E3 2023 Canceled

Well, IGN has now confirmed that E3 2023 has been canceled. I don’t think anyone can genuinely claim they’re surprised by this outcome. For those who haven’t been keeping up, several companies recently announced their non-arrival at the event, including Sega, Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Other major ones, like Square Enix and Activision, never confirmed their status.

Initially meant to occur in Los Angeles between June 13 and June 26, this in-person event could have been seen as a potential resurgence following E3’s lacking presence over the past half-decade.

While IGN did not reveal its two sources, the ESA is stated to have said the following in an email:

“[E3] remains a beloved event and brand ]that] 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.”

With this final nail now in the coffin, it’s safe to assume that E3 will never be as it once was. If it does somehow return in the near future, it will be far, far different. The days of E3 being the central gaming event for the year have been over for years, and this cancellation sets that in stone even more.

Honestly, it’s kind of sad. There was always shared excitement whenever E3 was closing in back in the day due to its marathon-like nature of back-to-back announcements and conferences. Still, I suppose all things come to an end eventually. At least we have Summer Games Fest and developer-hosted shows to look forward to from now on.

UPDATE: E3 has officially confirmed this news via their Twitter account:

News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ

— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023