After returning as an in-person event last year, Blizzard has announced that there will not be a BlizzCon in 2024. “This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it,” the company said in a post. “While we’re approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years.” Although BlizzCon won’t be happening, Blizzard will still be attending various industry trade shows and conventions this year, including Gamescom. It is also planning multiple in-person events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft.
Last October, Activision Blizzard King officially joined Microsoft after a lengthy acquisition process. While it’s unclear if the acquisition influenced the cancellation of BlizzCon 2024, it’s more likely that there isn’t an event because Blizzard has nothing major to debut. Both World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion will likely be released before the time BlizzCon would normally be held. This would leave Overwatch 2, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble to take center stage, which aren’t very exciting right now.
Here’s hoping BlizzCon returns to its full form one day. It was an event we all looked forward to, marking the one time each year we’d meet up in person.