TwitchCon Amsterdam, set to take place on May 2 and 3, has been canceled. Twitch made the tough decision by considering the risk of attendees getting infected by the COVID-19 virus. They released a statement regarding the event and their plans.
Twitch informed fans of the disappointing news through an official Twitter post on Friday morning. It linked to their website, where they posted the official statement.
“We have been monitoring Coronavirus concerns and having weighed the potential health risks to our community, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel TwitchCon Amsterdam.”
Many followers responded to the statement with both disappointment and relief. Some stated they will have to return their flight and hotel bookings.
An important update on TwitchCon Amsterdam: https://t.co/PDYUMetQtn pic.twitter.com/SA1wVIs8mX
— GlitchCon (@TwitchCon) March 6, 2020
Refunds to the fans
Fortunately, Twitch did not leave their fans out to dry in terms of refunds. The streaming platform stated that those who bought tickets would receive a full refund. Additionally, they assured fans that their other bookings are taken care of.
“If you have booked through Twitch’s hotel block, cancellations can be done free of charge… you will need to contact RAI Hotel Services to cancel, we cannot do so on your behalf.”
Their next TwitchCon event will take place in San Diego from September 25 to 27. Although that is far from now, San Diego detected its first COVID-19 carrier yesterday. Considering how quickly the virus spreads, experts are uncertain how long the outbreak will last.
A disappointing blow for people who were planning to attend, but a smart decision from Twitch. It's important to be proactive in this scenario; thank you for making the hard choice and putting everyone's health and safety first.
— Anne Munition (@AnneMunition) March 6, 2020
The growing number of cases
Unfortunately, the Netherlands has a quickly growing case of the virus, with 128 total confirmed cases as of today. Although disappointing to see, canceling TwitchCon will help prevent the spread of the infection. This isn’t the first gaming event to experience cancellation because of the outbreak. This morning, the Pokémon European International Championships also stated its official cancellation.
We will continue to update our readers on the status of the COVID-19 outbreak as it relates to esports and gaming.
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