PAX East 2021 will not happen due to current COVID-19 restrictions. According to its organizers, they will instead focus on PAX Online this coming July.
According to ReedPop, PAX East 2021 is canceled due to the pandemic. The event, supposedly set for June 3 to 6, will not happen now with COVID still rampant. The date they set was a little bit too optimistic.
PAX East dates too optimistic
Last December, ReedPop announced the dates for their 2021 events. The dates all scheduled for the later months of 2021, supposedly safe periods as vaccinations were starting at the time. PAX East was the earliest of these dates.
In light of ongoing public health concerns, ReedPop and Penny Arcade will not hold PAX East this year. Given the US' progress towards addressing COVID-19 in recent months, we're cautiously optimistic West & Unplugged will proceed in-person festivities Sept 3-6 and Dec 10-12.
— PAX (@pax) March 29, 2021
PAX East will start June 3 to 6, with PAX West taking place in September. PAX Australia was still on TBA, while PAX Unplugged will be on December 10 to 12.
The dates were quite optimistic, hinging on potential vaccinations finishing early summer. While Joe Biden expects adult vaccinations to be 100% ready by April 19, it still doesn’t mean June will be a safe date. It seems the organizers saw that too.
“In light of ongoing public health concerns, ReedPop and Penny Arcade will not hold PAX East this year,” said ReedPop in a statement. “Given the United States’ progress towards addressing COVID-19 in recent months, we are cautiously optimistic PAX West, and PAX Unplugged will proceed as planned with in-person festivities Sept. 3-6 and Dec. 10-12, respectively.”
PAX Online will replace physical convention
Even with the cancelation of PAX East 2021, the organizers are looking to connect with fans soon. PAX Online will return on July 15 – 18, building on last year’s event.
Since we can't wait until September to reconnect with the wonderful PAX community, PAX Online will return July 15-18.
Read the full statement at https://t.co/ptaZiGTazE
— PAX (@pax) March 29, 2021
“Since we can’t wait until September to reconnect with the wonderful PAX community, PAX Online will return July 15-18,” they said further. “We hope to build on the success of last year’s record-breaking event and also engage with our community in new ways, such as the Indie Showcase that will take place between now and PAX Online. Expect to hear more about these exciting plans soon.”
It’s good on the organizers’ part that they canceled the event. PAX events are known for getting a flood of attendees. Even with vaccinations, there are still concerns for people in heavy crowds.
The online Indie Showcase is something that the community is waiting for. Even then, with how the US Government is getting up to speed, PAX West will likely go without a hitch.
PAX East 2021 is not happening, but fans can still enjoy PAX Online. For those itching to go back to a face-to-face event, September is the closest that fans can look forward to.
Featured image courtesy of PAX/Twitter