QuakeCon 2020 cancelled

I’m sure this was assumed by most, but now it’s official. Bethesda and id have cancelled the 2020 edition of their fan convention, QuakeCon.

Quaking into 2021

Shutting down major conventions has become old hat already here in 2020. In the wake of the continuing coronavirus scourge, we’ve already seen the cancellation of shows both small and large, like the industry’s biggest convention E3.

The latest to fall is QuakeCon, the id Software-centric con put on by the developer and publisher Bethesda every year. The show was originally set to be put on this coming August, but will instead be cancelled and picked up again in 2021.

Yes, August is a way’s off, but as an official press release describes, it’s not really clear what the world will be looking like even that far off. Not that it made for an easy decision, especially this year. That’s because the companies also point out that this year was actually the 25th anniversary of the con.

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.

Bethesda and id Software

For their part, the companies then went on to thank the fans and volunteers. They also said that, while there won’t be an actual QuakeCon this year “other ways to celebrate the spirit of QuakeCon this August” just might. So if you’re a fan of the developer, stay tuned.

Personally, I’m crossing my fingers for a Quake reboot.