The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is relocating to Europe after organizers deemed it unsafe for international guests to travel to the United States. Marc Abrahams, the awards' founder, stated that four of last year's ten winners skipped the ceremony rather than risk visiting the US. The move reflects growing concerns about the hostile environment for international travel under current US policies.

This isn't an isolated incident. Many international gaming developers are also skipping this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, citing similar safety concerns. Emilio Coppola, executive director of the Godot Foundation, told Ars Technica that he doesn't know anyone outside the US planning to attend GDC. The situation has created a chilling effect on international participation in major US events.

The Ig Nobels will now be hosted by Zurich's ETH Domain and University of Zurich every other year, with different European cities hosting in alternating years. Abrahams compared the rotating arrangement to the Eurovision Song Contest. The ceremony will not return to the US anytime soon, marking a significant shift for the awards that have traditionally been held at Harvard, MIT, and Boston University.