Written by Metal Messiah

Just a few weeks ago Saralyn Smith, Executive Producer of BlizzCon, warned Blizzard fans that BlizzCon 2020 “might not happen” with the current ongoing COVID-19 situation in the world.

Now Blizzard’s annual fan conference is officially cancelled. This popular yearly event that typically occurs in early November that celebrates the past, present and future Blizzard games and culture with multiple competitions, has been cancelled. The decision was made in light of the health and safety guidelines due to the ongoing “coronavirus” pandemic.

“Ultimately, after considering our options, we’ve come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year,” says Saralyn Smith, Executive Producer of BlizzCon, via a recent blog post.

However, it was noted in the blog post that some form of online event or presence that “might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you,” is in the works with a preliminary timeline of early next year.

BlizzCon is just one of many video game conventions that have been canceled this year as a result of the pandemic. QuakeCon , Gamescom, and Tokyo Game Show have all been canceled, too. The biggest gaming event of the season, E3, was canceled back in early March. Some shows have decided to go virtual instead.

BlizzCon executive producer Saralyn Smith discussed that she and the company heads behind the event have had “many discussions” about whether to host the event or not, and finally came to the conclusion of cancelling the event.

“We’re feeling deeply disappointed about this decision, and imagine many of you will feel the same,” Smith said in the statement. “I truly love BlizzCon, and I know that’s a sentiment shared by everyone at Blizzard. We will sorely miss connecting with so many of you at the convention and ‘recharging our geek batteries’ this fall.”

Despite this, Smith assures fans that “we will meet again” and that they are still exploring other avenues on how to connect better with players in the coming months in a manner that maintains everyone’s health and safety.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19 officially, or Chinese Flu) has affected everyone worldwide, from businesses to public gatherings and events. This includes postponements of GDC, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the physical events for EVO 2020 and Tokyo Game Show 2020, and cancellations E3 2020 (including digital events), the physical event for Gamescom 2020, Comiket 98, and MAGStock 2020.

Blizzcon won’t be held at the “Anaheim Convention” Center in California for the first time in 8 years.