The start of 2020 was marked by the soap opera surrounding the holding or cancellation of E3. Finally, the ESA had decided to cancel the show, leaving other initiatives to take over. This year, the American association seems to be preparing the return of the show with a digital version.
The Entertainment Software Association hasn’t announced anything yet, but Video Games Chronicles indicates having had access to a number of documents sent to developers, publishers, and various partners. According to the information gathered by our colleagues, it we must prepare for three days of streams from June 15 to 17, 2021, with some two hour lectures for some participants. In a fairly classic way, we could also find a opening ceremony, as well as an award ceremony.
Visibly wishing be part of the continuity from what was suggested last year by others, ESA would allow developers to upload many playable demos. Some of them would be reserved for the press, while others would be accessible by all players. Despite everything, the whole would still only be at the draft stage, and would still require the agreement of ESA members. Asked by VGC, ESA said:
We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will share exact details on how we bring the global gaming community together soon. We have a great interaction with publishers, developers and companies from all walks of life, and we look forward to sharing details of their involvement.
Despite everything, VGC recalls that Geoff Keighley, who had canceled his participation in E3 2020, will organize a new Summer Game Fest. Also note that all this should be taken with a grain of salt, in the absence of official announcements.