The COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic shows no signs of stopping at this time, so many event organizers are choosing to play it safe and either postpone or outright cancel their events set for this year. The annual QuakeCon has also been cancelled for this year - which was especially significant, since it would have been the event's 25th anniversary.
The organizers, id Software and Bethesda Softworks, announced the news over Twitter, saying that even though the worst may be over by August - the event's planned date - it will still be impossible to coordinate everything necessary for it in time. Those include partners, vendors, volunteers, and others, as there is a lot of work that goes into organizing such conventions.
The announcement goes on to say that they "hope to work with you to come up with other ways to celebrate the spirit of QuakeCon this August," further adding that they will be back next year when all of this blows over. In the replies to the tweet, fans express their disappointment, but add that they understand where the team is coming from.
The cancellation of QuakeCon 2020 was almost expected, as the pandemic brought many other events to a similar fate, ranging from the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year, to esports tournaments. Some have adapted to the circumstances: gamescom 2020, for example, will simply take the form of a digital event, with the on-site con still a possibility.