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There are few developers out there with a fan base as passionate as Blizzard Entertainment .
. From World of Warcraft to Hearthstone , the company has built a reputation around shipping extremely polished games that aren’t rushed out the door on a whim. It’s this dedication to both its games and its community that has Blizzard often listed among the very best developers in the business.
Blizzard has been able to cash in on the love between the developer and its fans through its Blizzcon celebration almost every year in California. The event itself is a two-day gathering that brings in Blizzard fans from all around the world, but it’s also the event Blizzard uses to announce new gamesand the latest updatesto its existing titles.
Now, Blizzard has released the first details on the 2015 edition of Blizzcon. The event will take place November 6 and 7 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Los Angeles. Tickets will go on sale next month, and if past years are any indication, fans will have to be quick to snag some tickets.
Tickets will be sold through Eventbrite at two different times, the first at 7 p.m. PDT on April 15, and the 2nd at 10 a.m. PDT on April 18. Tickets are set to retail for $199 each, which is the same price as last year’s event. That said, demand is usually so great for Blizzcon tickets that Blizzard has created a “ ticket purchasing guide” to help fans maximize their chances of getting through the queue.
Blizzard notes in the guide that this year the barcode emails used to claim badges will be emailed out immediately after purchasing tickets, an improvement over past Blizzcons. Eventbrite has also made some improvements in the past year that should make the experience smoother for all buyers.
If fans miss out on the tickets or they don’t have the funds to make it to California, Blizzard will again be selling “Virtual Tickets” that are set to let those who can’t attend in person watch a stream of the convention online. Pricing and availability for these Virtual Tickets will be released closer to Blizzcon, so all hope is not lost for gamers on a budget.
This year’s Blizzcon will of course feature discussion panels with developers, contests and limited-edition merchandise, in addition to announcements about Blizzard’s existing games. The 2015 World Championship for Starcraft II and Hearthstone will also be decided at the convention as well.
Blizzard’s list of games to cover at the show has expanded quite a bit over the last few years, with the success of Hearthstone as well as the upcoming official launches of Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch . And don’t forget that World of Warcraft may now be on an annual schedule for its next expansion. An announcement about what comes after Warlords of Draenor is certainly possible.
What do you want Blizzard to announce at this year’s Blizzcon? Let us know in the comments!
Source: PC Gamer