Minecraft Festival, the three-day celebration of all things
Minecraft, was supposed to take place this September in Orlando; however, due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, the event has been postponed.
Although September is still a few months away, the uncertainty of the virus makes planning too difficult. As a result, the event will now take place in the Fall of 2021. In a
message to fans, the show's organizers explained:
Our partners, producers, and exhibitors are based in all corners of the world, and right now we can’t meet and collaborate in the way we need to. Without knowing exactly when we can resume planning, we have decided to postpone. That way, we can make sure that next year’s event will be the amazing one that our community expects and deserves.
Thankfully, in 2020 there are alternative ways to celebrate games. Minecraft Live, which was supposed to be streamed directly from Minecraft Festival, will still happen as planned. The livestream will provide news and announcements for
Mineraft including behind-the-scenes exclusives without any fear of spreading the virus.
Minecraft Festival is hardly the only event to be cancelled as a result of coronavirus worries. The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was also postponed to later this year over coronavirus concerns. Additionally, numerous companies have pulled out of South by Southwest, the giant film, interactive media, and music festival that takes place in mid-march in Austin, Texas. Additionally, numerous game developers, including
Bungie and Microsoft, have implemented work from home policies to limit their employees' exposure to the virus.