Blizzard scraps plans for its online-only BlizzCon 2022 event

[Polycount]

In brief: Blizzard is making some changes to its event plans amidst a slew of sexual assault allegations and scrutiny from federal investigators. Instead of hosting an online-only "BlizzConline" convention next year, the company is scrapping the concept entirely so it can funnel its resources into what it feels matters most: developing games.

Blizzard says this decision was a difficult one but ultimately the right call for its business moving forward. It wants to take some time to "reimagine" what BlizzCon is and what it should be while using the resources it saves by not hosting the event to support its teams and "progress" development on its games and experiences.

Blizzard's announcement post is mostly corporate fluff, and it doesn't directly mention any of the controversies it has found itself embroiled in lately (probably for legal reasons). However, the company says it is committed to making future BlizzCon events as safe, welcoming, and "inclusive" as possible. In other words, no more "Cosby Suites," at least not any time soon.

This news might disappoint some of Blizzard's fans, and frankly, that includes me. It feels like ages since the last time we've had a proper large-scale BlizzCon event, and I'm really hoping this pause is only temporary and not the strategy Blizzard plans to employ in 2023 and beyond. It's always fun to see the excited (or angry) reactions of the crowd when new Blizzard games and content are revealed, even if those reactions are virtual.

Regardless, there is a silver lining here. Announcements for Blizzard's various franchises are still coming, they just won't happen at one centralized event. Instead, you'll see them spread throughout various "franchise channels," which probably means Blizzard's many social media profiles and game-specific blogs.

The BlizzCon team will help "support" those efforts, so they might be a bit spicier and eye-catching than usual. If there's one thing the BlizzCon folks are good at, it's creating a spectacle, for better or worse.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91947-blizzard-scraps-plans-online-only-blizzcon-2022-event.html

 

[Burty117]

I know soo many people who have quit WoW or completely uninstalled battle.net. Nothing is soo large it can't fail.

 

[Hexic]

I know soo many people who have quit WoW or completely uninstalled battle.net. Nothing is soo large it can't fail.

When you [Activision] disallow those who put their hearts into making some of the best games created [Blizzard North], you create a company that’s solely focused on profits, not listening to it’s player base, and one that’s lost focus on what’s important [current Activision/Blizz].

Sad sight to see, from what the old Blizz North OGs we’re doing 20 years ago.

 

[psycros]

No game company needs its own convention. Bring back the full-strength E3 and such.

 

[texasrattler]

I know soo many people who have quit WoW or completely uninstalled battle.net. Nothing is soo large it can't fail.

Well as nice as that all sounds. Unless the majority do something itll just be business as usual. Meaning new employees will be hired, hopefully a new culture also happens n battle.net isnt going anywhere unless Steam gets their games. Large companies, why they can fall/fail, it also takes a lot. Lot more than just a lawsuit that can be fixed by money n a good pr team. A good game can help people forget too. Sad but its true. Not enough ppl care about what goes on with game companies.

 

[Puiu]

There will be many scrapped plans in the future for them.

No game company needs its own convention. Bring back the full-strength E3 and such.

I don't know, to be fair the Eve Online conventions are truly special. Besides the official event hosted by CCP (Eve Fanfest), there are multiple yearly big events hosted by the players themselves all over the world where the devs participate (Eve Vegas, which happened recently, Evesterdam, Eve NT, Eve Down Under, etc).

I'll go to Fanfest in Reykjavík when the COVID situation allows them to host it again.

 

[Burty117]

Large companies, why they can fall/fail, it also takes a lot. Lot more than just a lawsuit...

Most people I know who gave up on Blizz was earlier in the year, nothing to do with the lawsuit.

Their games have just gotten bad, It's like no one there is actually developing games anymore. Just random woke stuff is added or removed from the existing games and that is legit all the updates any of their games have had this year.

 

[texasrattler]

Most people I know who gave up on Blizz was earlier in the year, nothing to do with the lawsuit.

Their games have just gotten bad, It's like no one there is actually developing games anymore. Just random woke stuff is added or removed from the existing games and that is legit all the updates any of their games have had this year.

Like I said it will take a lot for anything to matter. That hasn't happened. Maybe it will but I don't see much happening.
Games can always improve, we will have to see if more resources will turn out better games in the future for Blizz.

 

[Burty117]

Like I said it will take a lot for anything to matter. That hasn't happened.

Totally disagree, all the good devs have left and they're churning out nothing. Not even updates anymore and there's a good reason they don't display stats publicly anymore, the numbers for WoW are not what they used to be.

Games can always improve.

Again, they have only gotten worse over the last 8+ years and now we're not even seeing updates to their existing franchises.

we will have to see if more resources will turn out better games in the future for Blizz.

Yeah they could start actually developing games again. They could turn this all around. It's just deteriorated gradually over such a long period of time, it doesn't feel like they even want to recover at this point.