On the weekend of Sept. 12 to 13, developer Blizzard’s annual mega-event takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, United States. BlizzCon 2026 will feature many games, with exciting esports tournaments at the forefront.
Many fans of Blizzard games might not be able to make the trip to Anaheim. The good news: You don’t have to miss a second of the action with our complete guide to the five esports events at BlizzCon 2026.
Overwatch World Cup 2026
Celebrating a decade of Overwatch esports, 16 qualifying national teams have clashed in Overwatch World Cup (OWWC) 2026’s Group Stage at the Busan Esports Arena in South Korea.
The final eight national teams will now compete in a single-elimination bracket format in front of a crowd at BlizzCon 2026. Matches are played using the first-to-3 (Ft3) format.
Teams at OWWC 2026
- Saudi Arabia
- United States
- South Korea
- Spain
- France
- Sweden
- Germany
- Australia
Defending champions Saudi Arabia are considered one of the favorites, alongside the United States and South Korea. The latter two are clashing in the Quarterfinals, a match that promises to be a nail-biter.
OWWC 2026 Schedule & How To Watch
Check out the start dates and times for each matchup at the Overwatch World Cup 2026.
| Date | Round | Matchup | PT | ET | CEST |
| Sept. 12 | Quarterfinal 1 | Saudi Arabia vs. Spain | 12:00 | 15:00 | 21:00 |
| Sept. 12 | Quarterfinal 2 | Germany vs. Sweden | 13:30 | 16:30 | 22:30 |
| Sept. 12 | Quarterfinal 3 | France vs. Australia | 15:00 | 18:00 | 00:00 (Sept. 13) |
| Sept. 12 | Quarterfinal 4 | United States vs. South Korea | 16:30 | 19:30 | 01:30 (Sept. 13) |
| Sept. 13 | Semifinal 1 | TBD vs. TBD | 09:15 | 12:15 | 18:15 |
| Sept. 13 | Semifinal 2 | TBD vs. TBD | 10:45 | 13:45 | 19:45 |
| Sept. 13 | 3rd Place Match | TBD vs. TBD | 13:15 | 16:15 | 22:15 |
| Sept. 13 | Grand Final | TBD vs. TBD | 14:45 | 17:45 | 23:45 |
Fans can tune in to watch the action via the official PlayOverwatch Twitch or YouTube channels. Don’t forget that you can earn some nice in-game rewards for watching the OWWC.
Hearthstone World Championship 2026
For the first time since the historic win of female Chinese superstar Xiaomeng “Liooon” Li in 2019, the Hearthstone Masters Tour World Championship returns to the stage at BlizzCon 2026.
BlizzCon 2026 serves as the battleground for the culmination of the Hearthstone Masters Tour, where 16 of the best players will compete for their share of the $500,000 prize pool.
Competing Hearthstone Players
The top three players from the Hearthstone Masters Tour Winter, Spring, and Summer were invited, alongside four from the Regional Chinese Qualifier, and three who earned enough Global Competitive Points.
Check out all 16 players competing at the Hearthstone World Championship 2026 below, divided into their respective groups.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| McBanterFace | maxiebon1234 | Gaby59 | OTGxhh |
| Soyorin | WinBrownie | Curfew | Che0nsu |
| mlYanming | XiaoT | Xiaobai | SAVOR |
| hyosung | Fatty | Kwanuu | Mesmile |
Note: Incurro, demoshadow, and Jiuqianyu won’t attend BlizzCon 2026. They’re replaced by McBanterFace, XiaoT, and WinBrownie.
Schedule & Format
The Group Stage (four groups of four each) runs just before BlizzCon 2026, from Sept. 8 to 10, starting at 09:00 PT (12:00 ET / 18:00 CEST) each day.
At BlizzCon 2026, the final eight will compete in a single-elimination Knockout Stage over two days (Sept. 12 to 13). Quarterfinals start on Sept. 12 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET / 21:00 CEST).
On Sept. 13, the Semifinals will take place, followed by the Grand Final. The action begins at 09:30 PT (12:30 ET / 18:30 CEST).
Watch Hearthstone World Championship 2026 & Earn Rewards
Visit the official Hearthstone Twitch and YouTube channels to watch the strategic masterminds at work.
Hearthstone fans can earn in-game rewards by participating in the Choose Your Champion competition, where they can vote for and back who they predict will lift the Hearthstone World Championship 2026 trophy.
WoW Arena World Championship 2026
The ultimate player-versus-player (PvP) esports event in World of Warcraft (WoW) is the Arena World Championship (AWC), where the first Midnight expansion champions will get crowned.
Teams are competing for their share of the $300,000 prize pool and to become the first champions of the Midnight expansion. A single-elimination bracket format is used, with best-of-five Quarterfinals and Semifinals matches, and a best-of-seven Grand Final.
Teams At AWC 2026
AWC 2026 is the culmination of a year-long season. The top two teams from each region’s Season 1 Finals, as well as the winner of the Cross Region Playoffs, and one additional team from China, have earned their spots in the six-team event at BlizzCon.
