Essen Spiel 2022 makes masks mandatory but not COVID-19 vaccinations
Requirements may change in accordance with regional laws.
Visitors to this year’s Essen Spiel tabletop gaming convention will be required to wear masks but will not need to have proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Announced via a newsletter for the upcoming event, it has been confirmed that guests going to Essen Spiel 2022 – the largest tabletop gaming convention happening this year – will need to wear a medical grade protective facemask over the nose and mouth. The restrictions will be put in place in response to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, with all indoor areas of the convention requiring all visitors – besides children under the age of 6 – to wear a medical mask.
However, visitors to Essen Spiel 2022 will not need to provide proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Whilst last year’s convention had guests both wearing masks and needing to have vaccination passports in order to enter the Messe Essen Convention Centre, Essen Spiel 2022 will only require guests to wear medical masks.
On September 29th, the region in which the Messe Essen Convention Centre is based, known as the North Rhine-Westphalia, will be seeing a new COVID-19 Protection Ordinance come into effect which may change visitor requirements. The website for the Essen Spiel 2022 convention will include any potential changes to COVID-19 restrictions and requirements as soon as they are announced, with the event organisers advising guests to check before they travel.
These COVID-19 restrictions differ from those enforced during this month’s Gen Con event in Indiana, USA, which required visitors to both wear masks and have proof of vaccination. According to Gen Con president, Davide Hoppe, the requirements were put into place for the sake of the safety of “the community,” after the event received feedback from “exhibitors, GMs and attendees.”
In contrast, UK Games Expo 2022, which took place earlier this summer, did not require its visitors to either wear masks or provide proof of vaccination. Despite the guidelines for UK Games Expo 2021 changing to require moof of vaccination and masks in response to widespread backlash, UK Games Expo 2022 dropped all requirements for COVID-19 safety due to the UK Government removing all requirements and restrictions earlier this year.
Essen Spiel 2022 is set to take place from October 6th to 9th at the Messe Essen Convention Centre in Essen, Germany, with Dicebreaker set to cover the convention.