PAX South has ended “for the foreseeable future.”

[pixeldreams]

Just received this email minutes ago:

To our PAX South fans,

When the first PAX was held in 2004, we expected at most a hundred locals to show up. Never in our wildest dreams did we anticipate more than 3,000 passionate fans to arrive, or for our one-time event to turn into a series held in five cities around the world. While each of our other events has flourished, some of them drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees from around the world, PAX South hasn't expanded and to some extent has remained the same show that it was when we opened it in 2015.

Faced with that reality, and compounded by the impact of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to bring PAX South to an end for the foreseeable future.

The heart of PAX South lives on in the incredible memories we made in our Texas community and with the international fans and Enforcers who came out to support the show.

We're sorry to all our friends who were looking forward to the show's return in 2022 - we join them in that - but we hope to see you again at our other events as PAX returns. You will forever be part of our family and the legacy of PAX. We learned a great deal from you, and future shows will be better for it.

Thank you, San Antonio, for always embodying the PAX spirit by welcoming home gamers and the people who make the things we love.

-The PAX Team

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It really sucks as it was far more affordable to travel here than Boston or Seattle, it was definitely smaller than the coastal ones but it was nice that it didn't feel super overcrowded, not to mention the central/midwest doesn't have much when it comes to big time gaming conventions. Hopefully them or someone else will rise up in the coming years.

 

[Goldenroad]

Good. Fuck Texas.

I don't mean it's good that people have fewer conventions to go to, but just that I don't want to see gaming companies helping the Texas economy in light of...things. I will also say, I know they're not doing this for altrusitic reasons, but there are plenty of better states to encourage people to visit and spend their money than Texas.

 

[DrForester]

Too bad it's for economic reasons and not because Texas just flat out sucks.

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

Bummer. I feel like PAX has lost its identity and just turned into just another video game convention. I've been to both Prime and East and they feel similar. Hadn't been to South, but it being smaller makes me think the vibe was closer to what the others were in the beginning.

 

[RetroRunner]

Fuck Texas and fuck Tycho and Gabe

 

[jeelybeans]

Good. Fuck Texas.

I don't mean it's good that people have fewer conventions to go to, but just that I don't want to see gaming companies helping the Texas economy in light of...things. I will also say, I know they're not doing this for altrusitic reasons, but there are plenty of better states to encourage people to visit and spend their money than Texas.

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This is a pretty damned ignorant post to all the progressive Texans that live in the state.

 

[HylianSeven]

That sucks. I really liked going to it.

 

[Goldenroad]

This is a pretty damned ignorant post to all the progressive Texans that live in the state.

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I don't want to get into it, I'll just say, It's not directed at them. Obviously I'm talking about the majority of Texans who are clearly not very progressive.

 

[P-Bo]

Fuck Texas and fuck Tycho and Gabe

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I have not kept up with Penny Arcade in a long time--did anything else happen besides the dickwolf issue?

 

[Coolluck]

The timing meant it never had the backing needed to make it stand out. Given all the crap going on in Texas lately though, no need to keep throwing money after it.

 

[RetroRunner]

I have not kept up with Penny Arcade in a long time--did anything else happen besides the dickwolf issue?

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That's the time I tuned out, I vaguely remember hearing other things but can't recall the details. I've heard nothing to cause me to reevaluate, and I have read their "apology".

 

[Pasokon Deacon]

A shame for certain. Big geekdom conventions in the U.S. have been hit so hard by COVID (no thanks to deniers/anti-vaxxers), such that only the largest long-time events have weathered it. Let's Play Gaming Expo in Irving was the closest one for me and they've been on hiatus since 2020. At least MAGFest's happening again, with a strict vax-and-mask policy as well.

I really hope any notable cons left in Texas take an increasingly hardline stand against everything Abbot & his merry megalomaniacs have been pushing in the name of satiating insatiable GOP bigots. Definitely much more work should go to structuring these events as safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ expression since not everyone can visit a blue state gathering for that.

