IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blizzard Entertainment’s epic BlizzCon community celebration is less than two months away—but BlizzCon season begins today with the launch of the BlizzCon 2018 Virtual Ticket, available to order now at www.blizzcon.com. The BlizzCon Virtual Ticket provides access to nearly two months of exclusive video programming, with new content hitting regularly between now and when BlizzCon takes place November 2 to 3. During BlizzCon, Virtual Ticket holders will be able to enjoy comprehensive livestreams covering all of the major news, events, and panels at the show, whether they’re joining the fun from home on BlizzCon.com—or, for the first time, directly via the Blizzard Battle.net® desktop app—or watching on the go with the free BlizzCon Mobile App (available now for Android and iOS).
This year’s festivities are already underway, with the premiere episodes of multiple original BlizzCon video series available to view now on the official website and through the app—some available free, and all unlocked via the Virtual Ticket. BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket holders can also help shape the show by voting for what they’d like to see on stage in a series of interactive BlizzCon Build-a-Panel polls. In addition, starting today BlizzCon ticket and Virtual Ticket holders will receive the first of this year’s commemorative BlizzCon in-game items: a diabolical legendary skin for Overwatch®’s Sombra that channels the iconic Demon Hunter class from Diablo® III.†
The celebration continues November 2 and 3, as the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket also grants complete livestreaming access to the main event at the Anaheim Convention Center, including the BlizzCon All-Access channel, which acts as viewers’ tour guide through the two-day convention; the legendary cosplay and talent contests (and more) during Community Night; the closing-night festivities; as well as coverage of the panels and other activities from all three main stages—Mythic, Legendary, and Epic—on the BlizzCon show floor.
“We created BlizzCon as a celebration of our global community, but not everyone can travel to the show, so the Virtual Ticket gives us a great way to bring BlizzCon to gamers around the world,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We have a lot of exciting activities and surprises planned for BlizzCon ticket and Virtual Ticket holders in the coming weeks and at the main event—we can’t wait to share everything we have in store.”
With the BlizzCon 2018 Virtual Ticket, Blizzard gamers from around the world will:
- Never Miss a Moment: The opening ceremony and esports are free, but the Virtual Ticket is the only way to watch the Mythic, Legendary, and Epic stages live from home, so you won’t miss any of the developer panels, Community Night contests, or epic closing festivities. Go even deeper with the BlizzCon All-Access Channel, complete with exclusive developer interviews, commentary, and more.
- Explore Original BlizzCon Video Series: Unlock full access to unique BlizzCon programming that takes you behind the scenes at Blizzard and beyond the walls of the convention center. Discover Blizzard history inside The Vault, explore artists’ creative process in Drawn to Adventure, and much more. New episodes debut regularly in the weeks leading up to BlizzCon—some available free, and all unlocked via the Virtual Ticket.
- Snag Epic In-Game Loot: Between now and the start of BlizzCon, unlock a treasure trove of commemorative in-game goodies for World of Warcraft®, StarCraft® II, StarCraft: Remastered, Heroes of the Storm®, Hearthstone®, and Diablo III. Kick things off with a legendary Overwatch Demon Hunter skin for Sombra—available in-game starting today.†
- Help Shape the Show: Don’t just watch BlizzCon—participate in it, too! Build a BlizzCon panel alongside others from the Blizzard community, then watch what you help created come to life live during the main event. (Build-a-Panel voting will be available for a limited time—visit BlizzCon.com to learn more and keep up with the results.)
- Watch On-Demand Replays: Miss a revelation during a World of Warcraft or Overwatch developer discussion? Does one of your must-see Hearthstone panels conflict with a can’t-miss StarCraft II match? Relive your favorite moments on demand with the Virtual Ticket at BlizzCon.com or in the BlizzCon Mobile App through March 31, 2019††. The Virtual Ticket also unlocks access to a wide variety of panels and original video series from the BlizzCon 2017 video archives.
- Get Gear Bonuses: Order a Virtual Ticket, and you’ll get a $10 discount off this year’s BlizzCon Goody Bag, available for pre-order today while supplies last at http://gear.blizzard.com. You’ll also get early access to the BlizzCon 2018 online merchandise sale so you can pick up sweet swag in advance of the show—more details will be announced in the weeks ahead.
International viewers will also have the option to listen to select BlizzCon Virtual Ticket broadcasts, including the All-Access Channel and content on the Mythic stage, translated live into seven languages: Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese. In addition, VODs of select content on the other stages at BlizzCon will be available subtitled in Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Korean, and simplified Chinese in the weeks following the show.
Visit the Blizzard Shop to learn more and purchase this year’s Virtual Ticket ($49.99 USD), and keep an eye on www.blizzcon.com to vote on the best moments from past BlizzCons and stay up-to-date on the latest BlizzCon news.
†The in-game items for Overwatch, StarCraft II, and StarCraft: Remastered will also be available separately in 2019—further details will be announced at a later date.
††Most replays will be available until March 31, 2019. Community Night and closing night festivities replays are available for at least 1 month after the event.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, 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-two #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online gaming service, Blizzard Battle.net®, 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.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates and upcoming content at BlizzCon and the features and functionality of the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
