The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced the cancellation of E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) 2023, almost a year after it announced the return of the event. IGN has received confirmation from two sources that the ESA notified its members of the cancellation by email.
The email said that while E3 “remains a beloved event and brand” that the 2023 version “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.”
At the end of the email, the ESA emphasized its commitment to the public representation of the gaming industry but made no mention of future events. ReedPop’s global vice president of gaming, Kyle Marsden-Kish, released a statement expressing regret for the cancellation and explaining that the decision was made in the best interest of the industry and E3. Marsden-Kish also apologized to companies planning to attend the event, admitting that resource issues and the lack of playable demos made attending E3 an insurmountable obstacle for many.
The statement noted that ESA and ReedPop plan to continue working together on future E3 events. E3 2023 was set to take place from June 13 to 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and would be the first in-person E3 event since 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 event was held digitally.
The return of E3 was announced in June 2022, while also confirming that E3 2022 has been canceled. Several of the industry’s biggest players, including Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Ubisoft, previously announced that they will not be participating in E3 in any capacity, but instead will be holding their own digital showcases.
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