The South by Southwest festival, known as SXSW, is an annual conference held in Austin, Texas, that "celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. "SXSW is not a gaming-specific event, but interesting things about gaming definitely Definitely does: for example, last year's event featured details on "Halo: The Master Chief Collection," and in 2018 they hosted a panel on "Ultima Underworld," one of the best RPGs of all time.

But this year, with SXSW not taking place, such content will not be forthcoming. This is because SXSW will not be held this year. Just one week before the scheduled date, the city of Austin canceled the event due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.

"We are devastated to share this news with you. It is in our DNA that 'the show must go on' and this is the first time in 34 years that the March convention will not take place. We are currently working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation," event organizers said in a statement.

"As of Wednesday, Austin Public Health said, 'There is no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gathering will make our community safer. However, this situation is evolving rapidly and we respect and honor the City of Austin's decision. We are committed to doing our part to protect our staff, our participants, and our fellow Austinites."

This year's Gaming Expo at SXSW will feature classic arcade stand-up and esports events, tabletop gaming, screenings of "Insert Coin" and "Console Wars," the annual cosplay contest, "Minecraft," "Sonic the Hedgehog," "How to Be a Game Maker," and other panels on the future. Registered exhibitors and games included Amid Evil, Namco Bandai, Extra Life, and IGDA.

Organizers are currently looking to reschedule the event and are trying to put together a "virtual SXSW online experience" as soon as possible, starting with SXSW EDU, a conference focused on innovation in education. FAQs for registrants, clients, and attendees are also being developed.