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ESA Permanently Cancels E3 Event

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced on Tuesday that it is canceling the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) video game event permanently. In a message on Twitter, the ESA stated, "After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories. GGWP (good game, well played)."

In September, GamesIndustry.biz reported that PAX organizer ReedPop and the ESA had parted ways by a "mutual decision" and thus ReedPop would not work on future E3 events. At the time, the ESA was still planning an E3 event for 2024, but it was not planning to return to the Los Angeles Convention Center next year. (GamesIndustry.biz is owned by Gamer Network Limited, a ReedPop company.)

The ESA had previously announced that it would partner with ReedPop to bring back the in-person E3 event this year on June 13-16, but ReedPop later announced a cancellation for both the physical and digital versions of the E3 2023.

Nintendo confirmed in February to multiple gaming press outlets that it would not be attending the E3 2023 event. Microsoft Xbox confirmed to IGN in March that it would not exhibit on the E3 show floor this year, but would host their Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, and would co-stream that event as part of E3 Digital (before the event's cancellation announcement). Game developer and publisher SEGA and Tencent subsidiary company Level Infinite had also both confirmed to IGN in March that they would not attend E3 2023.

The ESA canceled the in-person E3 2022 event in January 2022 due to "health risks surrounding" the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It later canceled the digital component as well. The ESA had stated at the time that it would return in 2023 with "a reinvigorated showcase" "live from Los Angeles."

E3 2021 took place as a "reimagined" virtual event in June 2021, after canceling its in-person event in February earlier that year. Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, XSEED Games/Marvelous USA, Inc., Gearbox Entertainment, Freedom Games, Devious Eye Entertainment, Turtle Beach, Verizon, and Binge.com participated in the online event.

The ESA canceled the physical E3 2020 event due to concerns about COVID-19. It explored a possible online version, but eventually decided not to hold an online event that year.

E3 last had a physical event in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Sony declined to appear at E3 in 2019, and had not appeared since.

The first E3 event took place in May 1995.

Update: Typo fixed from AX to PAX for ReedPop description.

Source: E3's Twitter account