PlayStation no longer attending Boston’s PAX East due to coronavirus
"We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily."
PlayStation is no longer participating in PAX East, which takes place in Boston from February 26 to March 1. Sony Interactive Entertainment released a short update atop a blog post citing the coronavirus as its chief reason for canceling its participation.
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“Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment made the decision to cancel its participation at PAX East in Boston this year due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as “novel coronavirus”),” reads the post on the official PlayStation Blog. “We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily. We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern.”
The news comes after Boston released a statement confirming its first case of coronavirus in the state of Massachusetts. The patient will “continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials,” it reads.
Coronavirus has been classified as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), as it has spread to more than 20 countries. Eight cases have been confirmed in the United States. The threat of coronavirus has affected the video game industry, with the Switch port of The Outer Worlds delayed because of it and the Overwatch League canceled its matches that would have took place in China later this year.
At PAX East, PlayStation was scheduled to show over 20 games at its booth, including some hotly anticipated games of the year like The Last of Us 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Nioh 2. This would have been the first public hands-on for The Last of Us 2.
Naughty Dog has responded to the news on Twitter, chiming in that they are “disappointed” to not see fans react to The Last of Us 2 demo.
https://twitter.com/Naughty_Dog/status/1230191340719235072
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