Popular gaming expo E3 stands cancelled in any form, physical or virtual, for the year 2022, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) confirmed today via an official statement to IGN. This comes after ESA had already announced it’s plans to not host the event in-person.
The announcement was initially revealed via tweet by Will Powers (PR Lead, Razer). The tweet read as follows.
Just got an email… It’s official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this…
The news was later confirmed by ESA themselves in a statement to IGN. While the specific reason for the cancellation of the event remains unknown, ESA did announce that E3 will be returning in 2023 as a “Reinvigorated showcase”. The complete statement read as follows.
We will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience.
We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023
This would mark the third consecutive year since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, that E3 has not been hosted in physical form. While then event was entirely cancelled as a sudden consequence of the pandemic in the year 2020, It made a virtual, online-only return in 2021. The plans for a physical, in-person event were cancelled by ESA in January amid Omicron concerns.
Since it’s inception in the year 1995, E3 has been a highly sought after platform for major game developers to showcase new game releases, new console releases, Press conferences etc. While the gaming community has expressed a lack of interest and a decline of effort on part of the developers, the event has largely been successful and attracted major developers and audiences.
