Activision Blizzard must take another hit. They will not be able to present any new games at the Game Awards 2021.
The negative news surrounding and for Activision Blizzard currently does not stop. One opportunity to showcase future games on a big stage is now slipping away from them. At the Game Awards, there will be no platform for Activision Blizzard – there is simply no space for companies where there is abuse and harassment.
What are the Game Awards? The Game Awards were created in 2014 by Geoff Keighley. He is always the host of the awards, but you might also know him from Gamescom, as he produces the program for “Opening Night Live”, where the biggest innovations are announced.
The Game Awards aim to honor the best game titles of the past year in numerous categories. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for many publishers and developers to reveal upcoming games and show first, exclusive images of the next top games.
This year, the Game Awards will take place on Friday, December 10th – from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM.
What has been said now? On Twitter, Geoff Keighley announced that Activision Blizzard will not have a major appearance at the Game Awards. Only in the nominations do games from Activision Blizzard appear, as Call of Duty (“Best Esports Game”) and Warzone (“Best Ongoing Game”) have been nominated.
On Twitter, Keighley explains:
The Game Awards are a time of celebration for this industry, the largest form of entertainment in this world.
There is no place for abuse or harassment in any company or community.
Geoff Keighley on Twitter
He further explains in a follow-up tweet:
I am also aware that we have a large platform that can inspire and accelerate change. We are committed to this, but we must all work together to create a better and more inclusive working environment where everyone feels comfortable and can build the best games in the world.
Geoff Keighley on Twitter
Those who were looking forward to major announcements from Activision Blizzard will likely not experience them at least at the Game Awards. Since Blizzard just recently also canceled BlizzConline 2022, not much was to be expected from that direction anyway.
What significance does this have? That a large developer like Activision Blizzard does not appear at all outside of the nominations and possible wins in the categories is relatively rare. After all, the Game Awards are not only used to honor past titles but also to provide a glimpse into the future. Trailers or short comments from developers about upcoming projects are meant to hype fans and players a bit – not to mention that it represents quite solid advertising for their own projects.
The fact that the Game Awards do not want to provide a large platform for Activision Blizzard is another, quite open sign of rejection and fits into many criticisms. Already the heads of PlayStation and Xbox have expressed criticism of Activision Blizzard and especially Bobby Kotick.
