New York Comic-Con is officially going virtual

New York Comic-Con is falling in line with other conventions and taking things virtual for its annual gathering in October.

It comes as no surprise whatsoever that New York Comic-Con is the next major convention to announce that it is opting for the virtual approach. Given concerns over the coronavirus, it makes sense to steer away from extremely large in-person gatherings, even if we might miss pouring into convention halls to take photos, check out cosplay and see our favorite creatives speak about what they’re doing. Safety first — we’ll be nerding out before we know it!

ReedPOP, the company behind many fan-centric pop culture events, shared earlier today that New York Comic-Con won’t be taking place in person this year at the Javits Center in New York City. Instead, ReedPOP will be holding a virtual event, hosted through a video portal called the Metaverse, from October 8-11, not unlike what happened with San Diego Comic-Con@Home last month. There’s also going to be a Metaverse event from August 13-16 featuring celebrity experiences, exclusive merch and an online marketplace.

Over the course of four days, we’ll get everything New York Comic-Con has to offer, but from the comfort of our homes while wearing our Captain America pajamas. Plenty of panels are in the offing, including ones about Starz’s American Gods (rock on, Ricky Whittle), the Star Trek shows on CBS All Access, and stuff from Hulu, FX, Dreamworks and more.

While Comic-Con@Home panels were pre-recorded, Metaverse is changing things up by bringing in a live component. Just like the in-person event, fans will be able to participate in Q&As during panels. Instead of trampling one another to get to the mic, we’ll be sitting in front of our computers with our fingers at the ready.

We’ll also be able to hang out with other fans through the Community and Live Chat features, which truly makes this feel like a Comic-Con event. It’s just not the same if you’re not talking to complete strangers and bonding with them over your shared geekery.

While we won’t be packing our bags to head to any conventions this year, I’m thankful for all the efforts that have been made to keep fans connected. We already got a taste with Comic-Con@Home. Up next is DC’s 24-hour DC FanDome event, which promises to be one heck of a party:

As for New York Comic-Con’s Metaverse, mark your calendars for October 8-11 and get ready to “Find the Metaverse” as New York Comic-Con goes virtual for the first time.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t Forbes