Now that various cities, states, and counties have pushed for COVID-19 booster shots to become more available, many gaming enthusiasts will likely feel eager to attend in-person gaming events soon. This year has already seen a few prolific gaming events go in-person once again, with PAX East 2022 joining the list.
But the start of next year will likely provide a much better opportunity for other events to follow suit, as several people will have assumedly protected themselves from the delta variant by then. Of course, COVID-19 safety precautions remain important, especially since not everyone will have taken the aforementioned booster shots. The event organizers of the upcoming PAX East 2022 event know this, and while it will function as an in-person event, it will require attendees to provide proof of vaccination.
The return of PAX East
According to a recent press release, PAX East 2022 will take place between April 21, 2022, and April 24, 2022, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC). Attendees can expect “a massive expo hall floor, panels featuring industry luminaries, and a variety of competitive and casual gameplay areas.” The press release mentions that “show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade canceled PAX East 2021, prioritizing the health and safety of the community, and hosted PAX Online East in its stead.” It also mentions that after the organizers of this year’s PAX West managed to make the event safe for attendees, they intend for PAX East to “feature even more stringent health and safety requirements, including mandatory vaccination and face coverings for all in the BCEC.” The PAX organizers plan to require proof of vaccination “for all PAX events in the foreseeable future.”
It looks like the PAX East 2022 organizers will take health and safety guidelines seriously, which is fortunate considering how dangerous in-person events can be these days when handled improperly. Hopefully, the event organizers will succeed at properly enforcing these guidelines while making PAX East as fun as it can be.
