BLP File

What are BLP files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BLP file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BLP files.

What is a BLP file?

A .BLP file is a Blizzard Picture file.

Blizzard Picture files store texture images used by Blizzard Entertainment's games such as Warcraft III and World of Warcraft. They contain one image plus optional reduced-resolution versions (mipmaps) and are optimized for fast rendering by game engines. The format supports several ways of encoding image data - such as palette-based, uncompressed color (e.g. BGRA), JPEG, and DXT-based compression - and handles transparency with variable alpha depth. Texture dimensions must be powers of two, though width and height need not match.

These texture files are created by Blizzard's content pipeline when the game art - images used in terrain, UI, models, decals, etc. - is prepared for use in the game. When played, the engine reads the file, decodes the image according to the specified compression and alpha settings, and uses the mipmaps to render at different distances or sizes. Because of its game-specific design, BLP files often do not convert cleanly using ordinary image tools without special support.

Internally, the file begins with a fixed-size header whose first four bytes are a magic identifier: "BLP1" or "BLP2". The header fields include content type (JPEG or direct), encoding method (such as palette or DXT), alpha bits, whether mipmaps are present, width and height, followed by tables of offsets and lengths for up to 16 mipmap levels. If using direct/palette encoding there is a palette stored (256 entries).

How to open BLP files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BLP file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BLP file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested eight different BLP openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of BLP files. Remember, different programs may use BLP files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about BLP file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.