PAX West will be an in-person event this September

(Image credit: PAX/Reed Pop)

PAX West will hold an in-person event this September in Seattle, reports Polygon.

The expo will be the first major in-person gaming event since February 2020's PAX East in Boston. All other major gaming conventions went digital - or were cancelled outright - in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PAX East took place February 27 to March 1, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts and was the last large-scale gaming event held in the United States before the country went into lockdown. PAX Online 2020 was held in lieu of a PAX West and a PAX Australia, which were scheduled for September 12-20 and October 9-11, respectively. PAX Online took place over a course of nine days, with three streams that ran 24 hours throughout the entire event. It included gameplay, panels, concerts, and competitions. PAX Online East 2021 will take place on July 15-18 with optional badges available for $15 that will offer purchases access to special events.

ReedPop is reportedly promising "detailed health and safety guidelines" for this year's PAX West, which will be released before the event takes place. PAX West 2021 four-day passes cost $230. As of publication, Seattle COVID restrictions still require fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks while indoors, although that directive will be lifted as of June 29, according to KingCounty.gov. The county currently has 70% of its residents aged 16 and up vaccinated, which is likely to be a factor in the loosening of restrictions.

There's no way to predict what the COVID-19 restrictions will be like come September 2021, but the US still has a travel ban on countries in Europe (including the UK), China, Iran, Brazil, and more. That could affect what kind of developers show up to PAX West 2021.

Check out a recap of the all-digital E3 2021.

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.