E3 2023 cancelled
The 2023 edition of gaming’s biggest annual showcase — the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) — has been cancelled.
IGN first reported the development after two sources told the publication that E3 members were emailed about the cancellation on Thursday.
The email stated that there had not been the necessary sustained interest to execute E3 in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of the gaming industry.
Shortly after that, the event’s organiser — ReedPop — confirmed the decision in a statement sent by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
“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,” said global vice president of gaming, Kyle Marsden-Kish.
Marsden-Kish said the organisers understood that some interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an insurmountable obstacle.
“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,” he added.
The past few months have seen multiple major industry players confirm they would not be attending E3 in any capacity.
That included all three of the biggest gaming console brands — Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. Game publishers such as Ubisoft also said they would hold digital events instead.
This year’s edition of the expo was scheduled for 13–16 June 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre and would have seen a return to an in-person format for the first time since 2019.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, E3 was cancelled in 2020 and remained an online-only affair in 2021. The hybrid-style event planned for 2022 was cancelled due to limited interest.
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