In 2024, there will be no BlizzCon. The cancellation makes a lot of sense, as Blizzard is likely simply “empty” at the moment.
Yesterday, Blizzard announced that there will be no BlizzCon in 2024. The large exhibition is important not only to the community but also to the developers, who always proudly present their work and plans there and come into direct contact with fans.
Even though many somewhat sarcastically say that Microsoft and Blizzard have laid off too many people to hold a BlizzCon anymore, the truth is likely much simpler:
They simply have nothing significant to present.
Because when you look at the release schedule for Blizzard, it looks like this:
- World of Warcraft: The War Within is set to be released in late summer, presumably sometime between August and September, assuming there are no major delays.
- A little smaller is the “re-release” of Cataclysm Classic and various game modes like WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria.
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is set to release “late in 2024” – so presumably sometime between October and December.
At least these are the two major releases still upcoming this year.
Additionally, Blizzard is currently undergoing quite a restructuring. After all, just a few months ago, the large survival game, into which years of development had been invested, was completely canceled.
The blunt, simple truth is likely: They simply have no major things to announce.
For a new Hearthstone expansion, a preview of a major content patch for WoW, a new hero in Overwatch 2, and two new minis in Warcraft Rumble, a BlizzCon would simply not be worth it.
Otherwise, everything already looks like the disaster of past years, which produced no major announcements and instead only very negative memes like “Don’t you guys have phones?”.
This is likely particularly disappointing for Warcraft fans. After all, Warcraft celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, World of Warcraft its 20th anniversary, and its 10th expansion. Although there are various events around the world for this, something is indeed missing without BlizzCon.
To be honest, I also prefer that BlizzCon doesn’t take place every year. In the past, it sometimes seemed as if they were just “forcing” some kind of show together. The corresponding reaction was often that the big hits were missing and that BlizzCon wouldn’t have really been “worth it”.
Accordingly, it only makes sense to hold BlizzCon only when there is really at least one major announcement.
Of course, it’s a shame when an event that has come to be expected as “annual” no longer takes place regularly. But this is a good thing for the sensationalist fans and the developers when there is simply nothing big to reveal.
After all: BlizzCon will return. But only when there is really something to unveil.
But hey, this year there will probably be more time for me to deal with absurd dating games with old gods…
