COVID Central: QuakeCon 2020 Has Been Canceled

In an unfortunate but entirely expected announcement, ID Software, hot off the release of Doom: Eternal, has told the world that QuakeCon 2020 has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the actual event was set to take place in August, it would be impossible to set up now, even if by some miracle the virus was contained by then.

Here’s what they said exactly:

To all of our friends in the QuakeCon community,

QuakeCon has always been a special event for us and for you – a time when we gather together to play games and build bonds that, for some, have lasted a quarter-century now.

In recent weeks we have spent a lot of time discussing how we might still move forward with QuakeCon this year, particularly given that it’s the 25th year of the event. However, with all of the logistical challenges and uncertainties we currently face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s QuakeCon. The health and safety of our employees, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and players will always be our top priority, and in these times it felt wrong to be talking about a gathering when gathering is the last thing any of us should be doing right now.

While we don’t know what the state of the pandemic will be this August, we do know it will not be possible to complete the work and planning with partners, vendors, volunteers, and others that is required to make QuakeCon a success.

We thank all of you – especially the volunteers – for all your work in building and supporting this event year after year. We hope to work with you to come up with other ways to celebrate the spirit of QuakeCon this August, and we look forward to the return of this amazing event next year.

Until then, be safe, look after each other, and play games.

Peace, Love and Rockets,

id Software and Bethesda Softworks

As you might expect, the current plan is to try to host something online. But right now we don't know what that'll look like, or even when it will happen.

We'll keep you posted.