Bottom line: Blizzard Entertainment has canceled the 2024 installment of BlizzCon, the annual gaming convention usually held near the end of the year in Anaheim, California. The company didn’t give a concrete reason as to why this year’s event is now off, simply noting that they decided against it after careful consideration over the last year. That said, officials look forward to bringing BlizzCon back in future years.
The decision could have something to do with the company now being under Microsoft’s umbrella. As such, we can probably expect to learn more about upcoming Blizzard projects like World of Warcraft: The War Within and the first Diablo IV expansion, Vessel of Hatred, during Microsoft’s annual Xbox showcase in June.
Blizzard also mentioned plans for other trade shows like Gamescom and additional in-person gathers, like upcoming Overwatch Champions Series’ stops at Dreamhack Dallas and Dreamhack Stockholm. There will even be multiple global, in-person events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft (the first game in the franchise, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, launched on November 15, 1994).
Blizzard said that while these other events will be distinct from BlizzCon, they are working to harness their creativity and imagination to ensure they carry the same spirit of togetherness and celebration.
In-person gaming and tech conventions have struggled in recent years, and BlizzCon is no exception. The gathering was canceled in 2020 due to Covid and was held as an online only event the following year. Blizzard also canceled the 2022 convention due to legal issues at the time. Things got back on track in 2023, but it was short lived.
E3 experienced similar pitfalls following the pandemic. Last December, however, organizers threw in the towel and canceled the event for good. Fortunately, others have stepped in so the loss shouldn’t be as stinging as it might otherwise have been.
Some also thought similar conferences like CES were in jeopardy, but organizers managed to host an abbreviated event in 2022 before returning in full force in 2023.