Today Blizzard posted a notice about the feasibility of BlizzCon 2020 following the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
While the event hasn’t been canceled, executive producer Saralyn Smith mentions that the developer believes that it’s too early to know whether the event will be feasible.
That being said, Blizzard is continuing to make plans for it, while considering “a range of scenarios and possibilities.”
That being said, they’ll try their best to provide as much clarity as possible as quickly as they can.
Below you can read the full message:
“Hello Blizzard community,
A gaming convention is probably the last thing on most people’s minds right now, and that goes for many of us at Blizzard too. As events around the world announce cancellations, postponements, or shifts to an online format in response to COVID-19, we’re seeing questions about our plans for this year’s BlizzCon and we want to provide a quick update.
We love BlizzCon, and we know many of you share that feeling and look forward to it as an opportunity to get away for a while, meet up with friends, and have a good time. As so many of us have been isolated for multiple weeks now, surrounded and in some cases directly impacted by the ongoing pandemic-related challenges around the world, we’re looking forward to the time when we can see one another again in person and have something to celebrate together.
While we’re all hopeful things will look better later in the year, the bottom line is that at this point it’s too early to know whether BlizzCon 2020 will be feasible. The health of our community, employees, and everyone who helps with the show is our top consideration. It might be a few months before we know for certain if or how we’ll proceed, but as soon as we have a meaningful update, we’ll share it.
We do want to mention that prior to the recent events we had been actively working to finalize our plans and in fact are still doing so, despite the workplace changes we’ve now made at Blizzard. That includes considering a range of scenarios and possibilities, not just in terms of the show, but also regarding what the experience would be for you. We know BlizzCon also involves preparation on your part, so we’ll do our best to provide as much clarity as we can, as quickly as we can.
In the meantime, please be good to one another, stay well, and know that we’re holding everyone impacted by COVID-19 in our thoughts.”
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus emergency, Bethesda opted to cancel its QuakeCon event, while the organizers of Gamescom will take a final decision in May.