Covid-19, referred to more generally as the coronavirus, is an infectious disease that has spread to more than 48 countries in the short months since it was first documented in China. With cases soaring over 80,000 and continuing to climb, the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency as governments scramble to contain the virus.
What does this all have to do with video games? The outbreak of Covid-19 is already having an impact on some of the major expos and industry events, as well as on the production of some games. Over the past week, major game companies have responded to the outbreak, canceling community events, trade shows, and even announcing delays. To help you stay informed, we’ve created this guide and will continue to update it with all the major news related to coronavirus and the games industry.
The lastest news on coronavirus
Currently the biggest news concerning coronavirus is that many game companies are cancelling plans to attend industry trade shows like the Game Developers Conference starting on March 16. Though GDC’s organizers said on February 25 that the show will continue, the following companies have stated they will no longer be attending or will have a diminished presence at the show:
- Sony
- Unity Technologies
- EA
- Kojima Productions
- Microsoft, including the Xbox Preview Event and ID@Xbox GDC Showcase
- Epic Games
- Iron Galaxy Studios
San Francisco, the host city for GDC, declared a local health emergency this week, mainly as a pre-emptive step—the declaration allows the city to activate certain resources and measures to respond to potential cases. “Given the high volume of international travel from San Francisco, there is a growing likelihood that we will see cases eventually,” city health director Grant Colfax said. “If and when this occurs, the Health Department will make an announcement, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH).” Although San Francisco is not experiencing documented transmission of the virus, some coronavirus patients from other parts of California are being treated in the Bay Area. There are currently 33 confirmed cases in California as of February 27, but the government is monitoring at least 8,400 more people for symptoms.
With three weeks until the Game Developers Conference is supposed to start, many are predicting the show will ultimately be cancelled. If the outbreak reaches San Francisco, the city could implement a temporary ban on public events to limit the risk of infection.
It’s still too early to tell how coronavirus will affect other public-facing events like E3 (June 9 – 11), PAX West (dates unconfirmed), and Gamescom (August 25 – 29). Experts warn that coronavirus could remain a long-term risk, so it’s reasonable to assume that all public events scheduled for this year will be affected.
As major public industry shows draw nearer, we will keep this section updated as more news becomes available.
Coronavirus effects on games and community events
Similarly to major conventions, coronavirus is also having an effect on esports tournaments, as well as game development itself. Here’s a breakdown of the latest news:
What is coronavirus?
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a family of common upper-respiratory viral infections which cause illness in humans. A novel form of coronavirus identified at the end of 2019 is known as Covid-19, and has since spread to over 48 countries at an alarming rate. There are an estimated 80,000 confirmed cases, but because coronavirus can be asymptomatic (meaning those infected don’t always present symptoms), and is highly contagious, it’s expected that the number of diagnosed cases will climb exponentially higher in the coming months.
For more information on the Covid-19 coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control for updates in North America, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, or the World Health Organization.
