Blizzard plans to hold its annual fan convention in Anaheim this November, but warned today that the event could be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic keeps them from having a large gathering at that time. Like us, they don't know what will happen. [Saralyn Smith, executive producer of BlizzCon, said, "We are all hopeful that things will turn around later this year, but the bottom line is that at this point it is too early to know if BlizzCon 2020 is feasible. "BlizzCon 's Executive Producer, Saralyn Smith, said, "The well-being of our community, our employees, and everyone who works with the show is our top priority. It may be several months before we know for sure how or if we will proceed, but as soon as we receive meaningful updates, we will share them."

Blizzard has only skipped two years since it first held BlizzCon in 2005; Blizzard has used the show to announce the next installments of games like World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo. As important as the show is, it has also been controversial in recent years, with the announcement of the mobile-only Diablo: Immortal two years ago and a rally in support of the Hong Kong protests held outside the venue last year.

It is not surprising that BlizzCon 2020 may be canceled. Since the coronavirus outbreak began spreading across Europe and North America earlier this year, game companies around the world have had to respond by canceling public events. Both the Game Developers Conference and E3 were canceled, as were a number of esports conventions and smaller competitions. As of this writing, it is estimated that 1.5 million people worldwide have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.

But to be clear, BlizzCon 2020 has not been canceled as of yet; Blizzard is simply preparing for the worst, and if the worst should happen, the company is considering other options, Smith said. 'I want to tell you that prior to recent events, we were actively working on finalizing our plans, and despite the changes at Blizzard's workplace, we are in fact still doing so,' he said. This includes looking at different scenarios and possibilities, not only in terms of the show, but also in terms of what the experience will be like for everyone." We know that BlizzCon is also about your preparation, so we will do our best to provide you with as much clarity as possible as soon as possible."