In many ways, for anyone who’s been paying even the slightest attention these last few years, an obituary for E3 has felt unavoidable, but though it’s easy to understand why the event has fallen by the wayside and why the necessity for its existence has diminished so drastically in such a short amount of time, at the same time, it’s also hard not to look back at the twenty something years where E3 was an unshakable and ever-present pillar of the games industry and feel at least a little bit of sadness about how it has wasted away.

Even when it made its debut back in 1995, it was clear to everyone that E3 had instantly become the biggest event of the gaming industry. From Sony’s historic announcement of the original PlayStation’s price and release date, a moment that will forever be regarded as one of the industry’s most iconic, to Sega shadow dropping not a game, but an entire console in the form of the Sega Saturn, a decision that, in hindsight, was just plain foolish, in its very first year, E3 played host to some of the most momentous gaming moments we’ve ever witnessed, and it continued to be the place to be for such moments and announcements for years and years to come.

The list of unforgettable moments that existed at and because of E3 is a never-ending one. From Keanu Reeves on-stage with Cyberpunk 2077 to Peter Moore announcing Grand Theft Auto 4 for Xbox 360 with a tattoo on his arm, from spectacularly planned surprises like the reveals of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, God of War, and Resident Evil 7 to reveals for entire consoles and handhelds over the years, from excellent showings of games that we’ll always remember, like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Fallout 4, to disastrous showings that will also stick out in memory, if for the wrong reasons, like Wii Music and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Reggie Fils-Aime announcing himself on to the industry, Super Smash Bros. Brawl stealing the show with its Solid Snake reveal, Kevin Butler’s speech shining as the highlight in an otherwise dull Sony press conference, Microsoft tanking itself with the shockingly poor Xbox One reveal, Konami’s famously disastrous 2010 presser, Ubisoft’s groan-inducing annual Just Dance performances, Sony taking shots at Microsoft with its instructional video on used games sharing, Killzone 2’s controversial “gameplay” reveal, Microsoft announcing a string of studio acquisitions- honestly, we could go on and on and on about all the E3 moments over the years that have been etched into stone by this point.

Make no mistake about it- when E3 was on, during that week, it was the one and only thing the entire games industry was looking at. And when it wasn’t, it still constantly loomed large in the background, always as something that demanded your attention through the sheer weight of its presence, and the shadow it cast over everything even slightly related to games. Months and months in advance of the annual showcases, speculation and rumours and questions would kick into overdrive. What new games would be announced? What gameplay showcases would stand out? What new hardware and console reveals could we look forward to? Which company would stumble over itself in making a series of embarrassing (and live) blunders? So often, E3 was the focal point of so many important (and otherwise) conversations related to games.

But of course, recent years have been entirely different. And while the sudden turnaround in E3’s fortunes has been shocking on a surface level, when you look at just how many problems have contributed to that downfall, that surprise slowly turns into understanding. The ESA itself has been hugely responsible for that- from its misguided decision to open up the trade show to the public, causing a litany of organizational and management nightmares, to the exorbitant fees it used to demand for having E3 booths, something that drove an increasing number of companies away from the show as time went on. Hell, in 2019, the ESA even accidentally published an unsecured document containing the private information of thousands of press and influencers who had attended the event, which was emblematic of all the frustrating organizational deficiencies that had plagued E3 with increasing prevalence as time went on.

Really, 2018 was the last time we got an actual, proper E3, where all the major companies were in attendance at an actual, live trade event. In 2019, Sony confirmed that for the first time in E3 history, while the following year, Geoff Keighley – who had been working with the ESA on E3 for as long as E3 had existed – confirmed that he was stepping away from his role as well. He would go on to create, produce, and host Summer Game Fest, which – in conjunction with his annual Gamescom Opening Night Live and The Game Awards events – has also had a significant role to play in rendering E3 redundant.

In 2020, meanwhile, things only got worse. Shortly after Sony confirmed that it would be skipping the event once again, it was announced that E3 2020 had been cancelled altogether. Given the circumstances of that year, where the entire world at large was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation came as no surprise. But when E3 did return in 2021, it did so in severely underwhelming fashion. The continued impact of the pandemic meant that E3 2021 had to return as a digital-only event, and it quickly became clear to everyone that for the most part, the companies who were attending didn’t actually have much to show- or if they did, they didn’t see E3 2021 as a suitable stage to show those things.

And from then on? It was further downhill still. E3 2022 never really got off the ground, and when it was cancelled, it came as no surprise to the majority of people. The following year, however, was supposed to be a revitalization of the event, with the ESA partnering with ReedPop – a company known for PAX events, Comic-Con events, and more – to bring back as a physical, in-person event, but that never really came to anything. By that time, E3’s stock had already plummeted so low that when E3 2023 was also officially cancelled, the majority of us had seen it coming a mile off.

