One of the biggest effects that COVID-19 has had on the game’s industry this year has been the cancellation of large-scale events such as PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo. With vaccines on the horizon, several of the PAX conventions have tentative plans to return next year.
Should the pandemic alleviate (fingers crossed), we’ll see the return of PAX East to the Boston Convention Center from June 3rd through June 6th. Next, PAX West will arrive in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center from September 3rd to September 6th. And finally, PAX Unplugged will return to Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center from December 10th to December 12th.
PAX began in 2004 in Bellevue, Washington, and since then has expanded to various video game, arcade, and tabletop conventions around the world. While PAX East and the original PAX, now PAX West, focus on various forms of gaming, 2017 saw the debut of PAX Unplugged, focusing exclusively on tabletop gaming. All three of these conventions will return next year. However, convention organizer ReedPop has informed us that PAX South in San Antonio will not return until 2022. Information on the status of PAX Australia will arrive in the next few weeks.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, the Event Director for PAX, explained the tentative nature of these decisions:
“While we look forward to hosting shows in 2021, we are first and foremost members of the local communities in Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle, where we call home. We care deeply for the health and safety of our amazing attendees and industry partners who have brought PAX to life for 17 years. We are cautiously optimistic about improvements in the global COVID-19 situation next year, but we are carefully monitoring the situation to make sure PAX only proceeds if deemed safe to do so.”
Since the COVID-19 situation has yet to improve, PAX has taken the precaution of moving PAX East from its usual date in late-February and early-March to early June. As a former Boston-area resident, I can attest that the city has much nicer weather in June, compared to the wintry temperatures that typically run through the PAX East season of February and March.
Badges for PAX East, PAX West, and PAX Unplugged will go on sale at a later date. The official PAX site will post the details later on, as well as information on future exhibitors, schedules, and convention statuses.
