BlizzCon Will Return In Early 2021 as a Digital Event

BlizzCon is the latest video game industry event to receive an all-digital replacement. BlizzCon 2020 was cancelled back in May due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Activision Blizzard has officially announced a return of sorts for the event. Rumors of a digital version of the event have been circulating for some time now, but the news was officially announced in an Activision Blizzard earnings call by Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack. At this time, details surrounding the digital event are limited, but it seems likely that more information will be revealed later in the year, or in early 2021.

"We are planning on channeling the spirit of BlizzCon into a virtual event in the early part of next year," said Brack. "We're really fortunate to have a passionate and engaged community that's really looking forward to what we're creating and what we're working on. And we're looking forward to sharing what the teams have been working on for that event."

While events like E3 were cancelled altogether this year, BlizzCon is one of a number of industry events to switch to an all-digital format. One such example is GDC Summer. That event actually kicked-off this week, following the cancellation of the in-person event earlier in the year. The transition to digital events has been a learning process for most of the companies holding them, but Activision Blizzard should have an easier time than most. BlizzCon has traditionally offered virtual tickets for purchase, allowing access to streamed events, full coverage of the festivities, and even exclusive digital content for games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and more. Those that have digitally attended previous BlizzCons likely won't notice much of a change!

It will be interesting to see what Blizzard has to show-off at the digital event. The video game industry has clearly been struggling to adapt to the current pandemic, with most developers shifting to working-from-home. The transition has been easier for some companies than others, but it's clearly been a learning process for everyone involved. As such, it's hard to say what Activision Blizzard might have to showcase during that timeframe, but for those looking forward to BlizzCon, this certainly sounds like the next best thing!

Were you hoping to attend BlizzCon 2020? Are you happy about the digital version of the event? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!