COVID-19 has prompted a ton of different precautions, delays and cancellations in the gaming industry, and wider society. Now we have one more convention to be added to the list of canceled plans. Originally scheduled to take place at Tobacco Dock, London, from July 2 to 4, EGX: Rezzed 2020 will not go forward this year. The plans to hold the convention were shut down after the organizers took an hones look at the COVID-19 pandemic and judged a mass-gathering to be too big of a risk.
“After extensive discussions with all the relevant public health, local and national authorities, and with our Rezzed partners, we have taken the decision not to go ahead with this year’s event,” the organizers stated. “We thank everyone who has prepared to deliver what promised to be a fantastic event over the past year, showcasing the best of indie gaming to the incredible Rezzed community.”
Gamer Network, the UK-based company that acts as the organizer behind the Rezzed conventions puts on the consumer, trade, and career event each year to showcase new and upcoming game releases. As well as offering opportunities for companies to show off their efforts for both PC and console games. Having lost yet another convention makes 2020 quite the rough year for games.
Various other gaming events and plans have had to be canned as well during the pandemic. Companies have had to delay game launches and patches for a bit as developers opt for remote work to prevent employees from getting ill.
The spread of COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented level of economic and social disruption in the 21st century. More than 3.4 million people have contracted the viral disease, leading to more than 244,000 deaths globally, with many of these being in just the last three months. The attempts to contain the virus have been hampered by various ill-fated reactions prioritizing social gatherings and economic growth over sensible stay-at-home orders.
Other events and conventions getting shut down or delayed are those like GDC 2020, which was moved to an all-digital event this week. “As so many game developers embrace remote working arrangements and online collaboration, we’re inspired to adapt and deliver GDC in a digital format that will be available to everyone with an internet connection,” said Informa Tech.