For the previous few weeks, Blizzard has been going huge. Blizzard Showcase introduced collectively the 4 key titles – Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone – and gave the area to convey their updates, bulletins (and a few surprises!) in their very own methods. It’s all a half of the highway to BlizzCon 2026: the 12 months of Blizzard’s 35th anniversary, to not point out the 30th anniversary of Diablo, and the 10th anniversary of Overwatch. That is the excellent area in time to look again at the universes which have introduced us collectively and look ahead to the future.
For Blizzard President, Johanna Faries – talking on the Official Xbox Podcast – the Showcase has been a mixture of cautious planning and pleased serendipity:
“We’ve been actually considerate about [giving] our gamers what they’re hoping for, and hopefully delight them and shock them in some huge methods. I believe these have landed. And we’ll simply proceed to type of prime what we hope to be a very, very huge 12 months as we proceed on right here in 2026.
“Our franchise groups, and our sport groups inside these franchises, suppose a lot about, ‘What will we wish to do subsequent 12 months? What will we wish to do 5 years from now?’ Perhaps, ‘What will we wish to do 10 years from now?’ And we’ve organized our considering and our strategic planning to guarantee that comes collectively in a actually considerate means. It’s very intentional how we’ve slate deliberate into the future.
“At the similar time, the inorganic half was we sat again properly over a 12 months in the past, and I stated, ‘Look, there’s one thing larger occurring right here, and I believe we are able to marry this. I believe we are able to make this a celebration on behalf of all of Blizzard Leisure.’ And hopefully if you happen to’re a fan of Blizzard, you’re gonna really feel one thing larger than simply, ‘Oh, I acquired what I wanted from Overwatch’ or, ‘I acquired what I wanted from Diablo.’”
That concept – that that is a celebration of momentum throughout Blizzard, not simply a sequence of sport bulletins – comes with a key further element: that is going to be a large 12 months. Showcase represents what Blizzard has to indicate us now, however its 2026 is way from over – not least with a return to the legendary BlizzCon later this 12 months.
“Proper now, we now have a enormous swath of bulletins that our video games have simply introduced ahead. And why I say that’s I believe we’re fairly excited to say: There’s nonetheless BlizzCon coming on this calendar 12 months, proper? Think about what else we’re stacking up.
“We’ve acquired to execute on that. We’ve acquired to ensure we’re delivering in a huge means. However I believe the groups are cooking. They’re very excited to convey some main bulletins, perhaps some surprises.”
We definitely haven’t seen all the things Blizzard, and its video games, should supply this 12 months – however the wider level of this second is to set the desk for the future of the firm. Blizzard is celebrating 35 years of existence by making ready for the subsequent 35 years.
“I believe there’s simply an power round this second and the way that is type of a launching pad for a huge future. It’s very fulfilling to have the ability to come into work and really feel busy in that means, stress in that means, stakes in that means. I believe we’re all actually proud of having the ability to try to pull it off. However once more, it’s a few years in the making.”
As Faries makes clear, that long-term considering is being utilized per-franchise, and per-game – ensuring that it’s not simply Blizzard’s future being thought of, however how every particular person title can thrive:
“What do we would like the subsequent 35 years to seem like? What’s the imaginative and prescient? What’s the route? We’ve set a lot in movement with respect to that, ensuring we’re clear on it, ensuring we’re coordinated on it, ensuring that yearly from this second ahead, there’s type of a reliability that gamers can rely on us to launch in huge methods, launch in stunning methods. Perhaps take some zags!
“Not all the things’s going to hit. That’s gaming. However in some ways, let’s perceive the place we’re going – not solely as a firm, however by franchise, by sport, proper? I believe at minimal, if you happen to have been to ask any of our main groups proper now, ‘Hey, what’s your plan for the subsequent three-, four-plus years?’, they’ve a very clear reply.
“I believe that is simply very a lot the starting – I do know you usually form of hear that – however I believe ’26, in some ways, actually represents a lengthy highway forward of us in phrases of issues to be enthusiastic about.”
You possibly can hear rather more from Johanna Faries about Blizzard Showcase, BlizzCon, and Blizzard’s video games on the Official Xbox Podcast right now