As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, multiple live events and conventions such as the Game Developers Conference andBethesda’s QuakeCon have transitioned online. Blizzard Entertainment decided not to hold its annual convention BlizzCon due to health concerns and large public gathering bans, but it appears there are plans being discussed to hold a digital-only event in its place next year.
BlizzCon 2020 was cancelled in Mayand almost nothing has been said about it in the months since, but the idea of there being a virtual BlizzCon in early 2021 was brought up during the Q&A portion of a conference call regarding the company’s second-quarter 2020 financial report today. The event will “channel the spirit of BlizzCon” according to executives, but not many more details were provided.
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The team is happy to have a “passionate and engaged community” that wants to find out more about ongoing projects, but current world circumstances mean everything being planned is subject to potentially change. If a virtual BlizzCon does occur, fans of the prolific company should be excited to hear more about previously announced games likeOverwatch 2andDiablo Immortal, which had a trailer at ChinaJoy 2020and was one point of discussion in the conference call alongsideCrash Bandicoot 4, theCall of Dutyfranchise, and more.
That being said, Blizzard has recently been in hot water due to its treatment of employees. An internal document comprised of wages by anonymous individuals that was publicized by Bloomberg shows overhalf of Blizzard employees are unhappy with their pay, especially compared to what is being made by higher-ups. The company was also marred in controversy regarding its stance on the Hong Kong protests around BlizzCon 2019 last November.
Despite this controversy and the ongoing pandemic, events in Blizzard’s current offerings such asOverwatch’s Summer Games 2020 andWorld of Warcraft’s Shadowlands update are still being planned and released. During the conference call, there were also hints that Activision’sCall of Duty 2020may be revealed through aWarzoneeventsometime soon.
The company also announced higher-than-expected second-quarter earnings in its report today, with Activision Blizzard making $1.93 billion in net revenue compared to its previous outlook of $1.7 billion. Though the ongoing pandemic has undoubtedly contributed to this, as seen through reports by other companies like Take-Two Interactive and Capcom this week, time will tell how it affects their efforts to plan and host a virtualBlizzConsometime next year.
