After a hiatus since 2019, Blizzard Entertainment has announced that an in-person version of BlizzCon will take place later this year. The revelation about the convention’s return came months after Blizzard confirmed its plans for an in-person BlizzCon in 2023 but without specific details.
In an end-of-year update, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra stated that BlizzCon would make a comeback as an in-person event. This announcement followed the release of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, the ninth expansion of Blizzard’s popular MMORPG. Given the company’s turbulent period marked by serious allegations regarding its toxic workplace culture, the return of BlizzCon is seen by many as a turning point for Blizzard.
According to a recent blog post by Blizzard, BlizzCon 2023 is scheduled to take place from Friday, November 3, to Saturday, November 4, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
While the keynote and select panels will be freely available to watch on Blizzard’s Twitch and YouTube channels, details about ticketing will be announced at a later date. The timing and location aligned with BlizzCon’s traditional schedule before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 edition. In response, Blizzard organized an online version of BlizzCon in 2021, which was well-received given the circumstances.
Following BlizzCon 2021, which featured the announcement of Diablo 2: Resurrected, the 2022 edition of BlizzCon was initially planned as a digital-only event. However, Blizzard canceled it amidst the emergence of the aforementioned allegations against the company. Facing lawsuits and negative publicity, Blizzard opted not to hold any conventions. Since then, there have been leadership changes within the company, and several employees have departed. Furthermore, Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard may also have an impact on this year’s BlizzCon, although the extent of this influence remains uncertain in light of recent setbacks faced by Microsoft in the UK.
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