Fingers Crossed
Remember when 2020 was supposed to be our year? Ha. Great joke. We were so innocent and naïve. 2020 quickly became the year of digital meetings and lockdowns, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the video game community, it meant that nearly all events went digital or were cancelled. Many health experts say that COVID-19 will stay with us well into 2021 and perhaps even beyond. Epic Games has gone as far as to say that they will hold no in-person Fortnite events in 2021. However, some organizers are more optimistic. PAX has announced in-person events scheduled as early as June for PAX 2021.
On one hand, everyone is excited by the prospect of in-person events and a semblance of normalcy, assuming that they are safe. On the other hand, we know how the US has handled COVID-19 so far, and it does not inspire confidence. PAX East is scheduled to take place between June 3rd and 6th, PAX West is set for September 3rd to 6th, and PAX Unplugged will run from December 10th to 12th. They are currently in talks with organizers in Australia for PAX AUS and are hoping for news next week.
It will be interesting to see if PAX AUS gets approved for in-person events. As you may know, Australia is faring much better than countries in North America because of their health and safety guidelines. Does that mean they will be have an event? Not necessarily. Since they take the threat of the virus more seriously than in the US, they might just forego the event altogether in 2021. However, with an effective vaccine on the way, a lot can happen between now and then.
Do you think PAX should hold in-person events in 2021? Let us know in the comments below.