It didn’t help E3’s case in the slightest that the industry hadn’t really felt its absence in any tangible, material way. In fact, in its absence, it grew and adapted to models that, as it turned out, were far more efficient and cost-effective. In 2019, when Sony announced that it would not be attending the event, then-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden very publicly questioned its importance, raising questions about why companies couldn’t just hold their own shows. That was, of course, something that Nintendo had already been doing since 2011, while EA, too, had stepped away from E3 to hold its own showcases. And since then, it’s grown significantly more prevalent, with the likes of Sony, Microsoft, Capcom, Ubisoft, and many others having preferred to host their own showcases and streams rather than having to pay obscene amounts of money to have a presence at a poorly managed event sticking to an increasingly archaic model.

In 1995, E3 began with the emergence of PlayStation and the drubbing of Sega. And over the last few years, it has ended with a drubbing of its own. For over two decades, the event was the face of the industry, for better or for worse, so its demise comes as sad news to all concerned. Sadly, however, looking at how things have gone in the last few years, it hasn’t exactly been a surprise.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

In a report published by The Washington Post, the ESA has confirmed that it is permanently closing down the E3 event, which means it is no longer planning E3 shows for the coming years.

“After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association has decided to bring E3 to a close,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, the ESA’s president and CEO.

Pierre-Louis added that new methods for companies to reach their audiences – i.e. through direct, pre-recorded presentations or livestreams – has contributed to the diminishing importance and necessity of E3 as an event.

“We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3,” he said. “We share that passion. We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”

He added: “Companies now have access to consumers and to business relations through a variety of means, including their own individual showcases.”

He went on to add that though E3’s popularity has steadily declined in recent years, its absence has benefited the industry in other ways.

“Any one of these major companies can create an individual showcase, [and] also partner with other industry events to showcase the breadth of games,” he said. “That’s exciting for our industry, and it means it’s an opportunity for them to explore how to engage new audiences in different ways.”

E3 2018 was the last time we got a full-fledged E3 event, with all major players being present. In E3 2019 (and beyond), Sony did not attend, while subsequent years intermittently saw the likes of EA and Nintendo sitting out as well.

E3 2020 was, of course, cancelled altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and though the show did return in 2021 as a remote event, it was met with lukewarm reception at best. The last couple of years have seen the ESA trying to reinvent the event in an attempt to inject it with new life, but E3 2022 and E3 2023 were both cancelled as well. Earlier this year, it was alleged that E3 2024 and 2025 had also been cancelled.

Recent years have also seen companies hosting their own events and showcases, further reducing the need for E3’s existence. Nintendo has, of course, been doing that for over a decade, but in recent years, it has also been joined by the likes of Sony, Microsoft, EA, Capcom, and many others.

Of course, the emergence of events like Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards – both of which were created and are hosted and produced by Geoff Keighley, who was a permanent fixture at E3 events until 2019 – has also contributed to the once-dazzling showcase’s stock plummeting.

According to VideoGamesChronicle, the Entertainment Software Association has stated that it has not made any final decisions on the future of E3 in 2024 and the future. “ESA is currently having conversations about E3 2024 (and beyond), and no final decisions about the event have been made at this time,” said the organisation in a statement.

E3 has had a difficult time coming together for a few years now, owing to troubles leading up to 2020, as well the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. E3 2023 was officially cancelled back in March, with organiser ReedPop saying that it couldn’t find the interest from companies needed to host the event.

For context, E3 2018 was the last time the event was held in all of its glory, with E3 2019 suffering from Sony backing out of the event for the first time. E3 2021 was a digital-only event (with Sony missing once again), while E3 2022, like the 2020 event, was cancelled altogether.

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

During the company’s recent quarterly earnings call (via VGC), when asked about plans for E3, CEO Yves Guillemot said, “If E3 happens, we will be there and we will have a lot of things to show.”

Given that there have been multiple official confirmations that E3 is indeed going to happen this year, the fact that Guillemot has attached a qualifier to Ubisoft’s presence at the show has confused some. The event is set to happen from June 13 to June 16, and though plenty of major companies will not be in attendance, its organizers have said there has been “tremendous” interest from various major publishers and developers.

As for what Ubisoft will have to show at E3, that remains to be seen, though the company does already have a number of major titles confirmed to be in development. Ubisoft expects to release multiple games before April next year, including the likes of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, The Crew Motorfest, and Skull and Bones.

E3 2023 will mark the show’s return to the physical, in-person format. It has been set for June 13-June 16, and will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center over the course of those four days. That period, interestingly, will also be divided with separated business and consumer days and areas, which should hopefully mean better organization, and just less chaos in general (which has been a major issue with E3 in recent years).

The first two days of E3 2023 (June 13-14) will be business days only, where the entire convention center will be exclusively for business people to meet, arrange meetings and interviews, and more. June 15, meanwhile, will be a hybrid business and consumer day, where half of the convention center will be opened up to the general public. The final day, June 16, will be exclusively for consumers.

Meanwhile, E3 will also partner with other events and showcases happening around the time in different ways as well.

