Coronavirus Update: PlayStation Pulls Out Of PAX East 2020 In Boston Over Exposure Concerns

KEY POINTS

PlayStation announced it was pulling out of the convention over continued concerns over possible coronavirus exposure at the event
PAX organizers said PAX East will still go ahead as scheduled and they would be implementing more thorough "enhanced cleaning and sanitation practices"
PlayStation was scheduled to present the first public demo of the highly anticipated PS4 game, "The Last of Us Part II"

Sony announced Wednesday it won’t be attending PAX East 2020 in Boston due to concerns over possible coronavirus exposure at the event.

The announcement was made on the PAX official website and official PlayStation blog because of the growing number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. Justin Massongill, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications Manager, updated the original blog post outlining Sony’s plans for 2020 PAX East convention.

“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],” Massongill said. “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.”

While PAX organizers said they were disappointed, they understood and “look forward” to welcoming back Sony at future PAX events.

The convention is still scheduled to take place from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1, but extra precautions will be taken to minimize the chances of exposure.

“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,” a news update said. “We are working closely with the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and following local, state and federal public health guidelines, including those issued by the CDC.”

PAX East was set to be a major show for PlayStation as it was scheduled to have the first public demo for Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated PlayStation 4 game, “The Last of Us Part II.” “Final Fantasy VII Remake” was also scheduled to be at the show, providing fans an update on the state of the game.