The BAFTA Game Awards has cancelled its awards show in favour of a live stream of the celebration.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts confirmed that while its 2020 British Academy Games Awards would go on, it would be cancelling the red carpet ceremony.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the BAFTAs of the video game world will be holding an online live-stream of the event, with no live audience.
It will be streamed globally on Thursday, April 2 – on the same day as the previously scheduled ceremony.
The Acadamy has confirmed that the decision was made with the health and wellbeing of guests, nominees and staff in mind.
“Amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the number of nominees due to travel from overseas, we have made the decision to change the format of next month’s BAFTA Games Awards from a red carpet ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London to an online live stream, which will broadcast globally on the same day as scheduled (Thursday, April 2),” BAFTA said in a statement.
“The health and wellbeing of our guests and our staff remain our top priority, so there will be no live audience, and we are now in the process of informing all our nominees, guests, partners and suppliers of the change.
“The new format will include the announcement of the Games Awards winners, and we look forward to sharing more updates in the coming weeks.”
Death Stranding and Control lead the nominations, as well as other games such as Disco Elysium, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Life is Strange 2 and Outer Wilds.
Those in the ‘Best Game’ category include Control, Disco Elysium, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Outer Wilds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Untitled Goose Game.
The video game industry has not been immune to the effects of the coronavirus. E3 – the world’s largest video game expo in Los Angeles – was officially cancelled over fears.
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