Coronavirus News: 2020 BAFTA Game Awards Red Carpet Event Cancelled, Show Will Be Online Event

KEY POINTS

The awards show will go forward as an online event on the originally scheduled date of April 2
The red carpet event will not take place to prevent possible exposure to COVID-19
BAFTA's announcements comes a day after the ESA said it was canceling the 2020 E3 floor show

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts said Thursday the BAFTA Game Awards would be held as an online-only event due to concerns over coronavirus.

BAFTA said it would still be holding the annual awards show scheduled for April 2. However, it would not be holding a red carpet event and the show would be scaled down to a digital-only event due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Europe.

The academy posted a statement on the show’s official website, saying:

“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.”

It’s the latest gaming event to be canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus, including the Game Developers Conference and SXSW.

The biggest hit came on Wednesday when the ESA announced it would be canceling E3 2020 because of the coronavirus. Organizers said they would work with developers and publishers to host online events to highlight games and announcements planned for the show.

Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Digital Devolver said they would be hosting online events in place of their annual E3 stage presentations.

The BAFTA’s announcement also comes after President Donald Trump banned travel to 26 European countries in an effort to contain the virus’ spread, but travel to England and the rest of the United Kingdom remained open.