E3 Is Permanently Canceled
It’s game over for the once-largest gaming convention, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
E3, otherwise known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is officially over for good.
The Entertainment Software Association, the gaming trade group that was behind the massive event, shared the news on Tuesday, in an interview with the Washington Post.
“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 (ESA) has decided to bring E3 to a close,” Stanley Pierre-Louis, president and CEO of the nonprofit trade group, told the outlet. “ESA remains focused on advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce who fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day.”
E3, which launched in 1995, was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, the convention returned in a digital format; and the following year, it was canceled with the promise that it would return in 2023. E3 was then canceled again this year, and reports stated that if the event was to return again, it would not be until 2024.
The event had begun to sink before the pandemic, as an increasing number of game developers and publishers moved away from the showcase in favor of putting on their own. In 2020, Geoff Keighly, who had attended every E3 since its inception, launched the Summer Game Fest, in an effort to better serve gaming fans and developers through an online, months-long format. In the years that followed, several other online events emerged, marking the shift away from E3 that ultimately led to its demise.
