E3 2023 Officially Canceled Following Rise in Private Events

E3 has remained a popular event for learning about upcoming news in the gaming industry. However, recent years have seen developers splitting away from the expo to create their own showcases, leading to the cancelation of E3 in 2022.

Despite many hoping E3 would continue in 2023, this is no longer the case. Multiple significant studios have backed out of the in-person event in favor of private and online showcases to highlight their upcoming projects, leaving a dubious future for the previously landmark exhibit.

E3 2023 announces cancelation months before event

As shared on the E3 Facebook, it has been confirmed that 2023’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will not be happening.

This comes after an interview between the Washington Post and Stan Pierre-Louis, President of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), in June 2022, where there was a promise that E3 would see a return in 2023.

The announcement was made on IGN, with multiple sources citing that the ESA has sent several emails confirming this information. The reason behind this was that the 2023 version of the show “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary,” and what would have appeared would not have reflected the proper strength of the industry.

This is days after Ubisoft formally announced that they would not be attending E3 and would instead be holding a separate event as a live stream. Multiple other larger studios had already shared that they were not planning to make an appearance at the show, including PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.

Following IGN’s reporting, a formal press release was sent out with a statement by Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming, ReedPop, stating how this decision was not easy to make. The press release also details how ReedPop and the ESA are exploring future E3 events and how they can better present products and demos that better reflect the industry.

Despite the cancelation, it seems fans will be able to keep track of game announcements in the numerous upcoming showcases planned by developers throughout 2023.