Inside The 2017 Blizzcon Virtual Ticket In-Game Freebies And How To Claim Them

The BlizzCon 2017 Virtual Ticket let fans watch the show live, in high definition, and delivered a slate of in-game items across Blizzard’s portfolio: Overwatch, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, Diablo III, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft. Alongside the digital access, the included freebies were designed to commemorate the event and reward the community. The Virtual Ticket was priced at $39.99 and went on sale September 12, 2017, with BlizzCon itself scheduled for November 3–4, 2017. Winners of promotional giveaways were contacted via email after entries closed on October 29, 2017 at 12:00PM PT; a GameSpot giveaway specifically noted worldwide eligibility. Those who already owned certain content, such as StarCraft II’s Wings of Liberty campaign, received free upgrades like Heart of the Swarm, an incentive also rolled out at the time.

The in-game rewards varied by title and followed staggered release timing: some items were available at Virtual Ticket purchase or shortly thereafter, while others were slated for “coming soon” or announced later. Official communications from Blizzard were the primary source for exact inclusions, release cadence, and claim instructions, while secondary outlets corroborated timing and Virtual Ticket availability.

Event Overview and Access

BlizzCon 2017 took place November 3–4, 2017, at the Anaheim Convention Center, with attendance exceeding 35,000. The show was streamed live to Virtual Ticket holders in high definition, offering coverage of panels, contests, interviews, and the closing ceremony across both days. The Virtual Ticket provided the digital access experience from home for those not attending in person.

The Virtual Ticket was sold through Battle.net for $39.99 and was available starting September 12, 2017. Virtual Ticket holders also received early access to BlizzCon 2017 merchandise through the Blizzard Gear Store; the merch window opened on October 17, 2017, with everyone else able to purchase starting the same date.

Included In-Game Freebies by Game

Blizzard detailed the in-game rewards accompanying a Virtual Ticket purchase. The list spanned multiple titles and tied directly to the Virtual Ticket for 2017:

• Overwatch: BlizzCon 2017 Winston Skin. Available at the time of purchase.
• World of Warcraft: Stormwind Skychaser (Alliance) and Orgrimmar Interceptor (Horde) mounts. Available at the time of purchase.
• StarCraft II: Junker SCV, Probe, and Drone skins. Available at the time of purchase.
• Heroes of the Storm: Nexus Razorback mount; BlizzCon 2017 Banner; BlizzCon 2017 Portrait; Cartoon Nexus Razorback Spray. Marked as “coming soon” at the time of announcement.
• Diablo III: Murkromancer Pet. Announced as “coming soon.”
• Hearthstone: A “Mystery Goodie” was noted as “coming soon” and revealed after the event.

Secondary sources mirrored these inclusions, confirming that Overwatch and StarCraft II items went live immediately, while Heroes of the Storm, Diablo III, and Hearthstone items followed later or were announced post-BlizzCon.

How to Claim Your Freebies

Blizzard’s official communications explained how Virtual Ticket holders receive the freebies. Once a Virtual Ticket is purchased, items should become available for owners of the relevant games. Claiming typically takes place in the in-game stores or collections:

• World of Warcraft: In-game mounts for the Stormwind Skychaser and Orgrimmar Interceptor became available to owners after the Virtual Ticket was purchased.
• Overwatch: The BlizzCon 2017 Winston skin appeared as available content associated with the Virtual Ticket.
• StarCraft II: The Junker SCV, Probe, and Drone skins were part of the collection tied to Virtual Ticket ownership.
• Heroes of the Storm: The Nexus Razorback mount and other BlizzCon 2017 items (banner, portrait, and spray) were scheduled for availability later; owners typically obtained them via the in-game shop or collections.
• Diablo III: The Murkromancer Pet was slated for later availability; owners usually collect such items via the in-game store or collections.
• Hearthstone: The “Mystery Goodie” was revealed after the event and typically provided to Virtual Ticket owners via an in-game grant.

In general, holding the Virtual Ticket activated eligibility, and items appeared in the relevant Blizzard game client or through in-game stores linked to Battle.net accounts. Owners needed to be logged into the correct account and sometimes claim directly from in-game shop menus. The exact in-game navigation could differ by title, but the principle of entitlement tied to Virtual Ticket ownership was consistent.

