BlizzCon is cancelled again after last year's first in-person event since 2019
But may return "in future years".
Blizzard has revealed it won't be hosting its annual BlizzCon fan convention in 2024, but says the long-running event - first seen in 2005 - may return "in future years".
BlizzCon has, of course, had a bit of a bumpy ride in recent times, taking an extended hiatus as Blizzard navigated health and safety considerations stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and reckoned with disturbing allegations in a State of California lawsuit accusing it of being a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women". Blizzard skipped BlizzCon entirely in 2020, switched to a digital-only format in 2021, then scrapped a planned digital event in 2022, making last year's BlizzCon the first in-person event since 2019. As such, it's perhaps surprising to see the publisher step away from the event again so soon.
Blizzard announced the cancellation of this year's BlizzCon in a statement shared on its website, writing, "After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard have made the decision not to hold BlizzCon in 2024. This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it."
"While we're approaching this year differently," the publisher continued, "and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years."
While Blizzard offered no explanation for this year's cancellation, it did stress it'll still be active in 2024, with announcements for World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo 4's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, due "over the next few months". Additionally, it says it has some "exciting plans" for Gamescom and "other industry tradeshows", and will be holding "multiple, global, in-person events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft" - which is perhaps where it's decided to blow its events budget this year.
"Our hope," the publisher concluded, "is that these experiences – alongside several live-streamed industry events where we'll keep you up to date with what’s happening in our game universes – will capture the essence of what makes the Blizzard community so special."