Despite initial plans seeming to point toward hosting a digital showcase for a second-straight year, the Entertainment Software Association has now canceled Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) 2022.
This is a decision that has been rumored for several months, even after the ESA made its initial announcement that in-person plans had been canceled. The company did not confirm at the time that it was going to host a digital event, leaving fans to wonder about the future of E3.
Now, it has been confirmed by multiple sources, including IGN, that E3 2022 has been fully canceled.
E3 has been considered one of the biggest gaming and entertainment events for years, beginning in 1995 and quickly becoming a staple of the industry for new reveals and information. It was canceled for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before shifting to an online format for its 2021 showcase.
With E3 no longer on the table, more game developers and publishers are likely going to be hosting their own digital showcases or will partner with pre-existing brands to be featured in theirs. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest will also likely play a larger role this year for game reveals and presenting new information for older games.
E3 will return in 2023 as a “reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations,” according to an email sent out to the ESA’s partners in regard to the cancelation.
The revitalized E3 2023 is being planned as a physical and digital experience that aims to bring community, media, and the industry as a whole together via an “all-new format” that includes interactive experiences. The physical portion of the event will be held live in Los Angeles, with more news and announcements to be shared soon.
Update March 31 2:48pm CT: More information was provided about the future of E3 events following the digital event’s cancelation. The article has been adjusted to reflect this.
