E3 2023 has been canceled, the ESA and ReedPop announced. It’s a blow for the event which was finally looking to return after a few years of hiatus following the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global Vice President of Games at Reedpop, reads:
“It was a tough decision because of all the hard work we and our partners have put into making this event happen, but we had to do what was right for the industry and what was right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resource issues made being at E3 this summer a hurdle they couldn’t overcome. E3 2023, we regret that we cannot provide the showcase you deserve and expect from ReedPop event experiences.
e3 was already in a difficult position after Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox have confirmed that they will not be participating. More recently, major third-party publishers like Ubisoft pulled out of the event, and we’ve heard other companies like SEGA won’t be there.
There hasn’t been an in-person event for E3 since 2019. 2020 was canceled entirely, 2021 was online-only, and 2022 has yet to see anything. 2023 was supposed to be the great return of the exhibition, but that obviously won’t happen.
Of course, despite the disappearance of E3, publishers will still be hosting their own events. Summer Game Fest, Ubisoft Live and Devolver Direct are already confirmed. More news should follow in the coming months.
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