Square Enix has become the latest company to change plans for PAX East due to concerns over COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus), scaling back plans for Final Fantasy 14 at the show in particular.
While not pulling out of the show entirely, the company’s Japanese staff will no longer be attending, meaning a panel session, developer signings, developer photo opps and a fan gathering will no longer take place at the show.
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On the Final Fantasy 14 blog, a spokesperson wrote:
“As the community may be aware, COVID-19 (also known as “novel coronavirus”) is spreading within the East Asia region. Taking into consideration the current situation within the region, sadly SQUARE ENIX has decided to cancel the PAX East attendance of staff who would be travelling from the Japan offices. This difficult decision was based on our desire to prevent any potential spread of the virus and to prioritize the health and safety of our team and our fans.”
There will still be a booth for Final Fantasy 14 at the show, and experiences like the Ruby Weapon Challenge will still be taking place. Square Enix also has plans for Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Outriders at the show, which appear to be unaffected at time of writing.
This is the latest in a slew of announcements centred around concerns over COVID-19. Sony has pulled out of PAX East and GDC, The Outer Worlds has been delayed on Switch, and Taipei Game Show was postponed entirely.
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Source: IGN.com Square Enix Scales Back PAX East Showing Due to Coronavirus