What are your BlizzCon rituals?

BlizzCon 2023 starts today! Since I’m not going to be attending in person like some lucky people, I will be partaking in the festivities from home. But just because I’m not going to be on-site doesn’t mean I’m going to treat it like a normal weekend — I have panels I need to watch (even if I’m disappointed some are absent this year) so I have to be prepared to handle the roughly 15 hours my eyes will be glued to the screen. Fortunately those are spread out over two days, and despite being on the opposite coast from the convention, it won’t impact my sleep schedule.

One of the advantages of being home for BlizzCon is that my food and hydration routines will be unchanged. I’ll still drink roughly a gallon water every hour and run downstairs to grab food when I get hungry — we do have a ton of leftover Halloween candy so I may bring some of it up for quick sugar hits during the show. Lack of exercise or even basic moving around is a concern, but since the panels don’t start until the afternoon I have the mornings to stretch my legs; while you’re reading this I’ll likely be already at the North Carolina Zoo where I’ll easily hit my step goal.

Of course, staying alive and healthy is boring — but it’s the best way to enjoy BlizzCon. It’s going to be a solo effort at Casa de Kalcheus, although I may grab my Overwatch 2-playing son for today’s Deep Dive (he’ll miss the Opening Ceremony at school) so he can translate everything they’re saying into words I understand. While I’ll have the panels on one screen, I’ll be reacting in The Queue and on the Blizzard Watch Discord because I find it fun to chat with people as all the new stuff is revealed. I won’t be watching via streamers — despite the many that options during the convention to do so — because it’s hard enough for me to hear what’s being said on stage in the first place; someone talking alongside them is going to make me miss a lot.

But that’s me. How do you plan to enjoy BlizzCon? Are you going to be watching the panels via streamers, or sticking to the official channel? Do you have any special food or drinks you stockpile for the event, or do you just wing it? And where do you like to comment while watching — Discord, in-game, or somewhere else?