E3, the video game industry’s biggest annual expo, has been cancelled

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been canceled, nearly a year after it was announced to return. The Entertainment Software Association informed its members today.

the association reported the wiping out by means of an email conveyed to today individuals. The email stated that the 2023 version “remains a beloved event and brand” that the 2023 version “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.”

Reedpop and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) of the United States made the announcement that they would no longer be proceeding.

Fans affectionately refer to E3 as the “video game Christmas” of the video game industry. Since 1995, E3 has been the place where game publishers and console manufacturers have traditionally announced what’s next for players.

At the event, consoles like the Wii U, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 were announced. As a result of its cancellation, the games industry lacks a primary platform for promoting new games; Instead, since Covid, live-streamed shows where publishers announce and showcase new titles virtually have become the norm.

The event, which was supposed to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 13 to June 16, would have been the first in-person E3 since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the event to be canceled in 2020; a digital version was held in 2021, but the event was canceled once more in 2022 to focus on a “revitalized showcase,” which would set a new standard for hybrid industry events.

The news comes as numerous large names in the business, from Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, and all the more as of late, Ubisoft reported that it wouldn’t go to E3 in that frame of mind, with most selecting to have its own advanced features.