What you need to know
- BlizzCon is a yearly event held by developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment, showing off new games and updates for existing titles with in-person gatherings.
- Blizzard Entertainment didn't hold an event in 2020 due to the global pandemic, and also has not held an event in 2022.
- Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra confirmed that the company plans to hold BlizzCon in 2023.
Blizzard Entertainment plans to bring back its in-person gaming event BlizzCon in 2023, president Mike Ybarra confirmed on Wednesday.
"We are committed to bringing back BlizzCon in 2023,” Ybarra told Los Angeles Times.
“We previously announced we’re taking a pause on BlizzCon while we reimagine it for the future but do want to return to a live event that enables us to celebrate the community,” Ybarra explained. ”We recently hired a new leader of BlizzCon, April McKee, who is hard at work on that plan."
Ybarra also explained that he's working to see Blizzard Entertainment deliver more games and updates for games. While the company recently shipped Diablo Immortal, Overwatch 2 is slated to arrive on Oct. 4, 2022, while Diablo 4 is scheduled to release at some point in the first half of 2023. Blizzard Entertainment also acquired Proletariat in order to expand the development resources being used on World of Warcraft.
While Blizzard Entertainment used to hold BlizzCon on an annual basis, this was disrupted by the pandemic which began in 2020. The company held a limited online event in 2021, but opted not to do the same thing in 2022, instead saying at the time that "Whatever the event looks like in the future, we also need to ensure that it feels as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible."
This comes as Blizzard Entertainment is embroiled in controversy, as parent company Activision Blizzard faced a lawsuit since July 2021, alleging that the organization allowed sexist workplace practices and abusive behavior to go unpunished.
It also comes as Activision Blizzard is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft for almost $69 billion. The deal is currently being investigated by regulatory authorities and is slated to finalize at some point before June 30, 2023.
