Major companies and publishers had confirmed in recent weeks in a string of reports and announcements that they wouldn’t be involved in E3 2023, starting with the likes of Nintendo and Microsoft and then, more recently, Ubisoft and Sega following in their footsteps. Reports subsequently emerged, claiming that the event could be cancelled altogether imminently. That has now been officially confirmed.
E3 2023, which was set to take place from June 13 to June 16, has been officially cancelled, it was announced recently by the ESA and ReedPop, this year’s official event organizers.
In a statement to IGN, the ESA and ReedPop said, “This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences.”
E3 has been struggling to varying degrees for a number of years, with E3 2018 having been the last fully-featured event to be put on. E3 2019 saw Sony backing out from the show for the first time since its inception, while E3 2020 was cancelled altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show returned in 2021, but in very limited capacity and as a digital-only event, while in 2022, it was cancelled again.
The month of June still has a number of major gaming events and showcases scheduled, however, including Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase (which will be followed immediately by the Starfield Direct), and Ubisoft Forward. Reportedly, Sony also has a PlayStation Showcase planned for around that time. Meanwhile, leaks have claimed that Konami, too, had big plans for E3 2023, with announcements lined up for a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and a new Castlevania game, though it remains to be seen how the company will shift plans now that the event has been cancelled.
News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ
— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023
