E3 2023 Physical and Digital Events Cancelled

Today the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), and ReedPop announced that the 2023 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is cancelled. The announcement came via the official E3 Twitter account and confirmed that the physical and digital events for the expo are cancelled. This news comes on the heels of announcements that several major game companies are skipping the 2023 E3 expo. Earlier this year Nintendo and Microsoft announced that they would be skipping this year’s E3. Earlier this month Sega, Tencent, and Ubisoft announced that they would be skipping E3. This marked a huge blow to the conference as Ubisoft was a staple presenter.

News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ

— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023

The cancellation of E3 comes as the result of a myriad of issues the conference had been facing. The breakout success of Nintendo Direct streams has inspired many companies to adopt a similar format. This has resulted in Sony withdrawing from E3 completely in 2019, opting for their own streaming events throughout the year. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused the sudden cancellation of E3 in 2020. The expo has struggled since with an all-digital event in 2021, and another cancellation in 2022. E3 2023 was planned to be a return to form for the struggling conference. It remains to be seen what this means for E3 2024 and beyond. The ESA has assured the public that they are reevaluating the future of E3.

SOURCE: Official Twitter