The past year and a half has been a difficult time for both fans and management of large conventions worldwide. The ongoing pandemic and related prevention measures have either sidelined numerous conventions, conferences, and live events or required stricter COVID-19 based regulations. PAX Australia looks to be the most recent conventions that couldn't escape a COVID-related delay.
Penny Arcade's Australian event was initially scheduled to take place from October 8th through the 10th at the Melbourne Convention Center in Melbourne, Australia following the cancellation of last year's PAX Australia. The convention was set to feature multiple video game tournaments throughout the weekend along with setups for various different styles of games. There have been few announcements about developers and performers who were set to attend the concert, but an announcement from PAX Australia's official Twitter account sheds some light on the decision.
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PAX Australia's official Twitter account announced today that the annual convention would be delayed indefinitely from their expected date in October. PAX referenced the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary cause for the delay, following suit with PAX East cancelling earlier this year. PAX Australia thanked fans for their support throughout the pandemic and encouraged fans to continue following PAX Australia for future updates, sounding optimistic about the convention's planned return in 2022.
PAX Australia used the announcement to ensure attendees who had already purchased tickets that ticketholders would be entitled to a full refund on their registration. Information on the refund will be sent out to those users within the coming week. The convention also announced the intention to hold a virtual convention entitled "PAX Aus Online" in lieu of an in-person conference. The planned virtual event follows suit with other gaming conferences moving to an online-only setting with presentations like the Game Developers Conference hosting online events. Further details for the online event are set to be announced at a later date through their social media accounts.
In-person gaming conventions and conferences are far from the only part of the gaming industry to be heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Major game releases like Resident Evil Village and Horizon Forbidden West have seen delays over the past year due to the difficulties caused by remote working and social distancing measures. The gaming industry is no stranger to delays in a pandemic-free environment and the addition of a global pandemic serves to strain the work environment further.
While many fans will be disappointed about the convention's cancellation, PAX Australia's cancellation was made with the safety of its attendees in mind, and hopefully, the convention will be able to make its expected return next year.
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