Video gaming provider Blizzard Entertainment Inc. in Irvine cancelled its annual BlizzCon fanfest due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It had been scheduled for Anaheim in late October or early November, according to the city website; the company said in a website posting the decision came after many discussions.
“After considering our options, we’ve come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year,” the company said. “We’re feeling deeply disappointed about this decision, and imagine many of you will feel the same.”
Blizzard said it was consider an online alternative, most likely early next year.
Previous BlizzCons drew about 40,000 attendees to the Anaheim Convention Center.
Shares in parent company Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) fell 4.2 % to $70 a share for a market cap of $54 billion. Blizzard is Orange County’s largest software company by headcount, with an estimated 2,800 local employees.
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