Blizzard Entertainment revealed it’s canceled this year’s BlizzCon, where it typically shows off big reveals for its current and future games.
The axing was made after “careful consideration,” and was one the studio says it didn’t make lightly. It marks the fifth cancellation following the ones in 2022 (due to the studio’s workplace harassment allegations), 2020 (COVID), 2012, and 2006.
In the showcase’s absence, Blizzard says it’ll reveal more information on its games at events like Gamescom. It also plans to have several in-person events around the world specifically to commemorate the Warcraft series, which turns 30 years old.
Blizzard hopes those appearances will “carry the same spirit of celebration and togetherness.”
“Our hope 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,” wrote Blizzard.
How BlizzCon fits into Blizzard’s current woes
The last few years have been up and down for Blizzard, both in general and to specific games. Overwatch 2, for example, has been hit hard by shifting priorities and rocky team morale.
Conversely, Diablo IV and World of Warcraft have been doing fairly well: the former has an expansion, Vessel of Hatred, presently set to launch later this year. It’s also now on Xbox Game Pass, which was a pre-launch point of discussion.
As for WoW, it’s also getting a new expansion later this year in The War Within. That’s set to kick-off a trilogy Blizzard hopes to release annually, or at least without massive gaps between them.
Without the singular space to show off all three games (and have other announcements), Blizzard will be fighting for attention in at least three different ways. That can be a tricky situation: each game could get its own moment in the spotlight, but it’s also a chance for the studio’s brand to become diluted.