Blizzard is bringing classic StarCraft and Warcraft 3 esports to BlizzCon 2026

BlizzCon 2026 will see the in-person return of Blizzard Entertainment's long-running celebrations of its franchises, games, and community, later this year. With the event scheduled to take place on September 12-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center, there's some great news for fans of some of Blizzard's older, classic games.

2

With the company planning a robust "esports slate" for the event, the first competition-based announcement of the show is the confirmation that it'll be home to the first-ever Blizzard Classic Cup. This will include "all-star teams" battling it out across a wide range of classic Blizzard games, including the real-time strategy masterpiece that defined esports - StarCraft.

First released in 1998, StarCraft was the sci-fi-themed follow-up to the iconic Warcraft II, expanding the scope, speed, and intensity of the studio's real-time strategy games. And its robust multiplayer mode made it a phenomenon in Korea, where it drew large crowds and created celebrities. Professional StarCraft defined the modern era of esports, so it's great to see it making a comeback at BlizzCon 2026.

The Blizzard Classic Cup includes four games: StarCraft: Remastered, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, and Warcraft III: Reforged. In addition to bringing back some old-school Blizzard action, we've also got confirmation that Nick "Tasteless" Plott and Dan "Artosis" Stemkoski will draft and serve as captains of the first Blizzard Classic Cup teams. With decades of Blizzard esports history between them, StarCraft fans have reason enough to get excited for BlizzCon 2026.

Full details on the Blizzard Classic Cup format and teams, as well as the rest of the esports slate (which it's safe to assume will include Overwatch), are "coming soon."