Microsoft and Epic Games cancel GDC plans
Both Microsoft and Epic Games have announced that they will not be attending the Game Developers Conference next month due to coronavirus concerns.
In a message posted to its developer site, Microsoft stated that it has decided to withdraw from the event “after a close review of guidance by global health authorities and out of an abundance of caution.”
“The health and safety of players, developers, employees, and our partners around the world is our top priority,” the company added. “Especially as the world is experiencing growing public health risks associated with coronavirus (COVID-19).”
Microsoft has instead opted to move the majority of its planned developer sessions and experiences to a digital-only event that will take place between March 16th-18th. The event will feature the latest information about cloud and game development technologies and panel discussions with industry leaders. More information about the event can be found here.
As mentioned above, Epic Games has also confirmed that it will be withdrawing from GDC as “uncertainty around health concerns has made it unviable to send our employees.”
Kojima Productions, Sony, and Facebook have previously announced that they will not be attending the event due to concerns about the coronavirus.
The Game Developers Conference is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from March 16th through March 20th.
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.
