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\n\tBlizzard<\/a> Entertainment is turning 35 and they want everyone to know it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhile tonight for \u2018Diablo\u2019 is such a masthead moment for the franchise, in many ways, we think of it as a kickstart to this huge 2026 for Blizzard, all up,\u201d Blizzard Entertainment president Johanna Faries<\/a> told Variety<\/em> during an interview ahead of The Game Awards in Los Angles on Dec. 11, where Blizzard\u2019s \u201cDiablo IV\u201d unveiled a buzzy new update<\/a>. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re a Blizzard fan or you\u2019re curious about any of our major franchises, the teams are cooking on major swings. And I think we just have a tremendous amount of pride in what\u2019s going to come forward, not just at BlizzCon<\/a>, but even in the run up to BlizzCon here. So all hands on deck, but it\u2019s a very exciting time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe big Blizzard moments Faries is pointing to include \u201cWorld of Warcraft\u2019s\u201d much-anticipated \u201cMidnight\u201d expansion in March; the \u201cDiablo\u201d franchise\u2019s 30th anniversary and \u201cDiablo IV\u2019s\u201d \u201cLord of Hatred\u201d update and; and the 10th anniversary of \u201cOverwatch<\/span>.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAnd perhaps the most important one of all: the September return of BlizzCon, the beloved fan convention hosted by Blizzard Entertainment at the Anaheim Convention Center, which was skipped in 2024 and 2025<\/a> following Microsoft\u2019s acquisition of the company in 2023.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe teams across Blizzard entirely, as an organization, are gearing up for what we hope to be the biggest year yet for Blizzard, and we take that statement very seriously,\u201d said Faries, who joined Blizzard as president in 2024, following two years as general manager of the \u201cCall of Duty\u201d franchise at sister company Activision. \u201cAnd it\u2019s all part of this new, bold vision for the future, as I mentioned before.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFaries, who spent more than 10 years in business and marketing exec roles at the NFL, says the message behind the stacked year is Blizzard is \u201cinvesting in this iconic IP that we have across our entire portfolio, and really thinking about modernizing it, surprising and delighting our fans, being beholden to legacy where it matters, but also really doing some fresh takes that really put us into the next decade or three decades, now that we\u2019re 35 years old, that put us at the industry dominance level that we always aspire to be at.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhen it came to bringing back BlizzCon, Faries says the delay was less about new ownership under Microsoft and more about \u201creally giving our employees time to put on the best show possible for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n