E3 2023 has been canceled, according to reports from IGN, after major gaming companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Sega, and Tencent announced they would not be participating in the event. The expo was set to return to Los Angeles for the first time since 2019, but a lack of sustained interest led to its cancellation.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reportedly informed its members that E3 2023 “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 event was planned as a return to the L.A. Convention Center, marking the first in-person event since 2019. ReedPop, the company behind PAX, Star Wars Celebration, and other fan-focused events, was enlisted by the ESA to run E3 2023. The expo aimed to combine a gathering of publishers, developers, media, and buyers with “in-person consumer components” and digital showcases. When it was announced in July 2022, ReedPop promised that “E3 2023 will be recognizably epic — a return to form that honors what’s always worked — while reshaping what didn’t.”
However, the gaming community can still look forward to a host of events in June. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest will take place on June 8th, offering an alternative platform for game publishers and developers to showcase their products. The in-person Play Days component will also return this year, as reported by IGN. Microsoft’s annual Xbox showcase and Starfield-focused show are scheduled for June 11th, while Ubisoft’s in-person Ubisoft Forward Live is set for June 12th.
The cancellation of E3 2023 marks the third scrapped version of the event in recent years, raising concerns about the expo’s health and the industry’s valuation of it. E3 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting game publishers to hold their own digital showcases over several months. In 2021, E3 was an all-digital event. The ESA attempted both in-person and digital versions of E3 2022, but both were ultimately canceled.
Despite the cancellation of E3 2023, gaming enthusiasts can anticipate a summer packed with news and announcements. With Summer Game Fest and individual events by major companies like Microsoft and Ubisoft, there will still be plenty of opportunities for developers to showcase their latest projects and gamers to explore upcoming releases. The shift away from E3 highlights the changing landscape of the gaming industry, as companies increasingly opt for digital showcases and separate events to engage with their audiences.
