After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the Electronic Entertainment Expo was set to return in 2023. However, the ESA has confirmed that they’re pulling the plug on this year’s E3.
According to IGN, two sources confirmed the cancellation via an email that was sent out to ESA members. The email read that while the event, “remains a beloved event and brand” this year’s E3, “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.
The Global VP of Gaming at Reedpop Kyle Marsden-Kish, issued the following public statement in regards to the cancellation, saying, “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.”
Marsden-Kish went on to say, “we appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. 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.”
CGM’s Dayna Elieen was able to further confirm this cancellation sharing an email she received from the E3 registration team stating the event has been cancelled, and apologizing for any inconvenience this may have caused with scheduling.
IGN initially prompted a response from the ESA when it reported that Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony wouldn’t be part of E3 2023. While at the time, the ESA affirmed their commitment to the convention and expressed deep confidence in Reedpop, saying they would, “tap into their rich history of hosting popular industry events, like PAX, and broader consumer shows, like Comic Con.”
However, I personally have been wondering if it was time to say goodbye to E3 personally and it seems now that some of what I said back in 2022 has come to pass. Whether E3 will dissapear forever remains to be seen, but the future certainly looks uncertain for the worlds largest gaming tradeshow.
