The above phrase is literally what Activision-Blizzard uses to describe the online transition of their annual convention. BlizzConline 2021, as it’s now named, will run from February 19 to February 20. Of course, while the schedule for the online event and celebration has since been confirmed, Blizzard, as they always have, did not divulge specific information about exactly what they’re going to showcase and when. With that said, we’ve decided to speculate and guess. Scroll down below to find out our BlizzCon 2021 predictions and what we think Activision-Blizzard will announce at the event.
1. The First Big Warcraft Shadowlands Patch
World of Warcraft fans have very little data to datamine and we’ve yet to receive any info regarding the first big Warcraft Shadowlands patch, nor is the PTR expected to come soon. Is it time to get worried? Not exactly. Just because things are slow doesn’t mean that Blizzard is not hard at work. All signs point to Blizzard switching things up by releasing a minor content patch (sort of like a .5 patch) to help tide players over three months into the expansion. Then, to drum up hype, Blizzard will likely use BlizzConline 2021 to announce a lot of what’s coming in the first major Warcraft Shadowlands content patch. As a bonus, keen-eyed fans noticed what looks like the Wandering Ancient mount in the BlizzConline trailer, which seems just about right as it was promised to arrive in Q1 2021. Speaking of major, BlizzConline seems like the perfect platform for Blizzard to drop something big, and no, we’re not just talking about an all-new cinematic. Sure, Blizzard could certainly go that way and we’ll be happy with that. We’d love to know more about how the conflict between Anduin and the Jailer continues, or how Sylvanas will look like in the more realistic style used for the “Old Soldier” cinematic. However, what would really get fans excited is they teased the return of Arthas in some way or form. Already, the Shadowlands expansion has seen numerous characters connected with Arthas make an appearance. Not to mention, Blizzard isn’t exactly trying to hide the similarities between Arthas and Anduin as they explained more of the lore behind the Helm of Domination and the Frostmourne, going as far as to hint the Jailer’s role in shaping the fate of Arthas. If there’s little news about future content patches, an announcement this big could certainly be enough to keep fans happy and satisfied in the meantime.
2. Classic Burning Crusade Announcement
It’s no secret that Blizzard has sent numerous surveys in the past, asking players about their opinion regarding TBC classic. In addition to this, Blizzard spent a surprising amount of time “teasing” the TBC by messing with the Battle.net app and bringing back the Classic Beta category as well as fixing classes that they left unchecked until, you guessed it, the TBC update. The icing on the cake here is the BlizzConline pet, which looks a lot like the Netherwhelp pet reward given to players who purchased the Collector’s Edition of The Burning Crusade. At this point, a Classic Burning Crusade feels less like a possibility and more like a certainty.
3. More Diablo News
A total of three Diablo titles are currently in the works. First up is Diablo Immortal, which in a recent earnings call, was confirmed to be releasing later this 2021, and what better way to announce the release date than to do it at your very own conference? On that note, the earnings call also teased that the Diablo 2 remake is coming soon as well, so don’t be surprised if two release dates ended up being announced at BlizzCon 2021. With that said, we probably shouldn’t expect a Diablo 4 release date reveal at BlizzCon 2021.
4. More Overwatch 2 Cinematics
The sad part about the Q4 earnings call is that it confirmed that Blizzard doesn’t expect to release a lot of highly-anticipated titles in 2021. This includes Overwatch 2, so the game shouldn’t be a major part of BlizzCon 2021. However, history suggests that Blizzard has used the platform to reveal new cinematics for the first Overwatch game. In particular, those that feature a particular character’s lore and past.
What are the BlizzCon 2021 Rewards?
Historically, Blizzard has spoiled fans who’ve taken the time to attend BlizzCon, whether in person or online. However, with just barely over a week to go before the virtual event and celebration, the company is yet to announce any rewards for tuning into BlizzCon 2021. The only piece of news we have available so far is the Celebration Collection. To help commemorate their 30th anniversary, Blizzard has put up numerous in-game items for sale that fans can buy to support the company.
