The AdeptiCon 2021 and Las Vegas Open 2021 tabletop gaming conventions have both been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions.
AdeptiCon released an official statement on December 4th, confirming that the 2021 convention would be cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, and lockdown restrictions placed on events and gatherings by the State of Illinois. You can read the full statement here.
AdeptiCon started in 2003 as a largely Warhammer 40k-focused tournament, and has gradually grown to become one of the largest American tabletop miniature game conventions held in the first quarter of the year. The convention is traditionally held towards the end of March, with 2021’s event originally scheduled to run the 25th through the 29th.
The five-day convention hosts hundreds of events each year, including tournaments, painting competitions, open play groups, hobby panels and seminars, a board game library, and vendor booths.
Arguably the largest and most anticipated of these panels is the yearly Games Workshop keynote, which reveals many upcoming products for Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Bloodbowl, Necromunda, and various other specialty games, novels, and video games set in the Warhammer universes.
Many other major companies also have an official presence at AdeptiCon, including Privateer Press, Wyrd Miniatures, Fantasy Flight Games, Mantic Games, Reaper Miniatures, Corvus Belli, and Warlord Games. AdeptiCon 2020 was also cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Much like AdeptiCon, the Las Vegas Open (also known as LVO) is another major tabletop gaming convention held in the first quarter of the year. LVO 2021 was originally going to be held January 29th through the 31st, but was officially cancelled over the weekend due to lockdown restrictions related to COVID-19.
All hotel reservations booked through LVO’s partners have been cancelled automatically, and attendees have until January 28th to fill out a form to get a full refund.
LVO is organized by Frontline Gaming, and features a wide variety of tournaments for Warhammer 40k, Age of Sigmar, Warmachine and Hordes, Infinity, Star Wars Legion, X-Wing, and more.
The event also features vendor halls, panels and seminars, and more. Since it is traditionally the first major tabletop convention in the year, many companies also feature preview events and keynotes showing off upcoming products that will be released in the first and second quarters of the year.
Much like with E3 and other video game conventions, COVID-19 caused the cancellation of a large number of tabletop gaming conventions throughout 2020. Many, such as GenCon, switched to a special digital event with livestreams, previews, and various tabletop companies selling convention exclusives through their official websites.
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