The next BlizzCon has been cancelled and the event is being ‘reimagined’

Blizzard has cancelled its next BlizzCon event following the sexual discrimination and harassment scandal which has tarnished the studio’s reputation.

The World of Warcraft and Diablo maker, which is at the centre of ongoing lawsuits being faced by its parent company Activision Blizzard related to toxic workplace culture, also said on Tuesday that it plans to “reimagine” the long-running event.

The annual fan convention has traditionally been held each November in California but has been cancelled for the past two years due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Blizzard was scheduled to hold a hybrid event mixing the formula of February 2021’s BlizzConline “with smaller in-person gatherings” in early 2022, but on Tuesday it said that is no longer the case.

“Any BlizzCon event takes every single one of us to make happen, an entire-company effort, fueled by our desire to share what we create with the community we care about so much,” Blizzard said.

“At this time, we feel the energy it would take to put on a show like this is best directed towards supporting our teams and progressing development of our games and experiences.

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“Additionally, 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.

“Whatever the event looks like in the future, we also need to ensure that it feels as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible. We’re committed to continual communication with our players, and we see BlizzCon playing a big role in that going forward.”

While it won’t be holding BlizzConline in February as previously planned, Blizzard said it still has “a lot of exciting upcoming news and releases to share” with players, which will be delivered through its “franchise channels”.