Highlights

  • World of Warcraft breaks tradition by not having a live Q&A panel at BlizzCon for the first time in over 15 years.
  • Players can submit questions in-person and on the forums, with a Q&A video to be shared later.
  • Speculation about the reasons behind this decision has appeared online, with theories including pre-emptive damage control and avoiding potential scandals. Fans have expressed disappointment, but still look forward to upcoming announcements at BlizzCon.

For the first time in over 15 years, World of Warcraft won’t be having a live Q&A panel at BlizzCon. While it plans on having a Q&A after the convention, World of Warcraft is breaking tradition in a big way by not having a Q&A live at BlizzCon this year.

Every year since its third convention in 2008, World of Warcraft has had a live question and answer panel during BlizzCon. Over the years, these panels gave players some memorable moments and lore drops, such as the legendary query of Ian “The Red Shirt Guy” Bates that became immortalized in World of Warcraft itself.

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However, this year, World of Warcraft will not be holding a Q&A panel at BlizzCon itself. Instead, players will be able to submit questions in-person during BlizzCon, or on the forums, starting on November 3. Some time after, World of Warcraft will share a Q&A video answering some of these questions, but it will not be a live panel like before. It didn’t give a timeframe on when to expect the Q&A video, but players will learn more some time after Blizzard reveals what's next for its franchises at BlizzCon.

There could be any number of reasons World of Warcraft made this decision. All of Blizzard’s Q&A segments are vetted, but many believe this measure could be pre-emptive damage control, as this is the first live BlizzCon Q&A since the sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits emerged a couple of years ago. What’s more, its last World of Warcraft Q&A panel during BlizzCon in 2019 was interrupted by a protester on behalf of Hong Kong, so it is almost certainly seeking to avoid similar scandals surrounding the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East right now.

Fans are understandably disappointed to learn World of Warcraft isn’t doing a live Q&A. Some believe it could be a sign that Blizzard is afraid to interact directly with its audience after the sweeping changes Blizzard has undergone between the Microsoft aquisition and general restructuring. Many also assume the questions Blizzard chooses to answer during its upcoming Q&A video will be softball questions, rather than the ones they would want answered.

Nevertheless, Warcraft still has a lot to show off at BlizzCon this year. A new expansion for retail is likely going to be announced there, as well as whatever is coming next for Classic WoW, not to mention exciting news from Hearthstone and the launch of Warcraft Rumble. Even without a Q&A segment, fans of the Warcraft franchise won’t want to miss BlizzCon 2023.