Update Thursday 27 February, 9:00am: A spokesperson for PAX has told PocketGamer.biz that in the cases of CD Projekt Red and PUBG Corp, "neither company planned a formal presence in the expo hall or with a panel. Any changes in their own internal plans do not impact PAX."
Original story below...
Several major games companies have cancelled their appearances at PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts.
As announced in an update, Final Fantasy creator Square Enix will not send its staff from Japan to the event due to the coronavirus. As a result, the firm has been forced to scale back its planned activities for Final Fantasy XIV.
Square Enix has cancelled its fans gathering, The Artwork of Final Fantasy XIV panel and developer autograph sessions. However, the firm has confirmed its Final Fantasy XIV booth will still be on the show floor.
Japanese publisher Capcom - as revealed on Twitter - has also opted to scale back its PAX East presence. However, it didn't specify a reason - given that other companies have cited the coronavirus as the cause, it is possible the outbreak is the cause of Capcom's withdrawal.
The Monster Hunter creator has chosen not to send the team behind the fantasy RPG. This has resulted in the cancellation of an autograph session, though its Monster Hunter: Festa is still planned to go ahead.
Further disruptions
CD Projekt Red will also no longer be in attendance at PAX East. The news was confirmed by communications lead Stephanie Bayer on Twitter. She claimed at the time that the coronavirus was the cause, however that tweet has since been deleted - as spotted by Gamespot.
Meanwhile, PUBG Corp revealed to Gamespot that it would also not be attending the event in Boston. However, the company will reschedule its planned happy hour for a future event - once the virus is contained.
Epidemic
PAX East is not the only event to be affected by the coronavirus. Earlier this week, both Electronic Arts and Kojima Productions cancelled their appearances at GDC 2020. EA claimed the coronavirus was the cause.
Last week, Facebook Gaming and Sony also made it clear they wouldn't be in San Francisco. Yet again, the outbreak was the cause. The latter also chose to skip the Mobile World Congress 2020. However, the event was later cancelled.
Currently, GDC 2020 is still scheduled to take place. However, Chinese companies must either cancel their appearance or send a North American representative.
