PlayStation is pulling out of PAX East due to “increasing concerns” related to the illness colloquially known as the coronavirus, it said on the PlayStation blog today.
Sony’s booth was slated to feature major upcoming games like The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Doom Eternal. The show, which has drawn over 70,000 attendees in the past, takes place in Boston, Massachusetts from February 27 to March 1.
This news comes two weeks after a man living in Boston was found to have the illness after returning home from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
“We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily,” Sony wrote in the post. “We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern.”
Update: “While we are saddened that Sony will no longer have a presence at PAX East 2020, we look forward to welcoming our friends at Sony to future PAX events and are focused on making PAX East 2020 a successful and enjoyable event for all attendees and exhibitors,” said Kyle Marsden-Kish, the show’s event director. “PAX East 2020 will take place as scheduled with enhanced cleaning and sanitization across the show, including adhering to the recommendations set forth in the U.S. EPA’s Emerging Pathogen Policy regarding cleaning disinfectants effective against the COVID-19 virus.” Marsden-Kish said that more information is available on the PAX East website.
Kotaku has contacted Sony for more information.
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