BlizzConline Postponed As Blizzard Looks To 'Reimagine' The Event

Blizzard canceled this year’s BlizzCon earlier this twelvemonth owed to COVID-related reasons. The program was to reconvene successful aboriginal 2022 arsenic an online-only event, dubbed BlizzConline, but the institution has besides decided to postpone that event. 

In a missive to fans (which you tin work here), Blizzard explains it would alternatively give its resources to moving connected its existent slate of projects, which we cognize includes Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV. 

“At this time, we consciousness the vigor it would instrumentality to enactment connected a amusement similar this is champion directed towards supporting our teams and progressing improvement of our games and experiences.” reads the letter. 

Blizzard is besides looking to germinate the lawsuit arsenic a full to find caller and/or amended ways of bringing its fans together. The institution besides says it wants to absorption connected making the lawsuit consciousness arsenic “safe, welcoming, and inclusive arsenic possible.” This peculiar committedness feels similar a effect to the recently resurfaced video from a World of Warcraft unrecorded Q&A from BlizzCon 2010. A pistillate subordinate asked the all-male sheet of developers if the game’s formed of women could deterioration little revealing clothing, to which she was openly mocked by the employees (which included the now-ousted president, J. Allen Brack).   

Blizzard ends the missive by reassuring fans that caller announcements for existent and upcoming games volition inactive occur. Just don’t needfully expect to perceive astir them during the timeframe BlizzConline would person happened.

As galore of america apt know, Activision Blizzard has spent the past fewer months battling aggregate authorities and national lawsuits implicit its abusive workplace culture, peculiarly its attraction of pistillate and marginalized employees. The institution precocious agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Blizzard besides revealed the caller sanction of Overwatch's McCree, a quality erstwhile named aft a now-ex worker cited as an abuser successful the lawsuits.