ReedPOP is going virtual with 'Metaverse' con in August

ReedPOP — the organizer behind such nerd-based gatherings as New York Comic Con, Emerald City Comic Con, Keystone Comic Con, MCM Comic Con, Florida Supercon, and C2E2 — has announced its own digital convention in the age of coronavirus: "Metaverse."

Scheduled to run between August 13 - August 16, the multi-day event "is a virtual realm, the sum of all fandoms," reads the announcement. "You’ll encounter one-of-a-kind interactive experiences with your favorite celebs and creators, discover new releases, explore a rich exhibitor marketplace, get access to sweet merchandise, and connect with other fans from across the globe to celebrate all things pop culture."

Panels, meet & greets, and cosplay competitions, and more are among the experiences listed in the video below. We'll be sure to keep you updated on more details as they drop.

As The Beat points out, this isn't ReedPop's first computerized rodeo. The company organized a two-day Star Wars con in honor of this year's May the 4th.

"The ReedPop crew loves running events for you," continues the Metaverse description. "Building your geek home away from home is the reason we get out of bed in the morning. Since we can’t do that in-person this summer, we’ve worked hard to create a space to bring the fun of our events to you digitally. Throughout the coming months, we’ll be adding new features to bring the experiences you love to the comfort of your home screen."

Due to the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, large gatherings have become all but impossible during the current health crisis. As a result, events that would normally take place in person are migrating to the internet. Just this weekend, San Diego Comic-Con took place in an entirely digital setting for the first time ever (and it's been running for over five decades). Last month, Emerald City officially scrapped its physical con, but promised to transition online in August. Other cons (like Star Wars Celebration, for instance) have been pushed off to 2021 or 2022.

At this time, it's unclear when in-person functions will be able to resume.