Blizzard has recently announced the cancellation of its annual fan convention, BlizzCon, for the year 2024. The decision was made after careful consideration, with the company opting to hold smaller events throughout the year instead. Additionally, Blizzard plans to participate in other trade shows, such as Gamescom. The cancellation of BlizzCon 2024 comes amidst the video game industry facing challenges, including layoffs and financial struggles.
Despite the cancellation of this year’s event, Blizzard assures fans that BlizzCon will return in the future. The company has mentioned that it is planning multiple global, in-person events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of World of Warcraft. Updates for WoW’s 10th expansion, The War Within, and Diablo IV’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, are also expected to be shared at these events. Blizzard remains enthusiastic about bringing back BlizzCon in future years, albeit with potentially different event formats.
The decision to cancel BlizzCon 2024 follows the demise of another significant video game event, E3, which also did not take place last year. The industry as a whole has been dealing with challenges, with numerous layoffs and financial difficulties affecting companies. For example, Microsoft recently laid off 1,900 employees across Activision Blizzard and Xbox, marking one of the largest single video game industry layoff events of the past two years.
BlizzCon has traditionally been a major event for Blizzard and its fans to come together, celebrate the company’s games, and hear about upcoming releases. The decision to cancel the event this year may disappoint many supporters who look forward to attending BlizzCon annually. However, Blizzard’s commitment to holding other events throughout the year and participating in trade shows like Gamescom shows that the company is still eager to engage with its audience and share exciting updates about its games.
As the video game industry continues to evolve and face challenges, companies like Blizzard are exploring different ways to engage with their audience and share news about their upcoming releases. While the cancellation of BlizzCon 2024 may be disappointing for some fans, the promise of future events and updates for popular games like World of Warcraft and Diablo IV provide a glimmer of excitement for the community. Ultimately, Blizzard’s decision to take a different approach this year may signal a shift in how the company interacts with its audience and showcases its games in the future.