BlizzCon 2020 is officially canceled

Update:

Despite earlier language suggesting BlizzCon 2020 may still go forward as planned, Blizzard has officially canceled the event. The announcement, posted on the BlizzCon website, says Blizzard is looking at a couple of different alternatives for the event as well as BlizzCon esports events. Sadly, Blizzard wrote that a virtual BlizzCon likely wouldn't take place until "early next year."

You can read the full announcement from Blizzard on BlizzCon 2020's cancellation here.

Original story as follows...

BlizzCon 2020 may not be possible depending on how the situation with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic evolves, Blizzard warned in a new statement. 

"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," said BlizzCon executive producer Saralyn Smith. "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."

If there's any silver lining, it's that Blizzard "had been actively working to finalize our plans and in fact are still doing so," so if the pandemic does fall off in the coming months, the event may be able to pick up where it left off. Of course, that's a humongous 'if.' 

"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," Smith added. "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."

The other good news is that BlizzCon is still relatively far out. Events like GDC and E3 had the misfortune of running smack into the peak of the pandemic, to say nothing of spring games like The Last of Us 2, but BlizzCon is a fall event. It's held in California every November, so it should be able to dodge the worst of the actual pandemic, though there's no telling how the economic aftershock will factor in. If nothing else, one would hope that the United States government can get on top of the virus well before fall. 

Other companies, like Microsoft, are looking for digital alternatives to traditional events in the wake of coronavirus. Gamescom, meanwhile, is still scheduled for August.