The organizers of another major tabletop gaming convention announced the cancellation of their 2021 event on Monday. The Nova Open, an integral part of the miniature wargaming circuit, will not take place this year. It was scheduled for September 1-5 in Arlington, VA. The organizers pointed out the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After months of careful planning, considering the data available and communicating with our partners and participants,” the organization said in a newsletter, “including the hundreds of people who have contributed to our surveys in recent months, the board has done so. ” the difficult decision to cancel NOVA Open 2021. “
The organizers noted that its partners – including Games Workshop (Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 40,000), Corvus Belli (Infinity), and Fantasy Flight Games (Star Wars: X-Wing miniature game, Star Wars: Legion) – were due No resources can be committed to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. In addition, the venue had no clarity on “what restrictions may or may not apply to major events”.
The cancellation also called into question the financial stability of the event.
“The board is facing a major challenge as we adjust our resources and ideas so that they remain solvent until registration starts on March 1, 2022,” the organizers said in the email. There are several ideas on the table including selling goods to keep the event going.
The decision to cancel the largest wargaming convention on the east coast of the United States calls into question the feasibility of the other remaining marquee events in the tabletop industry, some of which still have tentative dates on the calendar.
The food truck pavilion in front of the convention center at Gen Con 2019. Image: Gen Con
Gen Con is the longest running and largest tabletop gaming convention in the US with a peak attendance of more than 70,000. The event was named the Lake Geneva Wargames Convention in Wisconsin in 1968 and was originally hosted by Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons. It is now privately owned and held in Indianapolis, IN every year. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the online pandemic.
Gen Con announced tentative dates for its 2021 meeting in December and scheduled the event for August 5-8. It has been pointed out, however, that “a multitude of factors must come together for a physical convention to be feasible”. So far, it has declined to sell badges or register guests for hotel rooms. Gen Con, who came out for comment Tuesday, said it would soon be making a statement on the future of this year’s event.
Two other high profile tabletop events with tentative dates on the calendar are PAX Unplugged, currently scheduled for December 10-12 in Philadelphia, and BGGCon, currently scheduled for November 17-21 in Dallas. None of the events have tickets available for sale. Polygon has asked both organizations for an update.