The writing has seemingly been on the wall for a while now, but it seems E3 2023 has officially been canceled. After years of COVID-inflicted cancellations and half-measures, E3 was supposed to return this year courtesy of PAX producer ReedPop, but the new organizers haven’t been able to attract the most important thing for a successful E3 – publishers willing to show off their latest games. Not many publishers publicly lined up to support the new E3, and a number of companies, including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Sega, and Tencent, confirmed they’d be no-showing.
Well, now IGN has confirmed this year’s E3 has been scrapped. E3 co-organizer the Entertainment Software Association reportedly quietly sent out an email to members saying the show was off, despite being a “beloved event and brand.” They further explain that this year’s show “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.” It doesn’t sound like any promises of a future return were made, as it seems like E3 may be well and truly done for.
Is the E3 concept simply past its prime? That’s a hard argument to make when Gamescom is still very much a going concern, but perhaps its days are numbered, too. The idea of a big spectacle of a show, where all the publishers show up and are essentially on the same level battling for public attention was certainly exciting, but these days most companies prefer more control over the narrative.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, which essentially lets publishers run the show, is still going strong. For those looking for some hands-on time in the L.A. area, a number of publishers have said they’ll be attending “Play Days,” the in-person even associated with Summer Game Fest.
E3 2023 was meant to run from June 13 to June 16 until its untimely demise. What were some of your favorite memories from E3s past? Were you ever able to attend the show in person?
