After having been cancelled in 2020 and online-only in 2021, for the third year running E3 will not see a physical return in 2022, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has confirmed.
The reason cited is the ongoing pandemic and concerns surrounding the return to in-person events, particularily with regards to the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.
In a statement to IGN, the ESA declared: “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022.”
“We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”
This year’s cancellation has been announced sooner than previous years. In 2020, the ESA cancelled the event in March as the pandemic loomed over the world, with the event being cancelled the following year due to continued concerns. In place of an in-person event, 2021 saw the event be held virtually, as was commonplace within the games industry at the time.
Whilst it is presumed that E3 will take place online again in June, as it did in 2021, this is yet to be confirmed.
