The E3 gaming show, which was scheduled to be held physically in Los Angeles this June, has been canceled. This is the first time since 2019 that the summer event in the gaming world has returned to an offline event, but it had to be called off because game majors such as Nintendo, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Tencent said they would not be attending.
The original date of E3 2023 was June 13 to 16, with some days open to industry insiders and some days open to the public. But before June, there are some worrying signs that the return of E3 may be in trouble.
According to an email to employees confirmed by IGN, E3 2023 “did not receive enough sustained attention to proceed in a manner that would showcase the size, strength and impact of our industry.”
Kyle Marsden-Kish, vice president of global games at organizer ReedPop, wrote in an email to The Verge
This was a tough decision because we and our partners have worked so hard to make this event a success, but we had to do what was right for the industry and right for E3. We appreciate and understand that those companies interested did not have a playable demo ready and had resource challenges that prevented them from overcoming the hurdles of attending E3 this summer. For those companies that have committed to E3 2023, we are sorry we cannot provide you with the event experience you deserve and that you have come to expect from ReedPop.Marsden-Kish concluded his email by stating that ReedPop and ESA will continue to work together on future E3 events, hinting that the show could be relaunched in the next few years.
In January, IGN reported that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony would not be attending the show, and Nintendo and Microsoft later confirmed this. During an earnings call in February, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot hinted that E3 might not take place at all, though ReedPop confirmed to The Verge that the event was still on. Ubisoft later said it would attend the show, but then backtracked, and IGN also reported in March that Sega and Tencent wouldn’t be at E3 either.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of gaming events in June, with Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest taking place on June 8 and live Play Days returning this year, and Microsoft’s annual Xbox Showcase and Starfield-focused showcase scheduled for June 11. Ubisoft’s live Ubisoft Forward Live is scheduled for the following day, June 12.
