PAX East 2021 Canceled, Replaced with PAX Online

PAX organizers have announced that they will be canceling PAX East and replacing it with another PAX Online in 2021.

Another convention bit the dust as Penny Arcade confirmed PAX East will not be happening in Boston this year. The organizers took to Twitter early on Monday, March 29, to explain that "in light of ongoing public health concerns" they will not be holding the convention in person. In its place, they have decided to host another PAX Online while examining events for the rest of the year.

"We are cautiously optimistic West & Unplugged will proceed in-person festivities," they wrote.

PAX East 2021 Cancelled, Replaced with PAX Online

PAX Online 2021 will take place in early July from Thursday, July 15 to Sunday, July 18. The company went on to publish an official statement on the convention website with more details.

"Since we can’t wait until September to reconnect with the wonderful PAX community, PAX Online will return," they wrote, "We hope to build on the success of last year’s record-breaking event and also engage with our community in new ways."

Regarding the process of making the final call, they elected to "remained realistic" and not sell any tickets or permits ahead of the event in order to not cause any issues. They explained that their top priority is the safety of the PAX family "—from attendees, exhibitors, and show staff to media and content creators—" as well as the local communities who would bear the brunt of the tourism such a convention often brings.

"We will only move forward with a live PAX once we are confident the show will be safe for everyone," they wrote.

There is good news regarding the future of PAX East, however. Penny Arcade confirmed they were already looking toward the future in 2022, writing, "We are grateful for the efforts everyone made to make PAX East happen in 2021, and we look forward to returning to Boston in 2022."