Following reports of the ESA failing to plan an online event for E3 2020, representative the organization has officially confirmed that it won’t be happening. Speaking to PC Gamer, the “disruption” caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic (which resulted in the on-site event being canceled) was to blame. However, there are some plans to promote “individual company announcements.”
“Given the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June. Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences.”
Though E3 2020 won’t have even have an online event in the coming months, that doesn’t mean we won’t have news or announcements from major publishers. Microsoft confirmed that it was working on digital Xbox event in lieu of E3’s cancellation. It also recently announced that all events up till July 2021 would be digital-first. Ubisoft is also planning some kind of digital experience.
It’s only the likes of Bethesda that have said it won’t have digital showcase in June, though it still has “lots of exciting things to share” in the coming months. Nintendo will likely have its own Direct presentation while Sony, which already confirmed it wouldn’t participate in E3, could release a State of Play video in the coming months. Stay tuned as always for more details.