BlizzCon 2009 confirmed for August

By Oli Welsh Published 17 February, 2009

Third WOW expansion to be announced?

Blizzard has confirmed dates for the fourth BlizzCon fan convention. This year's event will return to its usual home of the Anaheim Convention Center near Los Angeles on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August.

In reponse to the five-figure crowds drawn by the last two BlizzCons, this year's event is being expanded from three convention halls to four. No specific details of the convention's line-up were given, but the outline indicates business as usual: hands-on with upcoming Blizzard games, panels with developers, tournaments, community contests and more.

Previous BlizzCons have seen the announcement of the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King expansions to World of Warcraft, and we'd lay money on a third add-on being revealed at this year's event.

However, Blizzard has plenty of other things to talk about: the StarCraft II trilogy, the first instalment of which is likely to hit this year; Diablo III, unveiled at last year's Paris Worldwide Invitational and playable at BlizzCon 2008; and its unannounced next MMO, which recently lured a lead designer from WOW.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • johnlenham #1 3 years ago

    Less WoW more Starcraft/Diablo!

  • butler` #2 3 years ago

    I'd wager that they won't mention another WoW expansion tbh, with so much else going on, but we'll see...

    Me and a few friends are playing through D2 for the first time in about a half decade, that's how much we want D3 :p

  • Gurgeh #3 3 years ago

    The new MMO springs to mind. It's a little early for the next expansion to be announced although they might do a brief teaser.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #4 3 years ago

    Burning Crusade was released early 07, Lich King announced at BlizzCon in August 07. Given that they take 18 months to two years per expansion, they'll release the next one in 2010 - so if they're going to announce it at a BlizzCon (they are) and at least a year before it comes out (they will), it basically has to be at this one.

  • Krelle #5 3 years ago

    Sounds about right, Oli.

    Is there any specualations about where this 3rd expansion will be set? Im not up to date about wow, like I used to.

  • Eraysor #6 3 years ago

    Krelle, most people think the Emerald Dream is the most likely setting for the next one. Or at least I do.

    This may also be useful.
    Edited by 3 at 17/02/09 @ 17:53

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #7 3 years ago

    Yeah, Emerald Dream or Maelstrom.

  • Krelle #8 3 years ago

    Thanks~ (:

  • spimmy #9 3 years ago

    oh yea guys http://ww w.wow-europe.com/en/info/underd...

  • Benno #10 3 years ago

    let me guess, level cap to 90, more zones, more quests

    maybe 1 new class

    borrring

  • glottis0 #11 3 years ago

    @Benno - so, more things to do and more places to do them in...and maybe new ways to do them. Er, what other factors can they change to please you?

  • Benno #12 3 years ago

    sieges like warhammer

  • Benno #13 3 years ago

    also, a persistent world which changes due to players

    player created cities
    guild created shops
    proper horde-alliance warfare

    and i dont mean wintergrasplol

  • merkdot #14 3 years ago

    a while ago after the finally got a late burning crusade out they mentioned that they wanted to make the expansions annual.

  • bdc #15 3 years ago

    WOLTK isn't even at the point where we can even go into Icecrown. A third expansion to even announce so soon in August is a little too enthusiastic.

  • Krelle #16 3 years ago

    benno
    Your problem is that wow is not what your looking for, so dont expect them to change the game in a way you want.

    "player created cities
    guild created shops "
    ..is two things that I hope thell never add to wow, for example. I like those 2 features, but not i wow. It doesnt add to the experience that is wow, in the same way that it did add to a game like Galaxies.

    And, benno, try not to sound so sad when you post. It doesnt suit you very well.

  • Venkman90 #17 3 years ago

    "let me guess, level cap to 90, more zones, more quests

    maybe 1 new class

    borrring "

    12 Million people seem to disagree. Don't get me wrong I would like to seem some innovation, and frankly I think they need to re-think the level cap idea as not only will the idea of 1-90 put off anybody new to the game or anybody looking to roll an alt but also specs will start to become way to hard to balance.

  • iokthemonkey #18 3 years ago

    MOAR CARROT!

  • Benno #19 3 years ago

    "12 Million people seem to disagree. Don't get me wrong I would like to seem some innovation, and frankly I think they need to re-think the level cap idea as not only will the idea of 1-90 put off anybody new to the game or anybody looking to roll an alt but also specs will start to become way to hard to balance."

    Don't quote meaningless numbers to me. Wow attracts addictive personalities doesn't it, Blizzard dangle the carrot without really adding anything new, just reskinned enemies and similar quest design. People lap it up (usually kids - who'll grow up damaged). Both expansions have been pretty good improvements on each other but to be honest, anothe expansion pack adding nothing but new zones and new quests would just bore me.

    Playing warhammer makes me want sieges and proper horde-alliance warfare. Playing Eve makes me want a proper persistant world where you and your friends actions actually change things. Wow is really showing its age now. I wasn't giving it the doomsday talk, it wont be "the end" if they make another 'boring' expansion, all the carrot munchers will lap it up still. I just said I think its boring. You really have a problem with that?

  • glottis0 #20 3 years ago

    Actually the quests in Wrath of the Lich King were literally 3x as interesting as the old ones (no 3x0 = 0 jokes please). I think the main area they could innovate in is the AI - the whole 'aggro range, run at you, hit you until you die' is a bit boring. They could expand the boss-fight tactics to the rest of the world.

  • magicpanda #21 3 years ago

    2 months after release and and I'd seen everything Lich had to offer so far. Nothing left to but grind itemz and rep.

    That's not even going to at it "Hardcore" Very good while it lasted but my sub has lapsed.

    Im sure they will do some new and exciting things eventually but for now its back on the shelf.

    "Less WoW more Starcraft/Diablo" Yes please.

    What with the lead designer of WoW moving over to the new MMO project hopefully we will see it unveiled at Blizzcon and hopefully it will be World of Starcraft FPS planetside style :)

  • Venkman90 #22 3 years ago

    ""12 Million people seem to disagree. Don't get me wrong I would like to seem some innovation, and frankly I think they need to re-think the level cap idea as not only will the idea of 1-90 put off anybody new to the game or anybody looking to roll an alt but also specs will start to become way to hard to balance."

    Don't quote meaningless numbers to me. Wow attracts addictive personalities doesn't it, Blizzard dangle the carrot without really adding anything new, just reskinned enemies and similar quest design. People lap it up (usually kids - who'll grow up damaged). Both expansions have been pretty good improvements on each other but to be honest, anothe expansion pack adding nothing but new zones and new quests would just bore me.

    Playing warhammer makes me want sieges and proper horde-alliance warfare. Playing Eve makes me want a proper persistant world where you and your friends actions actually change things. Wow is really showing its age now. I wasn't giving it the doomsday talk, it wont be "the end" if they make another 'boring' expansion, all the carrot munchers will lap it up still. I just said I think its boring. You really have a problem with that?"

    Oo

    I get the impression you typed that while jabbing a finger and spitting flem

    I agree with you but was simply saying not everyone thinks the core of their game is boring, those games you mention don't have half the userbase and to then start throwing in stuff about all wow players being kids growing up damaged is just as meaningless and a crass generlisation.

  • Benno #23 3 years ago

    /jabs finger

    /spits at venk

    :)

  • sonicgoo #24 3 years ago

    WOTLK has only been out for a few months. If you've already done everything in there, you're in the minority. Most people are still happily playing and they will have plenty to do until the next patch/expansion.

    Any new WoW expansion willl be... a WoW expansion. If you want something new, a conceptual leap forward, don't look a WoW expansions, look at that mystery MMO they're doing. (Well, not much to see there yet, but you know...)