PAX West backs off, adopts tougher Covid-19 policies

Last year, PAX West was one of several gaming events Go online due to the pandemic. This year, while E3 and the Tokyo Game Show remained virtual, PAX East has been canceled earlier this spring. But PAX West, on the other hand, decided to authorize a in person event at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Like other gaming conventions, PAX is an opportunity for people to meet, participate in group discussions, and play game demos. The in-person element of PAX has always been its biggest draw. This could explain why the organizers decided to take the popular exhibition offline. to the real world this Labor Day weekend, even with the pandemic.

But like Kotaku reported earlier this month, Penny Arcade Expo tickets weren’t selling, unlike in previous years where tickets sold out within hours. But with uncertainties about covid-19 or its Delta variant, there was public discomfort at the thought of packing in a sweaty convention hall where someone may or may not be vaccinated.

Perhaps this is the reason why the organizers of PAX have backed down and announced new requirements for the show. In a tweet announcing the measures, PAX says the decision was made based on recommendations from national and local health authorities. Meanwhile, the United States seems ready to experiment a possible fourth wave of re-emergence of covid.

“Prior to entry, we will now need proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination series or negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test, each of which must be verified with an ID valid government issued, “event director Kyle Marsden-Kish said in a statement. official release. Those who have already purchased badges and have questions about these new requirements should contact [email protected], the ad adds.

On Twitter, some ticket holders say the new measures give them peace of mind, that they feel more comfortable witnessing and applauding PAX’s decision. Others were upset that these requirements weren’t announced early on or even questioned whether the negative covid-19 test option actually went far enough if instead of requiring all participants to be fully vaccinated. .

“When the PAX West 2021 badges were announced, the PAX team made the decision to communicate what we could commit to at that time, rather than what we were working on,” said Marsden-Kish. “As we let the community know that health and safety guidelines may evolve, we wanted to get it right and are confident that full vaccination verification or negative test, as well as continued face covering requirements for everyone, will create an environment that promotes the well-being of our PAX community.

Organizers of any in-person event for the foreseeable future will need to navigate the covid, weigh and manage the risks to attendees. PAX West’s decision to have reduced capacity, mandatory face coverings, and now vaccination or negative test requirements are examples of this.

“We will continue to assess our policies, listen to community input, follow the advice of public health officials, and do everything in our power to make PAX West as safe as possible.”

PAX West is thirty-eight days away. A limited number of four-day badges, it seems, are on sale again.