Blizzard Leisure has canceled this yr’s fan conference BlizzCon, which was anticipated to be held in Anaheim, California in November. The corporate, which is now owned by Microsoft, introduced the cancelation on Thursday, however promised to convey the occasion again “in future years.”
“After cautious consideration over the past yr, we at Blizzard have made the choice to not maintain BlizzCon in 2024,” Blizzard posted to its web site. “This resolution was not made calmly as BlizzCon stays a really particular occasion for all of us, and we all know a lot of you stay up for it. Whereas we’re approaching this yr in a different way and as now we have explored totally different occasion codecs up to now, relaxation assured that we’re simply as excited as ever to convey BlizzCon again in future years.”
As an alternative, Blizzard expects to announce particulars about its upcoming slate of video games — like World of Warcraft: The Struggle Inside and Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred enlargement — later this yr, by itself and at “different business commerce reveals” like Gamescom, which is scheduled for Aug. 21 to Aug. 24 in Cologne, Germany. Overwatch 2 esports are nonetheless on the schedule for Dreamhack Dallas and Dreamhack Stockholm, Blizzard wrote, whereas in-person World of Warcraft occasions can be hosted for the sport’s thirtieth anniversary. “Whereas these occasions are distinct from BlizzCon, we’re harnessing all of our creativity and creativeness to make sure that they carry the identical spirit of celebration and togetherness,” Blizzard stated.
This yr’s BlizzCon was anticipated to mark the second yr in a row that the occasion could be held in-person after it was canceled in 2020 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The present went digital in 2021, and was canceled once more in 2022. BlizzCon 2024 would even have been the primary occasion since Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard was finalized. That deal took 21 months to finish. Months later, Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees throughout its gaming divisions, which included heavy cuts to Activision Blizzard.
BlizzCon is often Blizzard’s huge, barn-burner occasion the place the corporate pronounces its largest video games and updates. Blizzard does have the aforementioned World of Warcraft and Diablo 4 expansions this yr, however there will not be a complete lot else after the developer’s untitled survival sport was canceled alongside the layoffs. The survival sport was introduced in 2022 as “an unlimited realm of risk, ready to be explored” — and the studio’s first new franchise since Overwatch in 2016. The sport was reportedly in growth for six years earlier than its cancelation, in accordance with Bloomberg. Overwatch 2’s deliberate story mode, Hero Missions, was additionally canceled final yr, with its Story Missions reportedly in jeopardy, too. That will depart little else to headline a present.
Blizzard followers are, understandably, upset concerning the occasion’s cancelation. Past new sport bulletins, BlizzCon has additionally been a uncommon place for gamers — a few of whom have performed on-line collectively for years — to satisfy and collect.