Timelines and Availability Windows

The rewards rolled out in phases:

• Virtual Ticket launch: September 12, 2017, with early merch access beginning October 17, 2017.
• In-game items: Overwatch (Winston skin) and StarCraft II (three skins) were live at the time of Virtual Ticket availability; World of Warcraft mounts were live as well.
• Heroes of the Storm (mount, banner, portrait, spray), Diablo III (pet), and Hearthstone (mystery item) were announced as “coming soon,” with Hearthstone’s reward revealed after BlizzCon.
• GameSpot giveaway: Entries closed October 29, 2017 at 12:00PM PT, with worldwide eligibility noted. Winners were contacted via email, and the update noted ten winners were emailed.

As a rule of thumb, early October saw more immediate content unlocks for some titles, while others followed with later announcements, matching the “live now” versus “coming soon” framing used by official and secondary communications.

Pricing, Eligibility, and Who Gets Freebies

The Virtual Ticket was sold at $39.99 and included the streaming access plus the in-game freebies. Eligibility for the freebies was linked directly to owning the Virtual Ticket; the associated items were granted to accounts with valid entitlements in the relevant games.

Promotional giveaways operated separately from the core Virtual Ticket offering. The GameSpot giveaway, which included ten Virtual Tickets with associated in-game items, noted worldwide entry eligibility and specific closing and contact timelines. This distinction mattered for readers evaluating ways to obtain access outside of direct purchase.

At the same time, other event-related products were distinct from Virtual Ticket freebies. The Goodie Bag, for example, was a paid item for $45 (with a lower price noted for Virtual Ticket holders) and included physical goods such as a backpack, badges, pins, and collectible vinyl. It was not part of the Virtual Ticket freebies and required separate purchase.

It is also worth noting that StarCraft II expanded its free-to-play offerings around BlizzCon 2017. Players who already owned Wings of Liberty were granted Heart of the Swarm free of charge, among other access changes. These moves were related to the game’s broader evolution but were separate from the Virtual Ticket freebies.

What’s Not Included with the Virtual Ticket Freebies

Only the listed in-game items were tied to the Virtual Ticket freebies. Some widely publicized extras were either separate purchases, applied only to in-person attendees, or were announced after the event:

• Hearthstone’s reward was explicitly described as a mystery at announcement time and revealed later; it did not ship immediately with Virtual Ticket purchase.
• Goodies such as the Goodie Bag and merch were paid products; they did not constitute part of the Virtual Ticket’s freebies.
• Additional post-event announcements, such as new content reveals, were not part of the freebies offered through the Virtual Ticket.

These distinctions help prevent confusion between event-wide news, paid merchandise, and the specific in-game items granted to Virtual Ticket holders.

Practical Guidance for Collectors

For fans seeking to build out their collections tied to BlizzCon 2017, the path was straightforward:

• Purchase the Virtual Ticket via Battle.net during the availability window.
• Ensure the relevant Blizzard titles are installed and logged into the account associated with the Virtual Ticket.
• Look for “available now” items soon after purchase; this included the Overwatch Winston skin, the StarCraft II skins, and the World of Warcraft faction mounts.
• For items marked “coming soon,” periodically check the in-game shop or collections around the BlizzCon dates and shortly thereafter. Heroes of the Storm items and the Diablo III pet were scheduled for later availability, and Hearthstone’s reward was confirmed after BlizzCon.

This approach ensured that entitlements were claimed promptly and reduced the risk of overlooking items that appeared post-event.

Summary of Key Data

The following table consolidates the essential, verified elements around the BlizzCon 2017 Virtual Ticket freebies.

Other verified dates and points include the Virtual Ticket price ($39.99), availability start (September 12, 2017), BlizzCon dates (November 3–4, 2017), merch early access (October 17, 2017), GameSpot giveaway end (October 29, 2017, 12:00PM PT), worldwide eligibility for the giveaway, and winners contacted via email. StarCraft II entitlements for owners of Wings of Liberty included Heart of the Swarm at no additional cost around the event period.

Sources

1. BlizzCon 2017 Virtual Ticket And In-Game Freebies Giveaway – GameSpot
2. These are the in-game rewards included with the 2017 BlizzCon virtual ticket – Shacknews
3. BlizzCon 2017 – Wowpedia
4. New BlizzCon 2017 in-game goodies announced and going live – Blizzard Watch
5. BlizzCon 2017 in-game bonus items incoming – Wowhead