In a move that few saw coming (especially after the past few days/years), Blizzard Entertainment has announced that BlizzCon 2023 will return as an in-person event in November.
According to an announcement published on Blizzard’s website, BlizzCon will be returning to the Anaheim Convention Center in Los Angeles on November 3-4, 2023.
#BlizzCon comes to Anaheim November 3-4, 2023
Details: https://t.co/IqzdybQCRy pic.twitter.com/WEwwRshytL
— Blizzard Entertainment (@Blizzard_Ent) May 17, 2023
It seems the developer has weighty plans for the return of their long-running convention. BlizzCon has existed since 2005 as a vehicle for promoting its major franchises, including Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. The announcement reads:
Our players are at the heart of what makes BlizzCon great–a place where games are the common ground for connection and friendship. Whether you’re coming to hang out with friends you only ever get to see online, celebrating epic moments in the games we love, exploring what’s on offer in the convention center halls, or eager to learn what’s next for our universes, BlizzCon is being created for you. It’s the community that has always made this event so special, and we can’t wait to see you all again.
This is the first time that BlizzCon has occurred as an in-person event since 2019. 2020’s event was cancelled due to COVID. Ongoing pandemic conditions in 2021 saw the show become a digital event. 2022’s event was cancelled, with Blizzard saying it planned a “reimagining” of future shows.
Yes, it was the show that was the problem, and not literally everything that happened with Activision Blizzard in 2021/22.
The developer is yet to announce any other details such as ticketing info and cosplay events, but has confirmed that dedicated hotel blocks are now available for those seeking accommodation. The event will have an online component for those who can’t make it.
The response to the news has been mixed, with people from all sides of Blizzard’s franchise communities having something to say. In completely unsurprising moves, you’ve got a whole lot of people dunking on them for announcing a community event a day after the semi-cancellation of Overwatch 2‘s PvE features, features it used to justify the production of a sequel.
Honestly, I think it’s kinda funny for Blizzard to announce BlizzCon 2023 a day after the Overwatch 2 news. It almost feels like they were trying to distract people and push it into the past, but they fail to realise that gamers are notoriously bitter when it comes to games being released half-finished, and then not even really finished at all in the end.
What do you think? Are you going to trek to Anaheim for BlizzCon 2023? Do you ever get nervous? Let us know in the comments.
Leave a Reply