BlizzCon 2022 has been cancelled. Activision Blizzard says its online and in-person plans will no longer take place next year, but it will still make announcements for its games. The decision comes three months after California first announced it was suing the Call of Duty publisher for its alleged "pervasive frat boy workplace culture".
"We’ve decided to take a step back and pause on planning the previously announced BlizzConline event scheduled for early next year," a Blizzard spokesperson wrote. "This was a tough decision for all of us to make, but it’s the right one."
This marks the third cancelled BlizzCon in a row. Both 2020 and 2021 BlizzCons were cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, with BlizzCon 2022 set for early next year with a hybrid in-person and online schedule. The announcement does not specifically mention the ongoing suit or investigation, but updates surrounding the legal battle continue as a judge just ruled the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing suit against the company will proceed.
"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," wrote Blizzard. "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."
Blizzard also said it aims to fundamentally change future BlizzCons to feel "as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible." The California DFEH suit specifically mentions instances of sexual harassment which took place during past BlizzCons. It's where the infamous "Cosby Suite" was hosted, which was a hotel room where some Blizzard devs would network and drink to excess around a framed picture of alleged serial rapist Bill Cosby.
Activision Blizzard recently revealed it fired more than 20 employees over recent allegations at the company, with an additional group facing disciplinary action. It's also renamed Overwatch's Jesse McCree to Cole Cassidy, with the former being a reference to an ex-Blizzard developer who was pictured in the Cosby Suite. Regardless of recent updates, a new interview with Activision Blizzard employees revealed that their sentiments largely remain unchanged. Complaints include frustrations with executives like Fan Townsend and waiting for their strike demands to be met.