A 2023 cancellation of E3
Earlier, Microsoft and Nintendo, along with numerous other significant game creators and businesses, confirmed their absence. The announcement now follows this confirmation.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will not be returning to an in-person event in 2023. The trade event, which showcases the video game industry, was scheduled to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 13-16, but has been canceled due to “resourcing challenges.” This would have been the first in-person event since 2019. ReedPop’s global VP of gaming, Kyle Marsden-Kish, stated that the decision was difficult, but necessary for the industry and E3. Several major gaming companies had already confirmed that they would not be participating in the event before the cancellation was announced.
An email sent to Entertainment Software Association members confirmed that E3’s 2023 version did not receive enough sustained interest to showcase the size, strength, and impact of the industry. The cancellation came after companies such as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Ubisoft had already announced that they would not be participating. In February, ReedPop’s president, Lance Fensterman, stated that the event was still “full speed ahead” with confirmed exhibitors, despite Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot suggesting on an earnings call that E3 may not be happening.
E3 was first canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A virtual edition was held in 2021, with plans for an in-person return in 2022. However, both the in-person and virtual events were canceled. Past editions of E3 have drawn as many as 65,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors. The cancellation of the 2023 event marks the second consecutive year that E3 will not be held in person.
