As worries over the spread of COVID-19 grow, game companies are taking precautions to not put their employees or the public at any unnecessary risk. Niantic is the latest to make a move in this respect, announcing the cancellation of itsPokemon GOSafari Zone Event that was scheduled to take place March 27-29 in St. Louis, Mo.
The company is looking into rescheduling the event to a later date, possibly within the next 12 months, and states that it will release an update as soon as it can. Those who already purchased a ticket for thePokemon GOevent are eligible for a refund, as long as they request one before March 25. They can also choose to hold on to their tickets, allowing them the ability to participate in Safari Zone Pokemon encounters and Special Research globally during the scheduled event hours.
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There are two other Safari Zone Events set to take place, one in Liverpool in April and another in Philadelphia that is scheduled for May. Niantic has yet to make changes to those events but is monitoring the situation and will likely announce any cancellations in the coming weeks.
COVID-19 is causing worries throughout the world and is impacting the tech world in a significant way. With convention season looming, a time with large groups of people all around the world gather in crowded halls, many of these big events are seeing changes as well. After Amazon, Gearbox, and Blizzard dropped out,GDC officially postponed the conference. In recent weeks, other non-tech events have been canceled as well, such as SXSW and Emerald City Comic-Con.
Despite cancellations and health concerns, there is at least one major convention that is proceeding ahead as planned. Organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, one of the largest trade events for the gaming industry, have released a statement sayingE3 will move forward despite Coronavirus fears. This isn’t to say they aren’t taking the situation seriously, and have said they are monitoring everything closely. Should the disease continue to spread, there is still a chance the June event will be canceled.
On a lighter note, there is still plenty of fun to be had inPokemon GOoutside of public events. There is a lot of new content being added to the game this month, which includes opportunities to catch rare and new Legendary Pokemon. Additionally, players will have their hands full with loads of newtasks and rewards in March 2020.
Pokemon GOis currently available in select regions on Android and iOS devices.
