Last year changed a lot of things, and one thing that took a big hit was live events and conferences. Though E3’s influence has waned in recent years as major players such as Sony and Nintendo have either abandoned the event or reduced their presence significantly, it is still the tentpole event of the industry for the majority of companies, and its cancellation last year was one of the first signs that the gaming industry was not going to have a normal time in the era of COVID. Now, the organizers behind the event, the ESA, are looking to return for digital show this year. They are also trying to get ahead of a recent rumor.
Originally reported by VGC, it was said they had sources that said the ESA was pitching ideas of there being some type of premium paywall where certain content would be locked behind. It was unclear what content that would entail exactly. However, a spokesman on behalf of the ESA reached out after the report to debunk the rumor, saying, “I can confirm on behalf of the ESA that there will be no elements at E3 2021 that will be behind a paid-for pass or paywall.”
E3 2021 is set for this year in June, though as of now, details are unknown. Though it seems, at least, you won’t have to subscribe to any of it.