Blizzard Entertainment has cancelled BlizzCon 2022 in order to focus on “supporting our teams and progressing development of our games and experiences.”
In May, Blizzard said that its annual show, usually held in November, would be pushed to 2022 and reimagined as BlizzConline, featuring virtual sessions and smaller in-person gatherings. But that was before Activision Blizzard faced accusations of fostering a toxic workplace, prompting the resignations of then-President J. Allen Brack and other senior executives.
This week’s statement, titled “Reimagining BlizzCon,” does not directly address the allegations or the pending lawsuit filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). But it does acknowledge that “whatever the event looks like in the future, we also need to ensure that it feels as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible.”
Blizzard did not formally reschedule BlizzCon, making it unclear if or when the event will make its return. The statement, in part, reads: “We would also like to take the time to reimagine what a BlizzCon event of the future could look like. The first BlizzCon was held 16 years ago, and so much has changed in the time since—most notably, the multiple ways in which players and communities can come together and feel like they are a part of something bigger.”
Although it’s not holding BlizzCon, the studio says it will “still be making announcements and updates for our games.” With Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 in development and Blizzard maintaining its live service games like World of Warcraft, fans can expect some status updates regarding those games in the near future.
Until then, Activision Blizzard faces a fight against the DFEH, which accuses the company of creating a “frat boy” culture that puts female employees at a disadvantage. In its two-year-long investigation, the DFEH alleges that Activision Blizzard fostered a sexist culture and paid women less than men despite women doing substantially similar work, assigned women to lower-level jobs and promoted them at slower rates than men, and fired or forced women to quit at higher frequencies than men.
More than 40 employees at Activision Blizzard have left or been disciplined in the months following the lawsuit, including lead level designer Jesse McCree. If you recognize that name, that’s because he is the namesake for the Overwatch character McCree, who has now been renamed Cole Cassidy, IGN reports.
