Blizzard 2020 Fireside Chat
J. Allen Brack gave the community some updates on recent and upcoming events.

  • BlizzConline will be February 19th - 20th and free to watch.
  • Players have already made over 10 million visits to the new barber shop.
  • Classic players have already crafted more than 6.5 million Greater Frost Protection potions.
  • There have been over 9 billion ghosts and wisps from WoW Classic this year.
  • Players have created over 100 million characters in WoW and dinged over 1.5 billion levels.
  • Blizzard is exploring other things farther out on PC, console, and mobile.
  • Blizzard will apply the same level of craftsmanship that they've always demanded of themselves to future games, regardless of platform.
  • Blizzard's AI/Machine Learning system used to validate player reports around offensive behavior and language in Heroes and Overwatch has caused an incredible decease in toxic text chat and re-offense rates. This system was expanded to WoW public chat channels a few months ago, cutting how long disruptive players stick around for in half.
  • In Overwatch, penalties were recently increased and more profanity filter options have been added.
  • Combatting offensive behavior and encouraging inclusivity in all games and workplaces will be an ongoing effort.
  • In February, Blizzard will hit their 30 year anniversary.


This article was originally published in forum thread: Blizzard 2020 Fireside Chat - BlizzConline in February Free to Watch started by chaud View original post
Comments 96 Comments
  1. kranur's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Greyvax View Post
    I don't think anyone believes this.
    Not like their current level of craftmanship is high, so it's a bad thing to say.
  1. Lorgar Aurelian's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Akutare View Post
    It was 10 million accounts, maybe up to 13 million... that was years back, but that number is probably a lot of alts, potentially starter characters, too.
    It was 100 million including trial accounts.
  1. JacobusRex's Avatar
    Blizzard's AI/Machine Learning system used to validate player reports around offensive behavior and language in Heroes and Overwatch has caused an incredible decease in toxic text chat and re-offense rates. This system was expanded to WoW public chat channels a few months ago, cutting how long disruptive players stick around for in half.
    So, if anyone doesn't jive with Blizz's opinions and standpoints, then you're going to be declared toxic and muted for exponentially increased times. Great idea. More censorship is always good right?
  1. StillMcfuu's Avatar
    I came here just for the negativity.
  1. Zenfoldor's Avatar
    Shadowlands could be good and everything, and I am playing it, preordered, already subscribed...but I really am starting to wish another company owned the Warcraft and Diablo IPs.
  1. glowpipe's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Zenfoldor View Post
    Shadowlands could be good and everything, and I am playing it, preordered, already subscribed...but I really am starting to wish another company owned the Warcraft and Diablo IPs.
    a lot would have been fixed if activission dissapeared and blizzard could go back to being blizzard
  1. Icelin's Avatar
    Thank you for making it free. Now everyone can watch it without restrictions, if they like. I enjoyed the hamster in the mech suit..I think that is what it was. Get the feeling it was put there intentionally and I was down with it.
  1. Disen's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by StillMcfuu View Post
    I came here just for the negativity.
    To be fair he did say a great deal of nothing.
    I had Blizzcon 2019 opening flashbacks the entire video.
  1. deviantcultist's Avatar
    I'm confused. Does this qualify for Blizzcon 2020 compensation? How will that affect Blizzcon 2021?

    I hope that doesn't mean we are getting 10.0 announcement delay as a result, which should normally happen one year from now.
  1. StillMcfuu's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Disen View Post
    To be fair he did say a great deal of nothing.
    I had Blizzcon 2019 opening flashbacks the entire video.
    I'm not disagreeing with you; but Blizz could have come out and said Warcraft 4 was in the works and releasing in Q1 2021, Diablo IV is coming out in 2 weeks, Bobby Kotick played both games and they were so amazing he broke down crying as if he saw the face of God, Kotick is also personally fronting Blizz the money to go back independent and he personally rehired Mike Morhaime, Ghostcrawler, etc... And people here would be complaining about the color of their shirts and how the sound quality was bad.
  1. Asrialol's Avatar
    If Metzen made this video he wouldn't need a script. Neither would Mike Morhaime.
  1. Dracullus's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by deviantcultist View Post
    I'm confused. Does this qualify for Blizzcon 2020 compensation? How will that affect Blizzcon 2021?

    I hope that doesn't mean we are getting 10.0 announcement delay as a result, which should normally happen one year from now.
    How the hell the can know if regular Blizzcon will be possible in 2021 at all? Literally no one knows at this point.

    At this point 10.0 reveal on November would be WAY to early. Usually perfect time is when last raid is already on PTR so last chapter of current story is no longer a secret.

    With first raid coming early December, we will be around early days of SL season 3 next November. So February 2022 would be a lot more fiting date for next 'regular' Blizzcon.
  1. dunkl's Avatar
    they'll continue inclusivity?

    by purposely including, you are excluding.

    and ..no one needs including, there's no such power as inclusion - we are all already here.

    you can take away someone's freedom but you can never, ever, give someone their freedom. you can exclude but you will never, ever, be able to actually include. -especially if the person knows what's up.

    how high and mighty to actually say they will be including people continuing inclusivity. we are all here! lol

    who is anyone to decide there will be inclusion, and from which pools shall they decide? no one decides for another that they will be included..

    the 'included' person should feel grossed out that they were picked/chosen to be included because that means the one doing the choosing doesn't view the 'included' as normal and natural and views them as less-than

    lastly, to actually admit to doing inclusivity means they haven't or don't view all as normal and natural, otherwise they wouldn't need to do inclusivity..
  1. Sarethion's Avatar
    The only interesting part of this video is that the Blizzconline is going to be free to watch. Other than that it's just a bunch of corporate PR talk.
  1. Lolsteak's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by StillMcfuu View Post
    I'm not disagreeing with you; but Blizz could have come out and said Warcraft 4 was in the works and releasing in Q1 2021, Diablo IV is coming out in 2 weeks, Bobby Kotick played both games and they were so amazing he broke down crying as if he saw the face of God, Kotick is also personally fronting Blizz the money to go back independent and he personally rehired Mike Morhaime, Ghostcrawler, etc... And people here would be complaining about the color of their shirts and how the sound quality was bad.
    Err.. what?

    A majority of people definitely wouldn't be complaining if they had something decent from the Diablo franchise to play after Diablo 3
  1. Biggles Worth's Avatar
    "Blizzard will apply the same level of craftsmanship that they've always demanded of themselves to future games, regardless of platform." *LAUGHS IN WARCRAFT REFORGED*
  1. Kazlehoff's Avatar
    >Fireside chat

    >No fire

  1. rhorle's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by JacobusRex View Post
    So, if anyone doesn't jive with Blizz's opinions and standpoints, then you're going to be declared toxic and muted for exponentially increased times. Great idea. More censorship is always good right?
    Yes. It is a game for enjoyment and not a place to express your dislike of a companies politics or anything else that is toxic. Don't like it? Don't play. Talking about it in game doesn't change anything.
  1. Edward Wu's Avatar
    This guy couldn't be more soulless if he tried.
  1. rhorle's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by dunkl View Post
    you can take away someone's freedom but you can never, ever, give someone their freedom. you can exclude but you will never, ever, be able to actually include. -especially if the person knows what's up.
    If something can be taken away it can also be given. Stop trying to make a good thing out to be a bad thing just because you are afraid, or whatever, of inclusiveness.

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