BlizzCon 2010 rolls in October 22-23

With Starcraft II, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and Diablo III, Blizzard's had a lot to talk about for the past couple of years. Much of that work culminates soon, as the Irvine, California-based shop gears up to release two games in a single year: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Barring any delays, sandwiched in between those two releases should be BlizzCon 2010, which Blizzard officially announced today.

This year's event will return to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from October 22-23. Blizzard expects to release additional information on ticket sales and pricing closer to the show. However, that's information fans of the studio will want to keep an eye out for, as Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime noted as part of his keynote address last year that BlizzCon 2009 sold out in less than 60 seconds.

As in years past, BlizzCon will feature a variety of activities catering to the tastes of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo fans. Those in attendance will be able to play prerelease builds of Blizzard's upcoming games, presumably World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and Diablo III. The show will also include a variety of panels form Blizzard developers, casual and competitive tournaments, contests, a silent auction, and a merchandise store.

Some 20,000 tickets were sold at $125 a pop to BlizzCon 2009, though Blizzard has said that the event remains unprofitable. Highlights included the announcement of WOW's third expansion, Cataclysm, as well as a live performance by metal maestro Ozzy Osbourne, whom GameSpot spoke with after the show.

Blizzard plans to announce additional details for the event through the BlizzCon 2010 official Web site.