Blizzard cancels annual BlizzCon events, and this is why

Blizzard has announced that next year’s BlizzCon event is canceled.

In spring of 2021, Blizzard initially stated that an online event, BlizzConline, would be coming in early 2022. This was a way for Blizzard to “connect with everyone again” due to the ongoing health risks of hosting an in-person BlizzCon. But now, Blizzard is canceling the annual event altogether.

“This was a tough decision for all of us to make, but it’s the right one,” Blizzard stated in a recent blog post.

According to Blizzard, planning a BlizzCon, even one that takes place online, requires the efforts of the entire company. But the Overwatch and World of Warcraft developer felt that creating this community event would take energy away from “supporting their teams” and “progressing the development of their games and experiences.”

Blizzard added that, while there won’t be a BlizzConline in February, the team will be announcing game updates around that time.

“We’re proud of our teams and the progress they’ve made across our games. We have a lot of exciting upcoming news and releases to share with you. You’ll continue hearing about those through our franchise channels, with the talented people on the BlizzCon team playing a part in supporting these efforts,” Blizzard said.

Blizzard then reflected on the past 16 years of BlizzCons, stating that the way communities have “come together” has changed over the years. The most important thing moving forward, the developer stated, is making any future events feel “safe, welcoming, and inclusive.”

Many of Blizzard’s followers felt that the decision to cancel BlizzConline was the right thing to do due to ongoing struggles around the globe and Blizzard’s recent gender discrimination lawsuits. While many felt that the company was “failing” by canceling the event, others wanted to see the money go towards the management of the company’s ongoing crises instead.

When is the next BlizzCon?

The Blizzard team had said they will miss all of their fans but that they will be “back together soon,” although no further updates were given on BlizzConline dates. Blizzard did mention that BlizzCon will be “playing a big role” in how the company communicates with players going forward, stating that the events will be revisited and revised in the future.