Back in April fans were warned that this year’s BlizzCon, which usually happens in November, might not be feasible due to COVID-19, but Blizzard didn’t go so far as to cancel the event. Unfortunately, while many places around the world are loosening COVID-19 restrictions as we head into summer, we still don’t know what might happen in later in the year, and due to that uncertainty BlizzCon 2020 is officially cancelled. Blizzard is hinting some sort of replacement digital event may happen in early 2021, but aren’t definitively promising anything. Here’s what BlizzCon executive producer Saralyn Smith had to say about the situation…

　　We’ve had many discussions about what holding a convention could look like in light of all the health and safety considerations we’d want to make. We’ve also talked about different paths we could take, and how each one could be complicated by fluctuations in national and local health guidelines in the months ahead. Ultimately, after considering our options, we’ve come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year. We’re feeling deeply disappointed about this decision, and imagine many of you will feel the same. I truly love BlizzCon, and I know that’s a sentiment shared by everyone at Blizzard. We will sorely miss connecting with so many of you at the convention and “recharging our geek batteries” this fall. But we will meet again!

　　We’re talking about how we might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you in some way online, far less impacted by the state of health and safety protocols for mass in-person gatherings. We’d want to do this as soon as we could, but given that this is new-ish territory and the different factors involved, it will most likely be sometime early next year.

　　BlizzCon has been the subject of some controversy in recent years. Blizzard faced a wave of backlash when they announced the mobile-exclusive Diablo Immortal in 2018, and while 2019 saw the announcement of Diablo IV and Overwatch 2, the event was overshadowed by the furor surrounding Blizzard’s banning of Hearthstone esports players for expressing support for Hong Kong pro-democracy protests. I have a feeling some folks at Blizzard may be a touch relieved they don’t have to do the show this year.

　　Will you miss BlizzCon this year? Or is it not the exciting event it once was?