San Diego Comic-Con is going virtual with Comic-Con at Home

Following the cancellation of its 2020 event, San Diego Comic-Con announced plans to bring a virtual Comic-Con at Home to fans.

With large-scale events being canceled left and right due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it was no surprise that San Diego Comic-Con had to skip this year — even if it was a bit disappointing for fans. But despite not having an in-person convention for the first time since its inception, SDCC is still finding a way to celebrate fandom this year.

On SDCC’s official Twitter account yesterday, the event organizers announced they’d be hosting a virtual event dubbed Comic-Con at Home. The proclamation was a brief one, merely introducing the event and teasing that it’ll be held sometime this summer. The video posted with it teased that would be “coming soon” — and boasted about the “free parking” and “pets welcome” that the virtual setup will allow for.

Specifics are sparse at the moment, but fans can hope that, with a huge name like Comic-Con attached to the event — and given that most of us don’t have anything better to do — celebrities from the usual big franchises will make appearances. Other virtual events, like HomeCon, have already seen both celebrity and fan engagement during their panels. As to whether major announcements will be made during this virtual edition, that’s anyone’s guess.

For those more interested in gathering with other fans in-person once more, SDCC has already announced its 2021 dates as well. In a statement posted to the event’s website, the organizers wrote:

"“The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021. Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer. Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.”"

And it’s definitely nice to have the 2021 rendition of SDCC to look forward to, but it’s also a comfort to know that fans won’t be completely without this highly anticipated event in 2020. With any luck, we’ll get some virtual panels, cosplayer meetups, and big updates — but even if it’s just a bunch of fans coming together to share what they love online, there’s something special about that, especially during these trying times.

What do you think of SDCC going virtual this year? Do you plan to tune in for the event? Sound off in the comments below.