San Diego Comic-Con is foregoing an in-person event for the second year running.
Comic-Con International revealed Monday that the upcoming convention would, once again, be virtual.
The news is hardly surprising given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Large gatherings are still very much off the table, and with the ever-changing rules surrounding how businesses should be working during the pandemic, it makes sense to go virtual.
The industry, as a whole, has largely been welcoming more virtual events to keep everyone safe during these trying times.
Instead of an in-person event, Comic-Con@Home will return for its second year and has been set for July 23-25.
This will be a free event and will bring some of the biggest talent associated with the biggest franchises together to offer fans a cutting-edge experience.
“The past several months have taken a great toll on both families and friends, and we hope this effort is a small move toward a return to gathering as a community to not only celebrate popular art, but also friendship, education, and the enduring spirit of the fandom that is so much a part of Comic-Con,” reads the statement.
“While we are buoyed by the rollout of the vaccine and the growing number of individuals being inoculated, it appears that July will still be too early to safely hold an in-person event of the magnitude of Comic-Con,” the organization wrote.
“While we lament the postponement of the in-person Comic-Con, our commitment to this community of fans and our celebration of comics and the related popular arts endures as an important part of who we are,” the statement continues.
People who purchased badges in 2020 that were rolled over to 2021 will have those now rolled over to the 2022 event.
There is also a November in-person event in San Diego in the works, but more details on that will be revealed down the line.
It will likely hinge on COVID-19 rates across the U.S. later this year.
“At this time, we are still working on specific details as to attendance capacity, badge cost, and related information, and those details will be forthcoming.”
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.