City of Austin cancels SXSW 2020 over coronavirus concerns
SXSW 2020 has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
SXSW 2020 organizers have announced the March event has been canceled by the city of Austin. This will be the first time in 34 years the Texas event will not take place.
According to the official announcement, options to reschedule the event are being discussed, and organizers are working to provide a "virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible" for participants, starting with SXSW EDU.
This year's event was to feature a keynote from former Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime. The annual Sonic panel was also set to take place, and Sega had said to expect a "special announcement or two."
The company is now working on a new format for the panel which is now scheduled for April.
The COVID-19 virus has caused concern for many events, most recently Emerald City Comic-Con, which takes place in Seattle, was moved to summer due to coronavirus cases in the city.
Other events such as GDC 2020, Eve Fanfest, and various eSports events have been postponed or canceled. Some developers also decided to skip Pax East over coronavirus concerns.
Thanks, Gematsu.