 

[pixeldreams]

At least MAGFest's happening again, with a strict vax-and-mask policy as well.

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That's good to hear, I never went since it happened around the same time as South so maybe I'll start going to that one instead.

 

[killa2max]

PAX West was very disappointing this year so you're not missing much.

 

[P-Bo]

That's the time I tuned out, I vaguely remember hearing other things but can't recall the details. I've heard nothing to cause me to reevaluate, and I have read their "apology".

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Same here, dropped them a little after that--not that I missed much by the looks/sound of things.

 

[jeelybeans]

I don't want to get into it, I'll just say, It's not directed at them. Obviously I'm talking about the majority of Texans who are clearly not very progressive.

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You don't have to talk to a third party "them", I am right here. There are plenty of Texans skimming this thread too. Not everyone has to be up to your standard of progressive to not be abandoned. Texas is where Georgia was at maybe ten years ago. Imagine if people said the shit about Georgia that you are saying right now. There are people in Texas doing the hard work to turn this state blue and shitty drive by "lol Texans dont deserve a gaming conference because fuck Texas" is not helpful at all.

 

[Goldenroad]

You don't have to talk to a third party "them", I am right here. There are plenty of Texans skimming this thread too. Not everyone has to be up to your standard of progressive to not be abandoned. Texas is where Georgia was at maybe ten years ago. Imagine if people said the shit about Georgia that you are saying right now. There are people in Texas doing the hard work to turn this state blue and shitty drive by "lol Texans dont deserve a gaming conference because fuck Texas" is not helpful at all.

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I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

 

[Gentlemen]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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god this is some twisted, gatekeeping mental gymnastics to cover for a 'fuck texas' driveby.

 

[Diarrhea Day-Lewis]

Good. Fuck Texas.

I don't mean it's good that people have fewer conventions to go to, but just that I don't want to see gaming companies helping the Texas economy in light of...things. I will also say, I know they're not doing this for altrusitic reasons, but there are plenty of better states to encourage people to visit and spend their money than Texas.

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Sucks because San Antonio is like 65%+ liberal, 65%+ Latino and typically much better than the rest of Texas, which the republicans have rigged to be easier to win statewide elections.

it was great here in SA, PAX that is. Wish it could stay but I get it.

 

[jeelybeans]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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All I am going to say is there are plenty of gay people and women fighting for their rights in Texas who are also perfectly safe in Texas and would like to go to a gaming convention. I am not advocating against or attacking anyone who does not feel comfortable coming to Texas, but I am also not going to condone such a disregard for the millions of people in Texas who are both gamers, progressive, and/or of a protected minority status.

 

[Goldenroad]

god this is some twisted, gatekeeping mental gymnastics to cover for a 'fuck texas' driveby.

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I'm not gatekeeping, nor am I covering for anything. I'm trying to engage in a conversation online tough, which is stupid and I should definitely stop doing though, so I will.

 

[Thordinson]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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As someone from San Antonio, I have no worries about saying it's a safe place for women and LGBTQA+ especially downtown. The Gay Strip near the Convention Center is a highlight of safe and inclusive spaces many owned by LGBTQA+ people. I'm part of the LGBTQA+ community myself. I'd say the same about Dallas, Austin, and Houston.

 

[vixolus]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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Do you think Texans are riding around on horses through San Antonio or Austin wrangling up women and non cis-het presenting people?? Like it's some sort of warzone? I went to school doing game development at a "conservative" school with plenty of LGBTQA+ people, worked at a studio with the same, and lots of us went to PAX South / QuakeCon, etc. This isn't some defense of this state's shitty government, but it's just... not true at all that the major cities are unsafe to visit. If someone doesn't feel comfortable or doesn't want to go to Texas for whatever reason, that's fine, but the hyperbole feels unnecessary.

