MomoCon 2020 Will Be Held Online This Year

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Organizers initially canceled Momocon 2020 due to lingering concerns around the coronavirus pandemic. / Facebook

MomoCon, one of Georgia's biggest fandom and gaming conventions, will be held completely online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic starting Thursday, May 21.

The move comes after several other "nerd culture" conventions around the country have opted to host digital festivities. 

The convention announced earlier this month they were canceling the yearly event, which for the past several years has been held at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. The event draws tens of thousands of anime, science fiction, video game and comic fans.

Founders and organizers Chris Stuckey and Jess Merriman said they didn't have a lot of time to figure out the logistics of moving the convention online, but were having discussions as early as February about what to do if MomoCon became impacted by coronavirus.

"We did our best to announce the online version once we were for sure going to have enough content to make it worthwhile," Stuckey said. "That was after several weeks of soliciting panelists, some companies and guests."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: MomoCon 2020 Canceled Due To Coronavirus Concerns

Merriman said the online version of the convention will feature the usual staples of MomoCon: panels, cosplay contests, and the chance for fans to meet and socialize. It will also feature several celebrities and popular brands.

"We have the voices of Overwatch and we have guests that are Japanese game developers and things like that," she said. "But then we also have some company participation with companies like Right Stuff and Crunchyroll."

MomoCon had humble origins in Atlanta. It initially began as a small convention hosted on the Georgia Tech campus. In the past ten years, it has since ballooned into one of the biggest events in the city. When word of the cancellation came down, many attendees took to social media to equally voice their support and sadness.

The support of MomoCon's followers isn't lost on Merriman and Stuckey.

"'It is surreal now, that people care about it not happening here physically this year," Stuckey said. "I mean, it feels good, but I didn't expect. I guess we're always a little self-deprecating in that we don't expect it."

MomoCon hosts several other events around the city throughout the year, including a "Cosplay On Ice" event in December. Right now, the organizers don't want to make any calls about the future.

"The world is on fire," Merriman said. "We'd like it not to be under fire, so we can host events again."