We've been going to PAX, a gaming convention in Seattle, since 2013, but it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year PAX was one of the first major conventions to start up again. They were a bit too optimistic to get passes on sale as a newer more contagious variant of COVID-19 (delta variant) started hitting the world a month before PAX started. We still decided to go as the organizers took safety very seriously and required attendees to wear masks at all times and also required people to provide either proof of vaccination or proof of a recent COVID test. Unfortunately Vivian couldn't go as vaccinations were not yet available for those under twelve years old, but Rachel and Lily were able to attend.

This year's PAX was definitely different than the previous years. First they had reduced the number of attendees so it didn't feel as crowded as before. Second only a fraction of the exhibitors from past years attended. The only large exhibitor was Bandai Namco. The big three: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, had no presence. This lead to a surprisingly small expo hall which is normally the main draw of PAX. Fortunately there were many other activities to do at PAX which didn't change much. We attended panels, did console and PC freeplay, played in a tournament, attended a gaming concert, watched the Omegathon tournament and watched live D&D with Aquisitions Incorporated. The only things that were missing was VR freeplay and the sometimes good PAX parties.

In the end it was still a good PAX and I was happy to attend. Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that it proved a large gathering can be safely done during a pandemic as long as everyone stays masked up and vaccinated. If everyone were to be this safe then the pandemic would be over, but unfortunately there are too many who feel being safe as an attack on their freedom and will prolong the pandemic to a point where it may never completely end.

Playing a Game in the Reduced Expo Hall

PAX Panel

Acquisitions Incorporated

PC Freeplay

VR Demo

Empty Hall

Omegathon Final

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September 3-6, 2021