“E3 will officially partner with as many of these other events as will have it, and for free,” GamesIndustry’s Christopher Dring writes. “And even those who aren’t joining officially, it will still support the games and companies within those shows, too.

“E3 will do this through the editorial we mentioned earlier. The features, articles, insights and reports will cover everything going on that week, including before the show and afterwards. You could be showcasing at the PC Gamer Show or Summer Games Fest, and E3 and GI still want to hear from you and talk about what you’re doing. Attendees to these events can access this editorial for free, too.”

As per Dring, E3 2023 is being designed around three core objectives- to “make a better business event where it’s easier to connect, meet, and conduct interviews”; to “make a better consumer experience where there are things for fans to actually do”; and to “partner, support, and be friends with everyone announcing games in and around E3, irrespective of whether they’re actually in the convention center.”

Stay tuned for more details on E3 2023 and what to expect from it in the coming weeks and months.

https://twitter.com/E3/status/1574413489354858498

However, the ESA, the governing body that runs and organizes E3, seems confident that the show is very much going to comeback strong than ever next year. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, ESA president Stan Pierre-Louis reiterated that E3 will be back next year, adding that it’ll be a hybrid digital and in-person event, and that the ESA is “excited” about putting on the show.

“We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event,” Pierre-Louis said. “As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”

Of course, it’s worth noting that E3 2022 was very much in the pipeline as well, and had been since June last year. It was only in April earlier this year that the show was officially cancelled. Whether E3 2023 will be able to avoid a similar fate remains to be seen.

For what it’s worth, even in the absence of E3, June 2022 is looking packed. In addition to tomorrow’s Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live, various other events have been announced, including the likes of the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, Capcom Showcase, PC Gaming Show, Future Games Show, Devolver Direct, and more.

In a clip that he recently uploaded to TikTok (and then later to YouTube), GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb claimed that E3 2022’s digital event had “probably” been cancelled as well. Grubb did not elaborate on the same, but given the fact that the ESA hasn’t officially said anything about whether or not a replacement online event is even being planned, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

Of course, the Geoff Keighley-hosted and produced event Summer Game Fest is going to this year, while there’s also the chance that various publishers will decide to do their own individual streams. Of course, 2022 has only just begin, so it’s probably going to be a while before we start getting concrete information on what summer is going to look like for gaming.

There are differing opinions on whether or not Sony has been prudent to leave E3 out of its strategy, but one person who is completely against is is industry analyst Michael Pachter. In a recent Pachter Factor episode on SIFTD Games, the analyst was outspoken about his thoughts on the matter, saying that Sony was making a “a huge strategic error abandoning E3” and that the money they were saving as a result wasn’t worth what they were letting go.

“I think Sony is taking a wrong direction,” Pachter said. “I think they are making a huge strategic error abandoning E3. I think that is just the wrong thing to do, and I’m hopeful that they figure it out and they come back next year.”

“Somebody convinced them that they’ll save 20 million bucks by skipping E3, and this year’s E3 maybe that was a prudent decision,” he continued. “They skipped the one prior as well. And I think it’s just a bad move. Really dumb strategy. Because you can’t buy that much press for 20 million bucks. Having an event and getting all your fans to focus on that single event is really, really powerful, and I think that whoever’s advising their management that skipping E3 is a cost-conscious move and smart is just wrong. They’re just dumb.”

Pachter concluded: “My bias is Sony is and will continue to be the biggest loser at E3 by skipping the show, and I think they really should wake up and recognize that it’s an opportunity for them to showcase their games – and they’re very good – and their hardware – which is very good – to the world when the world is paying attention. I hope they’re back in 2022. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

This isn’t the first time that Pachter has been critical of Sony’s decision to skip E3. Back in 2019, when Sony first dropped out of E3, Pachter said, “I think they’re fools to bypass the show.” Read more on that through here.

According to the Entertainment Software Association president Stanley Pierre-Louis, though those are decisions that are yet to be finalized, there’s a likelihood that all future E3 events will be a mix of physical and digital.

“This will provide us with an opportunity to present to members of the industry, media, and fans an opportunity to participate fully, and I think that provides a real unique opportunity to learn this year what we can apply to future events that will probably be a mix of physical and digital,” he said while speaking with GamesIndustry. “But that’s to be determined. We’ve got to figure out where we all are moving forward.”

Pierre-Louis reiterated, however, that for now, the ESA remains focused on this year’s event, and nothing is set in stone where future events are concerned.

“The shape of that is yet to be determined, and we hope to learn from this year’s event what transfers well,” he said. “I can’t speak to future E3s because we really want to focus on E3 2021 and ensure this is a great experience for exhibitors, the media, and fans alike.”

E3 2021, meanwhile, kicks off in a couple of days, on June 12, and will run until June 15. The likes of Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Capcom, and Square Enix will have dedicated presentations, among others. You can check out the full E3 2021 schedule through here.