PaizoCon Online Cancelled, Fans Rally With Bridging the Gap Convention

Paizo announced on February 18, 2026 that PaizoCon Online would not take place in 2026, triggering a surge of threads and replies across the official Paizo forums as players debated the decision and shared disappointment. Maya Coleman, Community & Social Media Specialist at Paizo, posted in the forum that the publisher wants time to "reevaluate" the event: "Simply put, we think there could be better ways to make PaizoCon more enjoyable and effective for people, so we need some time to reevaluate. Hopefully we’ll be able to come up with something that works great for everyone!"

Within days of the February 18 announcement the Organised Play Online region moved to fill the calendar hole, announcing a grassroots online convention called Bridging the Gap 2026 scheduled for May 22–25, 2026. Organised Play Online described the event as intended to replicate the multi-table specials and community spirit of the official PaizoCon, and the slate will include games across Pathfinder (both editions), Starfinder, and the ongoing Starfinder 2e playtest.

One immediate practical loss for fans is the absence of the traditional PaizoCon keynote that many watched for product reveals; observers characterized the loss of the Erik Mona Keynote as a blow. Paizo has confirmed it will shift new product announcements from a single keynote to standalone livestreams throughout the year, though no dates or formats for those livestreams have been provided by the company so far.

Paizo’s move comes amid significant internal work: the company is transitioning to a new webstore and pushing toward the full release of Starfinder Second Edition. Industry observers described the timing as a busy juncture for the publisher, which frames the 2026 pause as a temporary hiatus to rethink PaizoCon’s format and timing rather than an indefinite cancellation.

Players looking to keep campaigns moving while the May convention calendar reshapes have practical options identified by community reporting. Demiplane remains a hub for digital play and campaign resources, and Paizo’s blog is hosting the latest Starfinder 2e playtest materials for the Daredevil and Slayer classes, giving GMs concrete downloads to run test sessions or inform Bridging the Gap runs.

Forum discussion after February 18 surfaced recurring complaints about rising travel costs and health risks at large gatherings, and several posters argued that the online alternative is a vital, accessible lifeline for international fans. Bridging the Gap 2026 is billed as a grassroots response to that need, but organisers have not yet published detailed schedule, registration, platform, or moderation information; those operational details will determine whether the community event can match the multi-table scale fans expect in May. Paizo’s stated plan to spread product reveals across livestreams and the community’s decision to stage Bridging the Gap set the calendar for a fragmented but active year for Pathfinder and Starfinder players.