ESA officially cancels E3 2022 Video Game Expo
This year’s E3, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, has officially been canceled.
The premier trade show for computer and video games was set to take place sometime this summer in an online-only format, after a plan to revive the in-person version of the expo was canceled in January.
Organizers at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) confirmed the event's cancellation on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
E3 2022 has officially been canceled. We have verified that the ESA won’t be holding a physical or digital show this year. https://t.co/wy8uskbT7y pic.twitter.com/v8ojTjwxsv
— IGN (@IGN) March 31, 2022
News of E3 2022’s cancellation broke through partners and publishers, who said they were informed via email by the ESA that this year’s digital event had been scrapped.
E3 2022 is *cancelled* cancelled
Not even a digital event
These events were so special
The end of an era 😢 pic.twitter.com/PDZ9kfjDFa— TmarTn (@TmarTn) March 31, 2022
The ESA confirmed that E3 is planned to return in 2023 as an in-person and online event "with an invigorated showcase."
Here’s the ESA’s full statement:
"E3 will return in 2023 with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations.
We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022.
Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience.
We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023.
Look for more news and announcements soon."
The ESA said last year that it had planned for E3 2022 to return to an in-person event, after canceling 2020’s event and holding a digital version in 2021. E3 2021 featured participation from game companies including Nintendo, Ubisoft, Xbox, Square Enix, Capcom, and Warner Bros, and was free to watch via Twitch and YouTube worlwide.
Following the news of E3 2022’s cancellation, organizers for Summer Game Fest, led by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley, reminded fans that Summer Game Fest 2022 will take place in June, with a “spectacular live kickoff show.”
Join us this June for @SummerGameFest - an industry wide celebration of video games, featuring a spectacular live kickoff show hosted by @geoffkeighley
— Summer Game Fest - June 2022 (@summergamefest) March 31, 2022
Sign up at https://t.co/1ZwAhZ66ie to be the first to know details. pic.twitter.com/P2eLRISqfQ
E3 was typically held in June, and it appears that Keighley’s show could help fill the gap left by the ESA for the biggest gaming conference.