Blizzard is returning to their yearly event, BlizzCon, for 2023, although at this point, it is not clear if this will be a physical, online, or hybrid affair. BlizzCon events were pushed online more recently because of Covid, then completely canceled this year due to various allegations that Blizzard has engaged in employee misconduct and toxic corporate culture. Plans for the 2022 edition of BlizzCon, both in-person and online, were completely canceled because of the ongoing issues facing Blizzard.
It is been several years since Blizzard hosted a physical version of its fan-based BlizzCon convention, but that seems likely to change in 2023. With Activision Blizzard taking a new direction, with hopefully better treatment of their female employees, BlizzCon is returning in 2023. BlizzCon is set to be held in person in 2023, and Mike Ybarra, the head of Blizzard, raved about the highly anticipated event during a recent interview.
BlizzCon is returning next year, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra confirmed during an interview with The Los Angeles Times. Mike Ybarra, the new Activision Blizzard president, wants to bring the cult-like event back next year at the Anaheim Convention Center, following last year’s upheaval. Speaking with The Los Angeles Times, Blizzard Chief Mike Ybarra said that his desire is to return to the live events that allow Blizzard to celebrate its community and that he is committed to returning his event, BlizzCon, to the next year.
Blizzard Entertainments’ plans for bringing back their annual event, BlizzCon, were confirmed by Mike Ybarra, the president of Blizzard Entertainment, addressing BlizzCon status in a post at the end of the year review, talking about what the company had done over the last year, and what they had coming up. BlizzCon has not had a live, in-person event since 2019, and Blizzard’s president told The Los Angeles Times plans are underway to bring one back.
BlizzCon 2023 could be planned to be an in-person event, but whether fans are willing to welcome Blizzard back with open arms remains to be seen. While no dates have been confirmed for BlizzCon, it appears that Blizzard is looking to bring the community together in person for the first time in years, and there is a special team working right now to figure out how the pandemic-era BlizzCon might be. In-person BlizzCon was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was again not held this year because of ongoing legal issues for Blizzard regarding workplace harassment issues raised by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
