Between the increasing number of fully-vaccinated Americans and BlizzCon's tendency to take place in the latter half of the year, gamers expected Blizzard's flagship event to make its in-person comeback this November. Sadly, that is not the case.
In-Person BlizzCon Cancelled for the Second Year in a Row
Saralyn Smith, the Executive Producer of BlizzCon, has posted to the convention's official website stating that there will not be a physical BlizzCon event this year.
She writes that building an in-person BlizzCon is "an epic and complex affair"—not only for Blizzard, but for all the people and companies that it partners with as well.
The ongoing complexities and uncertainties of the pandemic have impacted our ability to properly move forward on many of these fronts, and ultimately we’re now past the point where we’d be able to develop the kind of event we’d want to create for you in November.
It's not all bad news, though. Smith also notes that another global event is currently being planned for 2022.
Last February, BlizzCon went virtual-only for the first time with "BlizzConline," and the 2022 event looks to be very similar to that, but with additional "smaller in-person gatherings." More details will be revealed at a later date.
What Is BlizzCon?
BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention hosted by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its biggest franchises. Every in-person edition of BlizzCon that's taken place so far has been held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California (Blizzard's headquarters is nearby in the same area).
Sometimes, in addition to Blizzard's game-related announcements, game previews/demos, Q&A panels, and costume contests, there will also be a musical performance. The event's closing night has featured the likes of the Foo Fighters, Tenacious D, and Blink-182.
BlizzCon is not to be confused with Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, which was a separate but similar event held in countries outside the US from 2004 to 2008.
What Is Blizzard Entertainment?
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher best known for massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. Its other popular and widely-successful franchises include Diablo, Starcraft, and Overwatch.
Yet Another Convention Affected the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizers to alter gaming events to forgo in-person attendance, or otherwise be cancelled entirely. E3 2021 is entirely virtual, as is this year's EA Play, Electronic Arts' equivalent to Blizzard's BlizzCon.
Hopefully, this trend won't keep up for much longer. According to Our World in Data, almost 40 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated. Things are slowly returning to the "old normal" once more; we just have to be a little more patient.