More publishers kept away by COVID-19
[Update: I would like to clarify that neither CDPR or PUBG Corp. were scheduled to hold any panels or feature any of their titles at PAX East. Therefore both companies’ decision not to attend the event will not impact the PAX East lineup. I apologise for not making this clearer in the original article and have altered the text to reflect this – Moyse.]
The list of major companies cancelling plans due to the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow. Both CD Projekt RED and PUBG Corp. have both made the last-minute decision not to visit PAX East, which takes place in Boston from tomorrow.
The news of CDPR’s change of plans broke via the Twitter account of Head of Communications Stephanie Bayer, who notes that her team will not be present at the event. Cyberpunk 2077 wasn’t scheduled to be in attendance at PAX East, so this is presumably a motion to secure staff health ahead of the game’s appointment at GDC 2020 next month.
Meanwhile, GameSpot reports that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds publisher PUBG Corp. will also not be making the journey to PAX, where it planned to hold a “Happy Hour” event with fans. “We will be rescheduling this plan for an upcoming event, once the coronavirus is under control and travel returns to normal,” said the publisher in a brief statement.
Various industry names such as Sony PlayStation, Oculus, Electronic Arts, Kojima Productions, Capcom, and Square Enix have recently cancelled plans to visit either PAX East or GDC 2020, which is being held in San Francisco next month.
As reported yesterday, there are currently around 80,000 globally reported cases of coronavirus, though just 53 of these were confirmed in the United States.
PAX East takes place in Boston between February 27 and March 1.
PAX East loses CD Projekt RED and PUBG Corp amid coronavirus fears [PC Gamer]
Published: Feb 26, 2020 05:40 pm