Something that fans of many hobbies have had to deal with in recent years is the cancellation of physical conventions. In the gaming realm, several major events have been staged digital-only or canceled altogether, such as this year’s E3, which was held neither physically nor streaming.
The former annual convention of Blizzardthe BlizzCon, it’s one of those occasions that has been absent from the gaming calendar since 2019, and in 2020 and 2022 there have been no digital events. 2021 did host some form of BlizzCon, but again it didn’t compare to the atmosphere created by the reactions and responses of the live crowd.
However, it seems that 2023 may be a return to its origins for the BlizzCon. At least, that is what the current head of Blizzard, Mike Ybarra, thinks, who spoke of the plans that are being carried out for the convention to return. According to Ybarra, the feeling in the company is that they want to return to a live event.
Recently, a new head of the BlizzConApril McKee, who is “hard at work” on the plan for BlizzCon to return in 2023, something Ybarra claims he Blizzard has committed. Currently, there is no proposed date for BlizzCon’s return, but since many gaming events return to having at least a small number of people physically present, it could be expected at any time.
Previously, Blizzard has stated that whatever BlizzCon looks like in the future, it needs to be as “safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible.” Something Blizzard also intends to do at BlizzCon 2023 is celebrate its community. The relationship between Blizzard and its community has been strained in recent years, with fans upset with the company for a variety of reasons.
Since there are various reasons fans have become frustrated with Blizzard, one of the company’s top priorities, according to Mike Ybarra, is to rebuild trust with fans and employees. Depending on how it handles its return to a physical Blizzcon event, this could be the first step Blizzard takes in rebuilding trust with its fans.
However, considering the serious accusations still weighing on the company, and the frustrations fans have over Diablo Immortal, it may take more than a convention to fully repair trust.