Blizzard Entertainment president says ‘there’s a game for you’ no matter what type of player you are

IRVINE, Calif. (news agencies) — California gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment announced Thursday that its popular event BlizzCon is coming back after several years off.

The celebration of all things Blizzard, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, is scheduled for September 2026. Blizzard last held the event in 2023. Next year’s BlizzCon will include staples like its opening ceremony — which typically includes big game announcements — as well as panels and other experiences.

Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said BlizzCon is part of Blizzard’s role as an entertainment company that stretches beyond the boundaries of making games. BlizzCon, she said, is an entertainment platform and “an opportunity to create a different kind of gathering well for gamers.”

“There are so many stories at an individual level, just at BlizzCon alone, about how people’s lives were changed: I met my partner there. I finally could bond with my son in a way that I couldn’t before, thanks to BlizzCon,” said Faries. “We take that role very seriously.”

Faries discussed gaming’s growing popularity in pop culture, and why the medium is at the forefront of entertainment, with comedian Conan O’Brien at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Texas on Tuesday.

She recently spoke with media.

Q: What do you think it is about the last few years that has propelled gaming to the forefront?

A: I love that it’s happened. I think it’s been really just wonderful to also witness that change in conversation and zeitgeist and understanding. A lot of the things we talk about now is it’s really less about, you know, who is a gamer. It’s really what is anyone playing at any given moment in time. This also goes back to, I think, that the medium is starting to meet people on their terms. If you’re a casual gamer of a certain demographic in a certain part of the world, there’s games for you. If you only have so many hours in a day to be able to expend escaping into the “World of Warcraft,” there’s a game for you. If you’re a mobile player, if you’re a PC player, if you’re both depending on the room in your house, there’s a way for us to be able to meet you — and not only cross platform or cross progression, cross play.