Blizzard announces BlizzConline for February 2021, along with plans for event
The virtual event is seeking to capture the same spirit as an in-person event.
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What you need to know
It was previously announced thatBlizzCon 2020 was canceleddue to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and would possibly be moving to an online event that would “channel the BlizzCon spirit.” On Monday, potential con-goers got more details about what that might mean.
In a blog post, Blizzard asked fans to “save the date” for BlizzConline, which is set to take place from Feb. 19-20, 2021. It won’t be a full replacement for the event, but the company plans for it to be a way to get people to interact online instead of in person.
The company is still planning the online event, but already announced some things to watch out for. For example, there will be a cosplay exhibition (pets included this time) and contest for people who like to dress up. There will also be an art contest, a digital storytelling contest, and a talent spotlight. The deadline to apply for all of these is Jan. 4, 2021.
The most interesting part of this announcement is arguably the return of the March of Murlocs. It’s been a tradition at past BlizzCons to have people dress up as murlocs and march through the convention halls. We’re not sure how it’ll play out online, but Blizzard is aksing for your submissions if you’re interested.
It’s not surprising that Blizzard would be planning a virtual version of its convention. Many companies that usually held in-person events had to go online this year, including GDC and PAX. While E3 was also canceled, many companies held online announcements for upcoming titles. Even Sony and Microsoft made their huge console announcements online.
Many of these conventions tried different ways to get people to interact beyond just watching announcements or panels. PAX Online, for example, had a ton of demos while GDC offered virtual chat rooms for people to network.
We’ll learn more about what BlizzConline has to offer in the coming months.
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Carli is the Gaming Editor and Copy Chief across Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore. Her last name also will remind you of a dinosaur. Follow her onTwitteror email her atcarli.velocci@futurenet.com.
