EGX Rezzed 2020 Has Been Canceled

EGX: Rezzed 2020 has officially been canceled by the event’s organizers following a brief attempt to reschedule the event.

“Today Gamer Network and ReedPOP announce that EGX: Rezzed 2020, scheduled to take place at Tobacco Dock, London, from 2 to 4 July will be canceled following the escalation of COVID-19 in the UK, Europe and globally,” reads a press release regarding the event’s cancellation. “The effects, actual and projected, of Coronavirus are becoming evident across all aspects of our lives here in the UK and across the world, with many of our exhibitors and creators facing travel restrictions and quarantine measures. After extensive discussions with all the relevant public health, local and national authorities, and with our Rezzed partners, we have taken the decision not to go ahead with this year’s event.”

As noted in that statement, the plan was to reschedule the event for July following the delay of its previously intended start date. As we stated in our coverage of the GDC event that is set to run in August, it’s always been optimistic for any organizers to believe that they will be able to host such large events anytime over the summer. Remember that E3 2020 was supposed to run in June, and that event has since been canceled.

As it stands, though, EGX is still set to run from September 17-20. Furthermore, all Rezzed tickets have been upgraded to EGX tickets. Even still, those seeking a refund for their Rezzed tickets will still be able to request one by sending a message to egx.helpline@reedexpo.co.uk. The EGX Rezzed organizers also state that they intend to return “better than ever” in 2021.

It’s somewhat early to begin speculating on the odds of live events of this size starting up again in September, but that time frame does seem more realistic than July is looking at this point. Beyond the practical concerns of the spread of the coronavirus still being enough of a risk at that time to delay such events, there is the social and economic concern which leads us to wonder whether or not people will be willing to gather in such large groups so quickly after the events of the ongoing pandemic.

Given the somewhat unpredictable nature of this catastrophe, we’re all waiting to see whether or not everything from upcoming major game releases like Cyberpunk 2077 to the launch of the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all matters related to such events as additional information becomes available.