This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been canceled.
In a world where publishers began hosting their own digital and physical events, E3 struggled to stay relevant.
Then the pandemic hit, upending the entire convention industry. E3 was forced to cancel in 2020, then move to a free, all-digital virtual format in 2021.
E3 was set to return to an in-person, physical format this year for 2022, but then back-pedaled to another online-only format as of January after “ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19.”
But now we’re not even getting that much, as the Entertainment Software Association confirms that E3 2022 has been canceled altogether.
E3 has been in a weird situation over recent years, as more major publishers, such as Electronic Arts and, most recently, Sony, pulled out in favor of hosting their own events during the same time frame (June).
Helping fill the void of a prominent video game showcase is Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, which coincidentally takes place in June. Summer Game Fest, which began in 2020, is modeled after E3, with dozens of publishers and developers announcing new games and revealing trailers.
Keighley wasted no time tweeting a reminder of the live show:
Excited to share that @SummerGameFest will return this June with a slate of events. We’ll be producing another Kickoff Live show with announcements, news and first looks.
Much more to share in the coming weeks, along with some very cool new elements for ’22. pic.twitter.com/jjXLG8Xueh
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) March 31, 2022
Though we’ve only had a single E3 show in the last three years, the ESA is confident that E3 will return to normal in 2023.
