PAX West 2021 Will Be a Return to In-Person Events

The Pandemic Still Isn’t Over, Be Careful Out There

PAX West 2021 has officially confirmed that it will be an in-person expo, which may sound concerning to fans who don’t want to risk going out in large crowds just yet. Hopefully, we’ve all gotten our first shot, at least. Regardless, badges will be on sale in the next two weeks, meaning that a lot of gamers have some big decisions to make about the West Coast’s most attended gaming event this year. PAX West 2021 will be held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on this September’s Labor Day Weekend. It will be the first big in-person gaming event since the pandemic began. ReedPop and Penny Arcade have canceled six consecutive in-person shows since PAX East 2020, so the health of the PAX community is clearly one of their top priorities. We just hope they’re taking safety precautions with the company’s big return to on-location gaming events.

Valorant Yoru key art

Reportedly, the show organizers are already hard at work alongside venue officials, local governments, and health authorities to determine how, exactly, the show will run. That means figuring out event capacity, what aspects need to be reduced, and how PAX can ensure a safe event. According to the press release, more detailed health and safety guidelines will be released as PAX West 2021 draws closer.

PAX Online East 2021 will still be, well, online. eSports details released today state that the competition will last from Thursday, July 15th through Sunday, July 18th and will feature a Valorant amateur open tournament. Metro Esports will be scouting tournament participants for America’s first multicultural, mixed-gender pro Valorant Team, which will be named The Metro Squad. Selected players will then compete in-person at the PAX Arena at PAX West, which does sound like a pretty great opportunity, provided that the organizers can manage potential health risks.

“It’s been almost two years since the last PAX West, and it’s been surreal to imagine its triumphant return,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “I can’t think of a better excuse to leave the house than PAX West.”

Astra Valorant promo art

PAX West 2021 will be held from Friday, September 3rd, 2021 through Monday, September 6th, 2021.

Will you be at PAX West this year? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

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