Blizzard cancels BlizzCon 2022 to focus on existing projects

According to Blizzard Entertainment’s Tuesday announcement, BlizzCon 2022 was cancelled. It had been scheduled for February, in an electronic format called BlizzConline. There is no date for a rescheduling, but the developer intends to “reinvent” BlizzCon during this time.

In part, the statement says:

Each BlizzCon event requires everyone to put on. It is an all-company effort driven by the desire to give back to the community that we love so deeply. The energy required to stage a show of this nature is better directed to supporting our team and the development and expansion of our experiences and games.

Also, we want to take some time to think about what the BlizzCon event could look like in the future. The first BlizzCon was held 16 years ago, and so much has changed in the time since—most notably, the multiple ways in which players and communities can come together and feel like they are a part of something bigger. We need to make sure that the event feels safe and welcoming no matter what the future holds. We’re committed to continual communication with our players, and we see BlizzCon playing a big role in that going forward. We’re excited about what we’ll do with the event when we revisit it in the future.

While BlizzCon won’t be hosted in February, Blizzard make announcements for its games. Diablo4. Overwatch 2both are currently in development and no game has yet a release date. Blizzard maintains live services games such as World of Warcraft, and we’ll likely hear more about updates like Patch 9.2 in the current ShadowlandsExpand.

Activision Blizzard faces wide-ranging allegations that it maintains a toxic workplace environment that’s particularly hostile to women. California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) investigated the company for two years before filing the lawsuit, and found that women are paid less and subject to sexual harassment, without meaningful punishment applied to perpetrators. In the period since the lawsuit was filed in late July, the DFEH has expanded its complaint to include allegations that Activision Blizzard “suppressed” evidence in its investigation. That claim was denied by Activision Blizzard. Activision Blizzard currently faces multiple lawsuits and a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed one of their lawsuits. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was paid $18 million in settlement earlier this year.

In the three months that followed the original lawsuit, more than 40 Activision Blizzard workers were disciplined. Blizzard also fulfilled its promises to rename it. Overwatch character formerly known as McCree: He’s now Cole Cassidy.

The workers at the company continue to use social media to advocate for substantial changes. You can read more about the allegations against Activision Blizzard in Polygon’s explainer.

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