BlizzCon 2026: Entertainment Icon Khleo Thomas Discusses Video Game Nostalgia, AI, and more.

• Khleo Thomas, known for his role in the film “Holes,” discussed video game trends and his varied entertainment career at BlizzCon 2026.
• Thomas expressed excitement for upcoming video game releases, including a remake of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” and new entries in the “Diablo” and “Overwatch” franchises.
• The actor and content creator shared his thoughts on the impact of AI in the entertainment industry and encouraged independent artists to continue pursuing their creative endeavors.

BlizzCon is one of the largest entertainment conventions in the world, and this year, it was attended by some megastars, including Khleo Thomas, who rose to early fame portraying “Zero” in the classic 2003 film, Holes.

At BlizzCon 2026, Men’s Journal caught up with Thomas, who spoke about recent video game trends, his path to stardom, advice for aspiring audiences, and his thoughts on AI in the entertainment industry.

MJ: We’re here at BlizzCon 2026! So, tell me, what are you looking forward to most for video games for the rest of 2026?

Thomas: Oh man, we got GTA. Everyone is hyped about GTA 6. But for me, the sleeper was Nintendo dropping The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. What? And dropping it in November of all places? You know, that’s the month everyone was trying to avoid, but that’s kind of nuts. Ocarina of Time was a top-ten game of all time for me growing up, so I cannot wait for that.

MJ: You’ve had an extremely varied career, from music to acting to video game content creation. What set you on this path, and what makes you want to keep trying all of these different lanes of entertainment?

Thomas: I am very grateful to be in this generation of entertainment. When I told my mom I wanted to be an actor when I was five, that was the original goal: just to act. I achieved that very early in life. I got Holes at 13. That’s a film from 20-plus years ago, and it’s often still required reading in schools, so kids get to read the book and then see the movie right afterwards, so I think it’s maintained its cultural relevance because of that.

Thomas:To have that role on my resume is like a cheat code in life. I’m very grateful for that. I’m grateful because I get to do so many things. Back then, if you couldn’t book your next gig as an actor, you were just waiting on the sidelines. Now, I get to do stuff like gaming and content creation in addition to those things. I’ve always loved gaming. I’ve always loved music. I’m a huge collector. There’s stuff going on in the world I want to talk about, and I get to turn on my phone and go to work every day.

MJ: The video game industry has experienced a lot of controversy lately. A lot of layoffs, and the anxiety surrounding AI. What is your advice to artists who may shy away from this industry because of those things?

Thomas: I think the business, overall, has shifted. There has been downsizing, no doubt about that, but I also believe there is always work for independent artists and creators. Period. I think it is on us, as consumers, to support creative artists. We have to stand our ground and show that love is still there, even if there isn’t any regulation for AI usage in creative industries.

MJ: Speaking of AI, what are your general thoughts on it as a tool and how it’s blended into our culture?

Thomas: Listen, I think The Terminator and The Matrix were prequels. They told us what was coming, and we have not played nice.

MJ: What was your favorite announcement from BlizzCon?

Thomas: Oh gosh, Diablo 5 is on the way. The Diablo animated series. Another huge one for me was Doctrine coming to Overwatch. Love that design. I grew up a hugeBlade fan. I mean, we just had Sinners. Also, World of Warcraft: Forever. I was sitting next to a guy who said that this was his first BlizzCon, and he said he preferredWoW in vanilla. Now, he gets to go back and go on new adventures. He said he has 11 grandkids, and that moment–the WoW: Forever announcement–topped everything. I was like, don’t let your kids hear that! But that’s how passionate he was.

MJ: Talk to me about Overwatch. You’re a player. Who are you excited to play for in Season 5?

Thomas: I’m a Winston guy. It was my little sister, actually, who got me on Winston. I wanna be the guy running and gunning. People don’t wanna touch tank sometimes, but I love it.

MJ: What do you think about 5v5 versus 6v6 in Overwatch? What do you prefer?

Thomas: What is the norm? What do people like? I’m always willing to play tank. If you’re finding fun people to play with, then I’m fine with either one, as long as I get to play with my team. I haven’t found a way to differentiate the strats for both sides yet.

MJ: We had massive announcements about WoW here. Do you have any interest in playing it and in playing it with your community?

Thomas: Yes, definitely, I do want to give it a shot. I remember my friend having WoW, and he would play it when I would come over. Now, seeing Forever, I want to play it. I’m a variety streamer. I’ve even gone back to rewatches of shows from when I was a kid, like Legends of the Hidden Temple and GUTS. I do all kinds of crazy stuff on stream. So now, I get to jump into a game with a community, with my community too, and they get to coach me through it, and I get to share those experiences with them.

Thomas:I mean, we got a StarCraftannouncement too. It’s been forever since the last mainline StarCraftgame, and it feels like they are doing the same thing they did with Diablo 2.

MJ: Speaking of time, we’re seeing a recent trend in the industry bringing back classic franchises with remakes and remasters in addition to new entries, so we’re getting new games as well as classic games to scratch that nostalgia itch. What do you think about nostalgia in games and does it work, in your opinion, for these franchises?

Thomas: I do, definitely. You know, you gotta introduce these characters and stories to a new generation, but on their terms as well. We grew up with Zelda, Mega Man, and Mario; we’ve had really great stories and characters growing up. There’s been great new ones too, like Kratos in the recent Sony Santa Monica games. I would love to see more nostalgia stuff come back, like Crash or Spyro or Jak and Daxter.

This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Sep 13, 2026, where it first appeared in theEntertainmentsection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred