We still remember back in the days, E3 (a.k.a Electronic Entertainment Expo) was the biggest event for video games annually, where we get news about new and upcoming games, new console reveals, and more.
Nowadays, E3 is no longer relevant in the current video game landscape as the major video game and console companies have their own shows such as Sony PlayStation’s State of Play, Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct, and Nintendo Direct. So, it’s no surprise to hear that E3 has been cancelled, again.
IGN reports that the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) informed its members that E3 for this year has been cancelled.
In an email sent out to its members, the ESA stated that although E3 is still a popular event, there was not enough interest to execute it in a way that would showcase the industry’s size, strength, and impact.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming at ReedPop, released a public statement:
This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome.
For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences.
The ESA did not mention holding the event in the future, but they said they will continue to collaborate with ReedPop on future E3 events.
This year’s event was scheduled to take place in June and would have been the first in-person E3 since 2019. E3 was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and held a digital version in 2021. Several major industry players, including Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Ubisoft, have announced that they will not participate in E3 in any capacity, preferring to host their digital showcases.
