ChinaJoy to be Held on Schedule in Shanghai in August

ChinaJoy, one of the largest annual digital entertainment and gaming expos in Asia, will be held offline on schedule in Shanghai from July 31 to Aug. 3, as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides in China and the government looks to boost the recovery of the gaming and entertainment sectors, according to an official WeChat post from the expo organizer.

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Also known as China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference, ChinaJoy has been held for 17 consecutive years and will soon welcome its 18th anniversary. The covention features anime, comic, and games (ACG) related products for both consumers and businesses. Last year’s ChinaJoy event attracted 364,700 players, exhibitors, and industry professionals.

The expo section of ChinaJoy 2020 is divided into three primary sections: the main ChinaJoy exhibition, eSmart, or the Global Smart Entertainment Hardware Expo, and CAWAE—Comic and Animation World Amazing Expo. Additionally, this year’s ChinaJoy will have new, separate exhibition areas for toys, cloud gaming, tabletop games, and indie games.

To push for the Shanghai government’s goal of turning the city into a global “esports capital,” local and central government agencies will also hold the 2020 Global Esports Conference on Aug. 1 alongside ChinaJoy’s existing expos and conferences.

The 2020 ChinaJoy will also be the first to have an online version named “ChinaJoy Plus,” though the post did not specify how it is going to be implemented.

Despite the receding coronavirus pandemic in China, ChinaJoy will still require temperature checks and health code verifications for visitors. The convention will also limit the number of admissions for popular exhibition areas to avoid overcrowding.

The rampant COVID 19 pandemic has affected many major gaming conventions and events around the world, forcing expo holders to cancel or postpone the events indefinitely. In March, the 2020 E3 gaming convention — the world’s largest gaming expo — was canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus. Just two days ago, organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Game Show said they would move the event online to prevent the spread of COVID-19.