Eve Fanfest is cancelled due to coronavirus and "prioritising safety"
CCP are cancelling early
Eve Online's big fan event in Iceland is now the latest to be cancelled over public health concerns surrounding spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). CCP announced today that in order to prioritise the safety of attendees, staff, and the local community, Eve Fanfest 2020 is being cancelled. The event was scheduled for April 2-4 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
COVID-19 is known to spread through contact with those already infected with the virus, making large international gatherings like Fanfest a public health concern. According to CCP's statement, the company are taking action to cancel the event now rather than waiting for the situation to develop further, for better or worse.
"It is with a heavy heart that we make this decision, and we know this news will be disappointing to our wonderful community, but we feel absolutely compelled to follow the most responsible course of action and prioritise the safety and well-being of our attendees, our staff and of course the general Icelandic public.
"We realise that the situation a month from now could be very different, but the way events are developing both globally and in Iceland's neighbouring countries, an in-depth and serious review has made it clear that this is a necessary step to take."
CCP say in the announcement they wanted to provide this information to attendees as soon as possible to allow people to change or cancel their travel and accommodations. There'll be no Space Pope this year after all.
Eve Fanfest is the latest in a growing list of global events that have been postponed or cancelled due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. This weekend's ESL Pro Tour now has no live audience. As of writing, GDC is still on, despite Sony and Facebook cancelling attendance along with Microsoft, Epic, and Unity.
You can read more about the COVID-19 coronavirus on the World Health Organization website.