 

[iksenpets]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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This is silly. Texas is a terrible place to try to vote, and a terrible place to try to get reproductive healthcare as a woman. None of that makes it a dangerous place for people to visit for a weekend. It's not an active war zone, no one is more likely to die or suffer injury there than anywhere else in the US.

Texans are dealing with a government actively trying to make their lives worse; they don't need people running campaigns to impoverish their economy and deprive them of basic entertainment and community building events while smugly telling themselves what good progress this intentional infliction of collective suffering is sure to bring about and how good it is that they're making the wicked suffer. You're acting like it's some 90/10 split and the ten are just some unfortunate collateral damage in your effort to wreck the place, and not a place where 47% percent voted against all the evil youre lamenting and now have to deal with your attacks on top of everything else.

 

[Goldenroad]

As someone from San Antonio, I have no worries about saying it's a safe place for women and LGBTQA+ especially downtown. I'm part of the LGBTQA+ community myself. I'd say the same about Dallas, Austin, and Houston.

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I don't want to keep engaging in this, but is open carry allowed in SA? If so, I personally wouldn't feel safe there regardless of any other factors, but if you do, that's cool, but I also think laws like that make people, especially marginalized groups, less safe than in States that do not allow for everyone to walk around with a gun in their hand.

Obviously people should take your word over some guy on a gaming forum from Canada. I'm just saying, I wouldn't want to travel somewhere with regressive gun laws like Texas. It's not like I hate Texans or said "fuck texans". I don't. That's not who I am. I'm talking about the State. The lawmakers. The legislation. When I say "fuck texas" that's what I'm referring to.

 

[Rob]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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Please. Be quiet and listen to people actually from San Antonio.

 

[Haruko]

PAX South's laid-back nature was such a great feature of the con that made it unique to the other PAX.

I get with TX's mishandling of COVID and their fuss against mask and vax requirements, that it doesn't make sense to go back right now. I know West and Unplugged require masks AND proof of vaccination.

I'll still miss it though.

 

[Thordinson]

I don't want to keep engaging in this, but is open carry allowed in SA? If so, I personally wouldn't feel safe there regardless of any other factors, but if you do, that's cool, but I also think laws like that make people, especially marginalized groups, less safe than in States that do not allow for everyone to walk around with a gun in their hand.

Obviously people should take your word over some guy on a gaming forum from Canada. I'm just saying, I wouldn't want to travel somewhere with regressive gun laws like Texas. It's not like I hate Texans or said "fuck texans". I don't. That's not who I am. I'm talking about the State. The lawmakers. The legislation. When I say "fuck texas" that's what I'm referring to.

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Yes. You know how many times I've seen someone open carry in my day to day? Zero. Especially downtown near the convention center where most visitors would stay. We're a majority minority city. The majority of states allow for open carry. It's America, sadly.

I completely get what your saying. If you don't feel safe, I get it. But it is a safe place for marginalized groups in general.

 

[iksenpets]

Yes. You know how many times I've seen someone open carry in my day to day? Zero. Especially downtown near the convention center where most visitors would stay. We're a majority minority city. The majority of states allow for open carry. It's America, sadly.

I completely get what your saying. If you don't feel safe, I get it. But it is a safe place for marginalized groups in general.

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I'll say the same thing for Dallas: I've literally never seen a non-police officer armed in public. It's an absolutely, batshit insane law, but in urban/suburban counties it's basically completely ignored.

And just to put some numbers to it instead of our anecdotal evidence 2020 murder rate for PAX East host Boston is 8.2 per 100000 residents, while the wild, gunslinging culture of San Antonio has cursed it with a murder rate of… 8.5 per 100000 residents.

 

[phant0m]

PAX Unplugged is still best PAX.

When I first went to PAX East back in 2011 it was such a good time, we got to see/play awesome game demos and got so much free swag. Easily a half-dozen shirts among other stuff. It felt like a real fan and enthusiast appreciation event. Now (at least pre-covid) it's so jammed and overpacked, devs just drop trailers on YT anyway, and free shirts have been replaced with merch booths to spend spend spend in.

