There is no E3 in 2022. While June is going to be full of video game showcases from publishers and developers just like always, none of these are affiliated with the organization that hosts E3, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). In previous years, the ESA has played host to a massive, in-person showcase where publishers could go to show off games they’re working on and the media could get an early look at these games. Eventually, regular people were allowed to enter E3 and try out some of these demos themselves.
However, as technology has advanced there have been questions about the need for an in-person gaming showcase. Especially one that requires a lot of resources, time, and cost that could instead be used towards game development. So when E3 was cancelled for 2022, plenty wondered if the event should come back at all. Despite these questions though, the ESA has been adamant that it plans to bring back E3 in 2023. It said as much in a recent interview with the Washington Post..
“We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event,” ESA president and CEO Stan Pierre-Louis told The Washington Post in an interview. “As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”
While the ESA has continued to reiterate a desire to bring back E3, that hasn’t stopped the murmurs about the future of the event. When the ESA initially announced that it would not be hosting an in-person event for 2022, and it was eventually outright cancelled in March, there were rumors that the 2022 event was in danger well before it was actually cancelled.
The truth of the matter is nobody is exactly sure what an in-person event for hosting video games should look like in a digital age. Should it be a trade show meant for only publishers and media to attend, a convention similar to something like a PAX, or the weird in between that the ESA was going for before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most physical events. Until the ESA can answer that question there are always going to be concerns about the future of E3.