BlizzCon 2020's Status is Up in the Air

At this point, gamers shouldn't be too surprised to hear about gaming conventions getting [...]

By Marc Deschamps

At this point, gamers shouldn't be too surprised to hear about gaming conventions getting postponed, or cancelled. Over the past few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has led to a plethora of cancellations, including E3, GDC, and more. However, those events were scheduled for the first half of the year; BlizzCon 2020 is currently set for November. Today, Blizzard Entertainment released a blog post stating that the convention is still tentatively set for this year, but its status could very well change in the coming months. According to Blizzard, the publisher is looking into multiple options, which could mean that a remote version of the show might happen if the convention cannot be held in its current form.

Blizzard's blog post is refreshingly open, on the matter. The post acknowledges that conventions aren't the most important thing on anyone's mind at the moment, but numerous fans have asked for an update regarding the show. Considering the fact that most people tend to plan convention trips weeks or months in advance, it does make sense, but it's simply impossible to know what the status of the coronavirus pandemic will be in November. Conventions like BlizzCon require months of planning, and that's simply impossible to do while people around the world are practicing social distancing. While gaming events such as EVO 2020 and GDC Summer are currently slated for July and August respectively, it seems entirely within reason that these events could be postponed or cancelled, as well.

The news will certainly be disheartening for fans looking forward to the show, but the reality is that Blizzard Entertainment is in a difficult position. According to the blog post, the company will evaluate the status of BlizzCon in the coming months, before making any sort of final decision.

It will be interesting to see if Blizzard decides to hold BlizzCon in a digital format. It remains to be seen what level of interest fans might have in this sort of thing, though publishers are increasingly looking to these remote broadcasts as a way of staying connected with fans through the pandemic.

Were you hoping to attend BlizzCon 2020? Do you think Blizzard will end up holding the convention? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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