 

[Mr. Gold]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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Man, what on earth? Do you realize how insane you sound?

 

[Crayon]

I saw a giant rocking chair in Texas. And a 64oz steak. In the same building.

I also saw a Porsche doing what must have been 150mph on the interstate with the lights off in the middle of the night and a highway patrol chasing like 5 minutes behind. It was like the coolest thing I've ever seen.

I was just passing through. That's the only time I've been there.

 

[ReginaldXIV]

This is probably more of a cost saving thing than about Texas mishandling COVID. I personally didn't even know that PAX West happened this year until this thread.

I wonder how many conventions will cease to exist if and when the world stabilizes.

 

[Deleted member 99019]

I don't want to keep engaging in this, but is open carry allowed in SA? If so, I personally wouldn't feel safe there regardless of any other factors, but if you do, that's cool, but I also think laws like that make people, especially marginalized groups, less safe than in States that do not allow for everyone to walk around with a gun in their hand.

Obviously people should take your word over some guy on a gaming forum from Canada. I'm just saying, I wouldn't want to travel somewhere with regressive gun laws like Texas. It's not like I hate Texans or said "fuck texans". I don't. That's not who I am. I'm talking about the State. The lawmakers. The legislation. When I say "fuck texas" that's what I'm referring to.

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just want to chime in here and say that as a Vermonter who has heard my state lauded as one of the most progressive in the US for my entire life. we have identical open carry laws to Texas, and very lax gun permit laws

i am also queer and lived in Boston for years. my friends and i experienced as much or more homophobic and transphobic harassment and violence as any of my friends and relatives in the US south

i understand feeling unsafe in the US- i often do!- but you should understand that these are wider issues not remotely unique to Texas. they just have a gov't less representative of their population than many states. these same issues should make you reconsider attending conventions like PAX East as much or moreso

 

[MegaRockEXE]

That's a shame. I was looking forward to attending a different PAX and visiting Texas for the first time as well. I guess I'll just wait for PAX East.

 

[Yasuke]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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Man, as a nigga who lives in Texas and is extremely vocal about how backwards the governance of the state is, I don't think you actually know what a regular day in Texas is like lol

 

[Slayven]

Man I must not be with it, I didn't even know there was a Pax South. Hell I thought their was only one Pax

 

[Smash-It Stan]

im really confused as to how this thread devolved into talking about the political climate in texas really quick, in a thread about PAX not doing a San Antonio event anymore. Did I miss like 3 paragraphs from the OP where it says they are stopping the event solely because of the states government actions concerning a shitload of things? The statement posted clearly says that the other PAX's have grown a lot while the one in Texas has remained basically the same, so with covid making things worse I guess they just want to divert their time, money and effort toward the other PAX's?

 

[iksenpets]

im really confused as to how this thread devolved into talking about the political climate in texas really quick, in a thread about PAX not doing a San Antonio event anymore. Did I miss like 3 paragraphs from the OP where it says they are stopping the event solely because of the states government actions concerning a shitload of things? The statement posted clearly says that the other PAX's have grown a lot while the one in Texas has remained basically the same, so with covid making things worse I guess they just want to divert their time, money and effort toward the other PAX's?

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The thread turned to politics because the first few threads were immediately celebrating the closure as a good way to fuck over Texas, and people slinging takes like that has a way of hijacking threads.

For the actual issue in the OP, their explanation makes sense (though it feels a little disingenuous after they specifically marketed South as a smaller event). Event organizing in covid times seems like a nightmare, and it is hard to ignore the reality that you're working in a state where the governor is trying to tie your hands for dealing with the pandemic, even if they didn't specifically cite that.

 

[DealWithIt]

I don't presume to speak for, or understand the penny arcade people, but I will tell you that they have multiple visible trans people on staff, or at least did when I deleted Twitter.

