Presenting the BlizzCon® 2026 Community Night host and contest judges!

BlizzCon 2026 is just a few months away! While artists, designers, performers, and creators around the world are hard at work preparing for Community Night, we're excited to announce our host for this very special event as well as the expert judges who'll select the winners of each contest.

A Legend Returns

One of our favorite hosts to ever take the BlizzCon Main Stage, we're thrilled to have Darin De Paul returning as this year's master of ceremonies! As the beloved English voice actor of Reinhardt in Overwatch^®, N'Zoth in World of Warcraft^®, and so many other memorable roles, Darin is a powerful force across the Blizzard universe. We can't wait to welcome him back to lead Community Night once more.

Honoring the Craft

Community Night celebrates incredible creativity, passion, and dedication from artists within our communities. Our judging panels are made up of fellow makers and gamers who share a deep love of Blizzard's universes and respect for the craftsmanship behind each creation.

This year's Cosplay Contest judges are masters of design and showmanship hailing from around the globe:

• Tiffany Gordon Cosplay - Winner of BlizzCon 2023 Community Night's Best in Show Cosplay for her cosplay of Lilith, Tiffany Gordon Cosplay fabricates costumes and props out of leather, foam, fabric, and more, and teaches others how to create their own cosplays from scratch.
• SameerTikkaMasala - A pioneering cosplayer from India, SameerTikkaMasala has won over 40 cosplay awards and judged some of the biggest cosplay competitions around the world. Since 2016, he has worked in the film and television industry, using his extensive cosplay knowledge and craftsmanship to design and build costumes, props, and sets.
• Kamui Cosplay - As some of the world's most successful cosplayers, crafting, and gaming influencers, Kamui Cosplay are known for their elaborate costumes and DIY content on social media.
• Cinderys - Professional cosplayer and concept/3D artist, Cinderys won BlizzCon 2019's Community Night Grand Prize and Outstanding Creation awards for her cosplay of Prime Evil Leah. She shares her passion and crafting skills through social media, at conventions, and on Twitch streams.
• Cestlasara - Specializing in the sewn aspect of armor crafting, Cestlasara has been cosplaying since 2002. She was a Community Night finalist in both 2018 and 2019 before joining Blizzard Entertainment as an IT Support Engineer. She also represents Blizzard as a BlizzCon Ambassador at this year's show.

As in years past, our other contests will be judged by some of our very own experts: members of Blizzard Entertainment who are leaders, aficionados, and specialists in each field. The Art Contest will be judged by art and creative directors from across Blizzard and our game teams. Key members of Blizzard's Story and Franchise Development team, who create our cinematics and gameplay trailers, will judge the Short Film Contest. Judging the Talent Contest are some of Blizzard's talented performers representing a variety of skills.

Last Call for Entries

The clock is ticking with just over a week left to submit your entries for the Community Night contests. Enter through our official submission form by May 15. See official rules, also located on our Community Night page, for details on each contest.

Join us in person for BlizzCon 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center. While all BlizzCon Passes have been claimed, you can still make it to the show! The public resale market is now open on Tixr. If you can't make it to the show, attend virtually by watching the official BlizzCon livestream.

We can't wait to see you there and to celebrate these talented artists!