Just in case you were meaning to fly down to Boston this year for PAX East 2021, there's still time for you to change your plans and refund your flight tickets.
With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of ending anytime soon, ReedPop and Penny Arcade have officially canceled PAX East 2021. Instead, like last year, the companies will host PAX Online and keep the festivities going while ensuring all interested attendants safe inside their respective homes. PAX Goes Online This Summer 2021 https://twitter.com/pax/status/1376536350661427201
ReedPop Pax Event Director Kyle Marsen-Kish broke out the unfortunate news earlier today. He cited "ongoing public health concerns" as the key reason why they've decided against hosting PAX East 2021 as an in-person event. However, Marsden-Kish did add that they are "cautiously optimistic PAX West and PAX Unplugged will proceed as planned with in-person festivities."
PAX West and PAX Unplugged are both scheduled for September 3 to 6 and December 10 to 12, respectively, later this year.
For now, fans can at least look forward to PAX Online 2021, and hopefully this completely online convention goes better this time around. Previously, the week-long PAX East 2020 was met with lukewarm reactions as the companies obviously were learning on the ropes, or so to speak. But, now, PAX Online 2021 looks to be better, starting with a more standard length as a four-day event.
Unfortunately, outside of the event length, we have no idea just how the proceedings will transpire this year for PAX Online 2021. However, we can expect it to be more engaging this time around. A good example of this is the Indie Showcase, which the press released teased as will take place before PAX Online. This suggests that the companies will be hosting a slew of online events in the lead-up to PAX Online 2021.