E3 2023 Officially Cancelled

E3 has been on the rocks for the last few years, well, maybe even longer than that, with many of the big name brands and hardware makers shifting to online streaming events or their own events. Of course, Covid really buggered the in-person nature of the show too, and led to several cancelled events. About a year ago, they revealed the show is returning, but it seems all is not well!

It’s been a crazy few weeks for E3, with news that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will not be attending. Then slowly but surely, publishers have been pulling out or revealing that they’re not going at all, like rats fleeing a sinking ship it seemed. Well, here it is, as the Entertainment Software Association announced today to its members that Electronic Entertainment Expo (better known as E3) has been cancelled.

What this means for the future of the show is unknown, but I think it’s clear the show will shift to an online-only presence or disappear entirely… only time will tell I guess.

In an email sent out to their members, E3 said that “(E3) remains a beloved event and brand” and this year’s event “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.” So cutting their losses to stop losing money it seems.

Following a report from IGN, the ESA issued the following public statement from Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming, ReedPop:

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. 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.

I must admit, I was looking forward to the show, as it often has a few big reveals, and with most brands leaving, I was kinda looking forward to seeing Konami as the top billing, for better or worse.

We’ll update you as we find out any more on this subject.