Is Blizzcon dead?

[Yelmurc]

With Microsoft buying Activion-Blizzard. Do you think they will continue hosting Blizzcon? Or will they just add it to the regular Xbox events?

[Relapses]

BlizzCon's dead for reasons that have nothing to do with the Microsoft buy-out.

That said, I can't see them phasing out one of the biggest Blizzard events once this whole pandemic thing dies down in a few years.

[Lahis]

Physical events are dead period. The virus will never end and it is cheaper to just upload a YouTube video.

[cuafpr]

If COVID allows I think we get one more traditional one, then it gets rolled into the Xbox/MS event.

[dope_danny]

I think Blizzcons dead for a lot of reasons.

[hulkgor]

It might not be dead, but we're certainly not getting one in the near future.

[Biglog]

Even more than Covid or the buyout, the negative PR Blizzard has had over the past couple years probably stuck a fork in it. At the end of the day it's a marketing event, and hundreds of people picketing Blizzard outside would make it as much negative marketing as positive. So it's unfortunately a tall hill to climb for them to return.

1. Actually address the concerns of the complaints about Blizzard by employees (and boot Kotick).
2. Put out some sort of new IP or content that proves that there is still hope of Blizzard recapturing some of their magic of 5-10 years ago.
3. Covid/omicron to settle down.
4. For the MS buyout to not kill it off by decision from above. Microsoft is very particular and conservative in how they operate and may not even want any potential risk of another Blizzcon "Cosby Suite" incident.

Soooo yeah, it's most likely going to be a piece of videogame history.

[Dch48]

Physical events are dead period. The virus will never end and it is cheaper to just upload a YouTube video.

Actually by analyzing the history of past pandemics, it's reasonable to think that the virus is already on it's way out. The usual progression of such diseases is that with each successive mutation, the virus , while becoming more infectious, also becomes less virulent. We have already seen this with both Delta and Omicron. I can see Covid in a few years being like the common cold. It's always been overblown as to it's dangers anyway. Mostly for political reasons.

Physical events are not dead per se but Blizzcon may be as a separate event. Elements of it may be rolled into future Microsoft events though.

[Dakhath]

No idea why people keep asking if X,Y, or Z is going away just because Microsoft bought the company. Anything that can make money will continue to exist to make money. Blizzcon being shuttered would have far more to do with a pandemic over a new company in charge.

[AngerFork]

I think BlizzCon was likely already dead once the all the new came out last summer about workplace culture & the Cosby Suite, but this Microsoft deal I presume more or less finalizes that. If there is any sort of semblance of it left after COVID is past, it'll be as a part of the XBox/Microsoft Gaming Fan Fest.

[Tojara]

I'm not sure why people think that Blizzard won't be allowed to function somewhat independently. Activision entering the picture didn't make Blizzcon a celebration of Activision games, so I'm not sure why it would be much different with Microsoft. I'm sure Blizzard games/products will be featured in Microsoft events, but I doubt Blizzcon events if they return will feature a ton of Microsoft games.

To be perfectly honest Blizzard completely lucked out with the pandemic anyways. If we were still allowed to have physical events the events themselves would've been incredibly weak. Events like those are meant to feature major pipeline projects and also be a celebration of their own IPs. Most of their IPs currently are years out, dead or would be pretty standard/typical reveals. Essentially, nothing of substance would've been shown in regards to OW, D4, with things literally leaning on HS expansions a WoW patch or expansion to generate hype. The quarterly reveals for D4 are nice online, but wouldn't really generate any substance in a live event.

That all changes in a couple of years and it's honestly the perfect excuse right now anyways. In a couple of years you have all of the typical announcements, D4 and OW2 on the horizon (or one actually being close to release) with perhaps the potential of a new IP being developed (who knows).

To answer the question, yes/no. It's dead in the meantime due to circumstances they can't control, but will probably be back in the future. Activision didn't do away with Blizzcon, so I doubt Microsoft would. You will just see Blizzard type updates at Microsoft events if I had to guess.

[Unholyground]

Blizzcon died when they asked as if we all had phones.

/end thread.

[pacotaco]

Actually by analyzing the history of past pandemics, it's reasonable to think that the virus is already on it's way out. The usual progression of such diseases is that with each successive mutation, the virus , while becoming more infectious, also becomes less virulent. We have already seen this with both Delta and Omicron. I can see Covid in a few years being like the common cold. It's always been overblown as to it's dangers anyway. Mostly for political reasons.

Physical events are not dead per se but Blizzcon may be as a separate event. Elements of it may be rolled into future Microsoft events though.

More like the flu ~100 years ago (it was known before, but that was the worst pandemic of human history). It became less deadly over time and society normaliced it (it kills around 1/2 million people each year, nowadays).

[Chilela]

I said this in another thread, but I feel like this is another nail in the coffin for Blizzcon as we know it. If it comes back, it will be at a smaller scale than before Covid, and major Blizzard-related announcements will be more largely relegated to Microsoft press conferences in the future. As such, it will likely be more of a social gathering/meet-and-greet/product consumption event than a venue for new major announcements. At least that's how I see it.

[Aucald]

This thread isn't about COVID or the ongoing pandemic, there's a thread for that elsewhere. Let's re-focus on the topic of BlizzCon's future and leave out ruminating solely on COVID.

[Kralljin]

It wouldn't surprise me.

The Blizzard name still remains pretty tarnished despite being gobbled up by MS, so why not just roll future announcements into E3 or just whenever they feel like it?
Rather than being pressured to announce some game to fill a schedule, like the seemingly did with OW2 and D4.

[Cosmic Janitor]

BlizzCon's dead for reasons that have nothing to do with the Microsoft buy-out.

That said, I can't see them phasing out one of the biggest Blizzard events once this whole pandemic thing dies down in a few years.

I would hardly call it "phasing out", when it may only start again "in a few years". By that point we it will be like establishing it for the first time.

[Relapses]

I would hardly call it "phasing out", when it may only start again "in a few years". By that point we it will be like establishing it for the first time.

It seemed like Blizzard had BlizzCon down to a science by the time we had the last one. I doubt they'll magically forget all the lessons learned by prior BlizzCons simply because they took a few years hiatus.

[Gaidax]

Yet another "Microsoft purchases ActiBlizz therefore *delirious blabber*" thread...

Well, I guess the good thing that the "leak" threads stopped, so small blessings, eh.

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