Finals, and Hearthstone^® Inn-vitational play out. Esports fans can also psych themselves up for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League with a special kick-off event on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PDT. Visit www.blizzcon.com/esports for more information on this year’s tournament programming.

All of this weekend’s Blizzard esports action is available to watch for free on BlizzCon.com, Twitch, and MLG.com. Virtual Ticket holders can enjoy an enhanced esports viewing experience when watching on BlizzCon.com or in the BlizzCon Mobile app.

Geek Out at Community Night—Hosted by Chris Hardwick

On Friday at 6 p.m. PDT, get ready for an evening of legendary community creativity with the BlizzCon 2017 costume, talent, movie, and art contests. This year’s Community Night will be emceed by Chris Hardwick, founder of Nerdist and host of NBC’s hit game show series The Wall, returning for his second BlizzCon.

Close Out the Weekend with Muse

Get ready for an epic finale—Grammy Award–winning band Muse will be performing on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PDT, giving everyone at the show and watching online a stage-shattering send-off.

Explore an Array of On-Site Activities

Everyone attending in person can explore a variety of events and activities throughout the convention center. Surprises await around every corner, and highlights include:

• Darkmoon Faire—Trade pins, adopt plush pets, meet your favorite authors at Publishers’ Row, and more in this area themed after World of Warcraft’s mystical traveling carnival.
• Hearthstone Tavern—You’re invited to a Fireside Gathering for the ages! Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and meet up (and duel) with fellow attendees and Hearthstone developers in this cozy corner of the convention.
• BlizzCon Gear Store—Starting Thursday, attendees can pick up commemorative Blizzard merchandise in Hall E of the convention center. Download the BlizzCon Mobile app to enhance the experience, or head to the online Blizzard Gear Store to pick up some souvenirs from afar.
• Charity Auction—Bid on an array of Blizzard artwork and collectible memorabilia to benefit CHOC Children’s in the Blizzard 2017 Charity Auction, taking place Thursday, November 2 through Tuesday, November 7.
• Hands-on Gaming—Attendees can enjoy hands-on demos featuring the latest World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, and Diablo^® III content.

BlizzCon is made possible in part by the generosity of the event’s sponsors, who help provide hardware, peripherals, and other support for the show. This year’s sponsors include Cisco, DXRacer, and Intel, along with the following partners who’ll be hosting activities for attendees at booths around the show floor:

• ASUS—Check out BlizzCon vending machines, collect a special WoW^® coin, and enter giveaways for more than 10,000 prizes ranging from patches to a brand-new laptop. See the latest ROG products and find out how your skills match up playing alongside an Overwatch pro.
• CORSAIR—Try your hand at the CORSAIR Claw machine to win exclusive prizes, take a seat on the “Throne of Games,” and be the Overwatch Play of the Game in the CORSAIR photo booth.
• HP—Stop by for some 3v3 Overwatch Arcade action, a real-life Loot Box, and a photo op with an epic Overwatch cosplayer.
• NVIDIA—Participate in an Emissary quest, discover collectible patches, enter a raffle to win some amazing prizes, find exclusive Overwatch buttons, and more.
• NZXT—Enter a raffle for one of four Blizzard-themed custom-wrapped H700i PCs, and learn how to build your own PC, including setting up liquid cooling and more.
• Razer—Enter a giveaway at the Hearthstone Tavern, claim an exclusive Razer patch, meet Overwatch and World of Warcraft celebrities, and win prizes including the latest Overwatch peripherals at the Razer booth.
• T-Mobile—Vote for the Overwatch World Cup MVP using #TMobileMVP and the player’s BattleTag™ on Twitter, take your photo with the MVP trophy at the Un-carrier Lounge, and stay connected to all the BlizzCon action thanks to free Wi-Fi at the convention, presented by T-Mobile.

Although BlizzCon tickets have sold out, viewers can still join the excitement from home with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket ($39.99), which offers comprehensive live online coverage of both days of the event—including Community Night on Friday evening and Muse’s performance on Saturday. Virtual Ticket holders will also receive a treasure trove of bonus in-game items for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo III, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft II.

Attendees and Virtual Ticket viewers alike can download the BlizzCon Mobile App, available free for Android and iOS devices, and use it to plan their weekend, map a route through the convention center, and even watch live streams.

For more information on BlizzCon 2017, visit www.blizzcon.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games and multiple Game of the Year awards.^* The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.