Blizzcon 2023 is less than twenty hours away. Like many fans, I have been anxiously waiting to see what new gaming experiences Blizzard Entertainment has planned for us. Some time ago, I considered posting an article claiming Blizzard would use this occasion to finally reveal its mysterious Untitled Survival Game. They have been very quiet about it, other than the two released images and job postings. A small detail in the Blizzcon scheduled has me more convinced than ever that it is going to happen during the Opening Ceremony.
It’s All About Time
The Opening Ceremony has always been a big deal. It is when our hopes for the future are realized or dashed. The thing about the Opening Ceremony though is, whether in-person or virtual, it has always been an hour, with the next presentation being related to the center piece announcement. We know the next World of Warcraft expansion will be announced, so it is not surprising to see WoW: What’s Next scheduled afterward. What is strange is that What’s Next begins 2 1/2 hours after the Opening Ceremony starts. It has always been 1 1/2 hours. What’s filling that unaccounted block of time?
Blizzcon is streaming completely free for the full time, and Blizzard is not going to waste this opportunity to capture the attention of a potentially large audience of new players, especially Microsoft gamers, curious to learn more about them. I believe the Opening Ceremony will run 11-12 PM PST. During this time, the a “surprise” teaser will be played and the catch line and title of the Untitled Survival Game revealed, akin to how they handled the first Overwatch. A game introduction will follow from 12:15 to 1:15, showing the teaser again, and providing details about the new world, game mechanics, combat, concept art, and revealing, while it won’t be playable for a long time, it will be available on Game Pass (just a strong hunch).
We Shall See
This is simple speculation and may very well be dispelled by this time tomorrow, but it does makes sense. World of Warcraft: Dragonflight was a large step forward in WoW’s game design, but can also be said to have taken these steps away from the traditional Warcraft path. The popularity of WoW Classic Hardcore shows players still enjoy the risk and danger that has all but vanished from the current game. This is the moment for Blizzard to offer something different, something challenging, and above all, something super fun. Let’s see if they do it.