 

[Antrax]

just want to chime in here and say that as a Vermonter who has heard my state lauded as one of the most progressive in the US for my entire life. we have identical open carry laws to Texas, and very lax gun permit laws

i am also queer and lived in Boston for years. my friends and i experienced as much or more homophobic and transphobic harassment and violence as any of my friends and relatives in the US south

i understand feeling unsafe in the US- i often do!- but you should understand that these are wider issues not remotely unique to Texas. they just have a gov't less representative of their population than many states. these same issues should make you reconsider attending conventions like PAX East as much or moreso

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From Mississippi, moved to Boston. Can confirm. I honestly felt safer walking in the pride parade back in MS than I do sometimes up here.

People's voting records are better up here, but individually they've been less pleasant to engage with in my experience

 

[SparksterMeta0]

This was actually my first ever PAX event and, iirc, I went to their first ever PAX South and enjoyed it.

Despite going to the West and East a couple of times, I always wanted to check out South again but never had the chance. So it's too bad that's not happening anytime soon.

 

[TheAggroCraig]

I went to every PAX South and I can say without a doubt it was some of my favorite times ever, I've made a bunch of friends from TX and will cherish all the memories I have.

I don't blame them for pulling out of TX one bit, the state is going against everything PAX stands for these days, and I hope to one day return to the riverwalk with or without a con because it is a fucking blast there.

 

[gogojira]

A bunch of stupid mother fuckers in this thread judging all of Texas by its shit leadership. There are plenty of true blue Texas areas. The state sucks for a lot of reasons, but welcome to America.

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

Without jumping into this 'fuck Texas' bandwagon, PAX South definitely was the odd one out. It didn't really have an identity, was set in the dead calendar period, and there was no one prominent to headline it since all the big Austin devs like Gearbox stopped showing up.

I definitely enjoyed the two times I went (especially 2015 since that's when I first saw Homeworld Remastered) and miss doing the annual GoT bar crawl at the Riverwalk.

 

[Prophet Five]

This is a pretty damned ignorant post to all the progressive Texans that live in the state.

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be careful - when I said something like this about Floridians you'd think that I murdered someone's family.

 

[Pyro]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US.

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Spoken like someone's who never been to PAX South or the South in general. My friends that went did so multiple times, always felt comfortable and had a great time.

 

[Fahdi]

I don't think you can consider yourself progressive and also suggest that women and LGBTQA+ people should feel comfortable travelling to Texas for a gaming convetion. Gaming conventions should be (ideally) safe and inclusive spaces, and Texas is the furthest thing from that probably in all the US. I'm glad to hear you're doing the work and trying to make your state a more progressive place so people want to come there. But it is not that place right now and I hope as a self-identified progressive, you can understand why that is.

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What the hell is your problem? Like seriously that's messed up. SA is an inclusive city and you've just generalized all of us into one myopia bomb.

 

[Josh5890]

I went to South twice (2015 and 2017). It was a smaller (compared to East) but nice convention. It was pretty clear early on that it wasn't going to be one of the big boys, pretty much because of its place on the calendar. I got to hold and play the Switch ~6 weeks before launch and that was a great thrill.

This news isn't all that surprising. I think they grew too fast with the conventions going from two to four within a couple of years. Now with COVID killing social engagements it kind of makes sense to cut the cord on Pax South, even if it stinks. Still, I will have plenty of memories from my trips and the streetpass hits as well!

If you ever make your way down by San Antonio, the Riverwalk is amazing.

 

[Cantaim]

I'm not surprised I had friends that made the trip once in awhile and while they all had fun. They said it was a bit of a weird one as it was kinda in a dead period schedule wise. Was also smaller then the other PAX's if I remember right. I know COVID really has not helped anything but it was probably the final nail they needed to close the convention for good.

For those talking about women and minorities not feeling safe traveling to Texas. That is fair if there are people that don't want to. But if people don't feel safe going to tourist town SA. Then there aren't a lot of place left to travel in the U.S. lol.