Yesterday, Twitch announced that the San Diego TwitchCon is officially cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The San Diego TwitchCon was scheduled for September 25-27, 2020. The official spokesperson mentioned that Twitch had closely monitored the Covid-19 pandemic for the past few months, but due to the restrictions on large gatherings and conventions, conducting the event was no longer plausible. Earlier this year, Twitch cancelled the European TwitchCon scheduled to take place in Amsterdam from May 2-3 due to the same reasons.
Thousands of people, streamers and gaming enthusiasts were looking forward to the cancelled event. Typically, the event witnesses over 25,000 guests while over 28,000 guests attended the TwitchCon San Diego 2019. The event was an exciting and happening place for the pros and newbies in the world of esports. Twitch describes it as a place to “meet streamers, play games, watch esports, hang out with friends, grab new merch, and so much more.”
Fortunately, hotels and accommodations booked via the convention housing partners will offer a full refund to the attendees. While Twitch cannot say anything about flights and refunds, a number of airlines have issued guidelines and refund policies to keep in line with the travel restrictions imposed by the local authorities due to the ongoing pandemic.
On the bright sides, organisers hinted shifting to virtual platforms and “exploring ways that we could join forces in an alternate dimension later this year.” Due to the restrictions on gatherings of large crowds, a number of events have shifted from stadiums to virtual platforms. Blast Premier, Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox are few of the conventions that switched to the virtual platform instead of cancelling the events.
In addition to keeping in line with the law, virtual events are more accessible and cost-efficient. Global fans who were previously unable to travel to the actual conventions can now enjoy and experience their favourite events from the comfort of their home. On the other hand, nothing can beat the actual feel and atmosphere of being in the moment. The virtual conventions also take a hit of artists, cosplayers and merch sellers who set up their stalls at such conventions. Actual conventions also support the local hospitality industry as attendees stay at hotels and visit the local restaurants.
Covid-19 is not showing any signs of slowing down. While countries across the globe are systematically coming out of lockdown, there are a number of restrictions on large gatherings. It’s safe to assume that there won’t be any large scale conventions in 2020 and even 2021.