Take This has made the difficult decision not to attend PAX West 2021 in person. We will be running an online AFK Room through our Community Discord as we have done over the past year (including during PAX East online this month).
After careful consideration of the present state of the COVID-19 pandemic, consultation with our Board of Directors, numerous volunteers, as well as conversations with public health officials and researchers, we came to the conclusion that we could not provide an acceptable level of service in the AFK Room and still ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and attendees. We know that a return to in-person events is going to be simultaneously a joyful and stressful event for so many people. People desperately want to reconnect with people in person, especially after more than a year of isolating and combatting this global threat to health and wellbeing, and that many people are looking forward to the return of PAX in particular. Still, the pandemic is not over. According to the CDC, fewer than 60% of adults in the US are fully vaccinated as of July 12, 2021, and rates of infection are once again on the rise. Given this reality, we have a high level of responsibility towards our staff and volunteers regarding safety and health, especially when it comes to mass gatherings of people travelling from all over the country.
We will still strive to serve the PAX and gaming community to the best of our ability, and in a manner which minimizes risk. Throughout PAX West, you will be able to find the AFKOnline at https://discord.gg/TakeThisOrg.