BlizzCon Day 1 - Photo courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Entertainment Announces The Return Of The BlizzCon Event In 2026

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The American video game developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment announced the return of its popular conference, BlizzCon, which will take place next year on September 12th and 13th.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• Blizzard Entertainment has announced the return of BlizzCon, scheduled for September 12-13, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center.
• The event promises traditional features like the Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competitions, and hands-on gameplay.
• Anticipated announcements include updates on major franchises such as World of Warcraft , and Diablo .

According to the announcement shared on its website, the event—which had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2023—will once again be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, the largest convention center on the U.S. West Coast, in 2026.

“For 2026, alongside BlizzCon staples like Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, hands-on gameplay, and more, we aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it,” states the document.

Blizzard Entertainment, famous for developing popular video games such as World of Warcraft (WoW) —which was relaunched in China last year — Diablo , and StarCraft , shared the announcement on social media, awakening excitement and anticipation among its followers.

Something is coming…ready yourself. https://t.co/akPJ3P9bCW pic.twitter.com/5aLVHeAAbO — Blizzard Entertainment (@Blizzard_Ent) March 11, 2025

In a recent interview with the Associated Press , Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said that BlizzCon is “an opportunity to create a different kind of gathering well for gamers” and an entertainment platform for the company as well.

“I’m just so thrilled to be bringing it back in the fall of 2026 and I think time is on our side,” said Faries. “We’re just really energized by the opportunity to not only bring it back, but elevate it and really over-deliver on people’s expectations — both, again, the players who play our games and have really high expectations for what BlizzCon needs to look and feel like for them, but also for our employees.”

Image Glenn Carstens-Peters, from Unsplash

China’s Manus AI Challenges US Tech With Autonomous Capabilities

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

China’s Manus AI is making waves in the AI industry, challenging US tech firms with its new general AI agent.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• Manus has gained attention through a viral video and large Discord community.
• Initial reviews are mixed, with praise for quality but concerns over performance.
• Manus integrates multiple AI models, including Claude 3.5 and Alibaba’s Qwen.

Developed by Wuhan-based startup Butterfly Effect, the tool claims to be the world’s first truly autonomous AI agent, capable of performing tasks like resume screening, itinerary planning, and stock analysis with minimal supervision, as reported by Bloomberg .

Manus launched a preview version last week, quickly gaining attention with a viral demonstration video. Co-founder and chief scientist Yichao Ji described it as “truly autonomous,” contrasting it with other AI agents that require more guidance, as reported by Bloomberg.

The tool has drawn comparisons to DeepSeek, another Chinese AI breakthrough that disrupted the market earlier this year by offering high-quality AI models at a fraction of the cost US competitors spend.

MIT notes that the hype surrounding Manus has led to a rush for access, with its Discord community surpassing 186,000 members. However, only a small fraction of users on the waitlist have received invite codes. Despite the excitement, initial reviews have been mixed.

Derya Unutmaz, a professor at the Jackson Laboratory, praised Manus for delivering “great quality outcomes” but noted that “it takes longer than OpenAI’s Deep Research to process the tasks,” reports Bloomberg

Others have pointed out performance issues, including slow response times, occasional crashes, and factual mistakes. “Manus is actually a half-finished product,” said Yiran Chen, an electrical and computing engineering professor at Duke University, as reported by Bloomberg. He suggested that the company is pushing the product early to attract investors.

Manus functions differently from chatbots like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, which are based on single large language models. Instead, it integrates multiple AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Alibaba’s fine-tuned Qwen, and employs independent AI agents that operate autonomously, as reported by MIT.

It also features a “Manus’s Computer” window, allowing users to monitor its progress and intervene when necessary. MIT Technology Review tested Manus on tasks like compiling a list of tech reporters, finding real estate listings, and nominating candidates for an innovation award.

While the AI initially cut corners—admitting it got “lazy” when listing journalists—it improved with more feedback, producing a more comprehensive and accurate output.

Butterfly Effect, the company behind Manus, has raised over $10 million, according to Bloomberg, but it remains unclear how much of its AI is built from scratch versus refined from existing models. Unlike DeepSeek, Manus has not published technical papers or open-sourced its code.

Despite its limitations, some users believe Manus has the potential to redefine AI automation. “I haven’t seen anything like Manus,” said Ashutosh Shrivastava, a Bangalore-based developer who used it to build a website and a game, as reported by Bloomberg. However, its long-term success will depend on improvements in reliability and transparency.