BlizzCon 2020 canceled, online event in the works for next year

By Will Nicol Published May 26, 2020

Game developer Blizzard announced Tuesday that it is canceling its annual gaming convention, BlizzCon, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. An online event is being planned for early 2021, Executive Director Saralyn Smith said

“We’re talking about how we might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you in some way online, far less impacted by the state of health and safety protocols for mass in-person gatherings,” Smith said.

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Smith also addressed concerns the e-sports community might have, saying “BlizzCon is also a stage for big e-sports events in Blizzard games each year, so we’re also looking into alternatives for supporting some of the high-level competition that would normally take place at the show.”

The convention is a massive event, with around 40,000 attendees in recent years, and features numerous events for fans of Blizzard’s franchises including Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. It’s also Blizzard’s favorite venue for revealing new details or trailers for upcoming games. The company officially announced Diablo IV at BlizzCon 2019, for example.

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Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…

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Gaming

Blizzard will host BlizzConline, an online-only BlizzCon for 2021

blizzcon 2018 feature

Video game developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced it will replace the previously canceled BlizzCon 2020 with an all-online alternative called BlizzConline.

"Attune your chronometers, flip your hourglasses, set a notification on your phone — however you mark the passage of time, save the date for BlizzConline, set to take place February 19-20, 2021!" the company said in the announcement.

Gaming

Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair in Avowed

Environmental shot of Galawains Tusks Slumbering Fields in Avowed.

You will probably have a good grip on all the tips and tricks needed to beat Avowed by the time you reach the second zone, Emerald Stair. However, no matter how many abilities you have or how good your gear is, finding a missing person with just a vague hint never gets any easier. We already helped Sanza find a missing cartographer in Dawntrail, but he has lost another in Emerald Stair and needs us to track them down. Like last time, the Avowed won't tell you where to go so we explored the entire region to show you exactly where to track them down.
Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair

The first cartographer quest at least gave you the general direction to find them, but this time we are only given the name of the area within Emerald Stair. The area in question is called Naku Tedek and is the isolated island on the south end of the map.

Gaming

3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (March 14-16)

The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

The beginning of March was light in upcoming PS5 games, but the long-delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows is right around the corner. But we still have an entire weekend to fill before it comes out, which is where your PlayStation Plus subscription pays off. The Essential games for March were incredibly strong, but the back catalogue of Extra and Premium games has the perfect selection to get you excited for all the biggest upcoming video games, like Death Stranding 2. Or, it could be the perfect way to find a fun, bite-sized game to hold you over until next week's releases hit and dominate your time. As always, I have hand-selected only the best games in PlayStation Plus for you to play this weekend.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - Announcement Trailer | PS5, PS4

Even before Shadows was announced, Ghost of Tsushima was touted as being the Japanese AC game that Ubisoft should have made years ago. While that is a reductive way to frame it, there's no denying there are similarities, and the two will be directly compared. Whether you plan on playing Shadows or not, Ghost is a magnificent game that still boasts some of the best graphics on PS5. Exploring the vibrant island of Tsushima as you follow the wind and animals rather than waypoints gives you a deep appreciation for the world you're fighting for. If you missed out on the Director's Cut content, jumping back in for the Iki Island DLC is perhaps the best part of the experience.