Blizzard just canceled BlizzConline 2022. Source: Blizzard Entertainment
An explosion of news reaches us this Tuesday night. As recently hit by negative headlines by developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment announced in a current release, BlizzConline 2022, which was first announced in May 2021, will not be taking place.
During the coronavirus pandemic, “BlizzConline” was Blizzard’s replacement event for the 16-year BlizzCon in-house exhibit. But even this won’t take place in February 2022 as initially planned, according to the studio’s message. It was decided to take a step back in planning and rethink what BlizzCon should look like in the future.
Each BlizzCon event also requires the full commitment of each and every employee. This energy, which would be necessary for a show like BlizzCon, or BlizzConline, would be best put into developing its own games and projects at this time. Blizzard has been plagued by several serious allegations and setbacks in the recent past. Topics such as gender inequality, discrimination and even sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault in the professional setting, emerged in rapid succession. The scandals and related lawsuits and lawsuits led to various personnel changes, resignations and layoffs for the former role model developer.
Many of these allegations were based on years of investigation by the State of California that ultimately resulted in a comprehensive lawsuit against the company. Former Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack left the company comparatively early in the job:
Breaking: Blizzard president J. Allen Brack leaves the company
Many more followed suit, willingly or unwillingly, in the days, weeks, and months that followed. As it came out of the inner circles of the development studio, work on several of the studio’s projects was idle for a long time. Employees were traumatized and at times unable to work fully. What the current state of content is like at Blizzard Entertainment, you can only guess.
A rejection with an ad?
In theory, with a pessimistic disposition, one could have expected, or at least guessed, a report like today’s. In Blizzard’s official statement, however, headlines and topics from the recent past are not directly mentioned as the reason for the event’s cancellation, which incidentally has never happened since the beginning of BlizzCon. Rather, it should be about the focus of the workforce and innovation that the event must experience for the future.
The statement says [übersetzt]:
“The first BlizzCon was 16 years ago, and a lot has changed since then, especially the variety of ways that players and communities can come together and feel part of something bigger. Whatever the event is in the future, we need to make sure it feels as safe, welcoming and inclusive as possible. We strive to be in constant communication with our players, and we see that BlizzCon will play an important role in that going forward. We are excited to see what we will do with the event when we repeat it in the future. “
Finally, Blizzard emphasizes that despite the canceled BlizzConline 2022, there will be announcements about updates that are pending for Blizzard games in the near future. They have lots of news and upcoming releases planned to share with the community.
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