The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has officially canceled E3 2023, citing a lack of sustained interest from industry members. Major players in the gaming industry, including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Ubisoft, had already confirmed that they would not have a presence on the E3 2023 show floor. ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis explained that changes in marketing plans from game companies and a willingness to experiment with digital events contributed to the decision to cancel the event.
The COVID-19 pandemic also changed the timeline for game development for several companies, leading to a lack of playable demos that would have been ready in time for the show. Pierre-Louis noted that the ESA is committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening, but wants to find the right balance to meet the needs of the industry. The ESA is not ruling out the possibility of future E3 events but will iterate and evolve the format to meet the changing needs of players and companies.
News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ
— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023
E3 2023 was supposed to run from June 13th to 16th in Los Angeles and would have been the first in-person E3 event since 2019. Despite the cancellation, there will still be plenty of video game news to look forward to in June, with companies like Ubisoft and PlayStation running their own digital events. Microsoft had previously pledged to be part of E3’s digital show and may still have announcements in spite of the lack of an E3 event itself. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest will also take place on June 8th in Los Angeles.
