Plug & Play: BlizzCon: An eye-opening look into the strength of the gaming community


Attendees gather at the opening ceremony of BlizzCon 2019 prior to video game developer Blizzard’s announcement of Overwatch 2. (Sam Arslanian | Daily Trojan)

Video games have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Through the years, they’ve continued to captivate me. Pokémon as a child, Super Smash Bros. as an adolescent and now, as an adult, Overwatch.

In that time, I have come to learn you can loosely categorize gamers into three categories: story-seekers, achievement-unlockers and competitors. I fall into the final category. I saw video games as an area where I could dedicate my time and effort to be the best I could be. I appreciate the grind, hard effort and dedication it takes to be the best at something. 

With that being said, I often tried to distance myself from the group of gamers who I prejudicially classified as the “weird gamers.” 

“No, I’m not that type of gamer,” I would say to people who were surprised at how invested I was in video games as a 21-year-old.

This past weekend, fans from 59 countries all descended on the Anaheim Convention Center for BlizzCon 2019, a video game convention for Blizzard games. I was fortunate enough to attend, but I had some reservations going in. I initially thought BlizzCon was just a gathering for the lore-obsessed cosplay gamers, and I would be the outcast dressed in street clothes looking for my next victory. 

I was wrong.

This column, so far, has been dedicated to comparing esports to traditional sports because that is what I am familiar with. The competitive side of video games was my sole priority when I started playing. I genuinely did not understand why someone would want to play a video game if they didn’t want to compete.

But the reality is that video games are so much bigger than esports. This is an entire community — a welcoming, diverse community that shares a love for video games. Before BlizzCon, I had only experienced a sliver of that community. 

At 7 a.m. on the first day, two hours before the convention center opened, thousands of fans filled the lobby and overflowed out the doors. I was overwhelmed by the sheer mass and diversity of the crowd. While still predominantly male, there were many more women than I expected. Kids as young as 5 years old ran through the crowds accompanied by their parents.

When 9 a.m. rolled around, the doors opened and a stampede of fans rushed the stage floor in hopes of getting a seat to watch the opening ceremony and the release of all the new content.

With each new game’s introduction, I felt chills down my spine. I have played just one of Blizzard’s six main titles, and even though I didn’t understand most of what was being said, I couldn’t help but smile when the crowd erupted with cheers for each announcement.

The fan experience at BlizzCon was unlike anything I have ever been a part of. It’s hard to make a direct comparison because it is truly unique. Blizzard had thousands of computers set up in rows for fans to test unreleased games, hosted panels with game designers and even held a five-hour-long costume/cosplay contest.

I walked around the stage floor for 12 hours the first day and never once felt tired or bored. Blizzard has perfected its fan experience. I wasn’t an outcast — most people weren’t dressed in cosplay, and there were plenty of gamers who were primarily interested in the competitive aspect of the game. Those interested in the competitive side looped the players versus players line, competing in the new, unreleased 6v6 tug-of-war-style game.

With the advent of the internet, we have lost the camaraderie aspect of video games. There is something special about playing video games with the people sitting next to you. It’s cool seeing the person next to you fist pump after a big play or hear an opponent shout an expletive after you land a nice shot.

I left BlizzCon with a new perspective on the gaming community. The three categories of gamers can live harmoniously. The gaming community shouldn’t have stigmas directed toward any one type of gamer.

The video gaming community is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The subcommunities don’t try to distance themselves from each other; instead, they support each other. 

While I would never dress up in cosplay, I now admire those who have spent months, or even years, meticulously crafting the outfit and gear of their favorite character. I respect the people who attend each year to meet up with friends and trade patches and pins with complete strangers.

Blizzard president J. Allen Brack put it best in his opening ceremony speech. 

“When we get it right, we create a common ground where the community comes together to compete, connect and play irrespective of the things that divide us,” he said.

I’ve always known that I love video games, but BlizzCon helped me realize that I love the gaming community even more than the games themselves.

Sam Arslanian is a junior writing about esports. He is also a former sports editor of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Plug & Play,” runs every other Wednesday.