Check out the six competing teams (and their regions) below.
- Echo (Europe)
- Gators Back (North America)
- Guild Bean (Europe)
- STREAMERZONEGG (Europe)
- F Tier (North America)
- One Lun Travel (China)
As the top teams from their respective regions, Echo and Gators Back have earned spots directly in the Semifinals.
AWC 2026 Schedule & How To Watch
Don’t miss a second of the action as the best WoW teams in the world compete at the AWC 2026 with the schedule outlined below.
| Time Zone | Start Time & Date | End Time & Date |
| PT | Sept. 13 at 10:45 | Sept. 13 at 19:00 |
| ET | Sept. 13 at 13:45 | Sept. 13 at 22:00 |
| CEST | Sept. 13 at 19:45 | Sept. 14 at 04:00 |
Watch the WoW PvP action unfold via the Warcraft Twitch and Warcraft YouTube channels.
WoW Mythic Dungeon International 2026
With all-new dungeons and gameplay in WoW’s Midnight expansion, the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) season kicked off back in April 2026 with open Time Trials.
Following a grueling Season 1 Finals, four teams have secured spots at BlizzCon 2026, where they’ll compete in the speedrunning event of the season. Glory and a significant $300,000 prize pool are on the line for the heroes of Azeroth.
The Semifinals are best-of-three, and the Grand Final is best-of-five, with a single-elimination bracket format in play.
MDI 2026 Global Finals Teams
The top three teams from Season 1 and the highest-seeded team from China have been invited to compete at the MDI 2026 Global Finals. We’ve listed the four teams and their respective regions below.
- Dignitas (Europe)
- Mandatory (Europe)
- Team Liquid (North America)
- Big Lucky (China)
Dignitas are the favorites, having won the Season 1 finals with a clean 3–0 score over Team Liquid. However, our expert predicts Team Liquid could take revenge at BlizzCon 2026, bringing home the gold for North America.
MDI 2026 Global Finals Schedule & How To Watch
Check out the start and end times/dates outlined in the schedule below.
| Time Zone | Start Time & Date | End Time & Date |
| PT | Sept. 12 at 10:00 | Sept. 12 at 19:00 |
| ET | Sept. 12 at 13:00 | Sept. 12 at 22:00 |
| CEST | Sept. 12 at 19:00 | Sept. 13 at 04:00 |
You can watch all the MDI 2026 action live via the Warcraft Twitch and Warcraft YouTube channels.
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
The Blizzard Classic Cup 2026 is an unmissable four-in-one event, bringing back iconic titles steeped in rivalry: Heroes of the Storm, Warcraft III: Reforged, StarCraft II, and StarCraft: Remastered.
Community captains, the legendary casting duo of Dan “Artosis” Stemkoski and Nick “Tasteless” Plott, have drafted all-star teams to do battle on stage at the Arcade area of BlizzCon.
There’s a $100,000 prize pool to compete for. Each title pays $20,000, and the overall winning team will receive an additional $20,000 for their efforts.
First up, we have Dignitas vs. Gen.G in Heroes of the Storm, a recreation of the historic Global Championship 2018 Finals match. Yoan “ToD” Merlo (Human) and Zeng “TeD” Zhuo (Undead) will square off in Warcraft III: Reforged.
The legendary Lim “BoxeR” Yo Hwan (Terran) will fight Kang “Nal_rA” Min (Protoss) in StarCraft: Remastered. Greg “IdrA” Fields (Zerg) and Jang “MC” Min Chul (Protoss) will clash once more in one of StarCraft II’s greatest rivalries.
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026 Schedule
Check out the scheduled dates and start times for the Blizzard Classic Cup 2026 events below.
| Date | Games | Matches | PT | ET | CEST |
| Sept. 12 | Heroes of the Storm | Legacy Match (Team Tasteless vs. Team Artosis) | 12:00 | 15:00 | 21:00 |
| Sept. 12 | Warcraft III: Reforged | Classic Cup Matchups | 16:30 | 19:30 | 01:30 (Sept. 13) |
| Sept. 13 | StarCraft II | Classic Cup Matchups | 11:30 | 14:30 | 20:30 |
| Sept. 13 | StarCraft: Remastered | Classic Cup Matchups | 14:15 | 17:15 | 23:15 |
Once the StarCraft: Remastered Classic Cup matchups are complete, a trophy presentation will finish off the day at the Blizzard Arcade stage.
Get Hyped For BlizzCon 2026
Between high-stakes world finals and classic showcase matches, BlizzCon 2026 is an unmissable weekend of top-tier competition both on stage and online.
There’s also a chance we’ll see a StarCraft 3 announcement, thanks to some not-so-subtle teases by Blizzard. Get hyped for BlizzCon 2026, and tune in to the opening ceremony on Sept. 12 (10:30 PT, 13:30 ET, 19:30 CEST) via Blizzard’s official Twitch or YouTube channels.
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