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The highly anticipated Electronic Entertainment Expo 2023 (E3) has been unexpectedly cancelled, as announced in a joint statement by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and event company Reedpop.
The ESA cited insufficient interest and resources to properly showcase the gaming industry as the reasons for the cancellation.
This marks the second consecutive year that E3 has been cancelled, with the 2020 event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 event taking place in a virtual format. E3 2023 was originally scheduled to take place from June 13 to June 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with plans to hold an in-person event for the first time since 2019.
News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ
— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023
However, major players in the gaming industry such as Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation and Ubisoft opted to hold their digital showcases instead of participating in E3, leading to the decision to cancel the event.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming at ReedPop, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to cancel the event but deemed it necessary for the industry and E3. He expressed regret to companies that had committed to E3 2023 and recognised that the ESA was unable to deliver the expected showcase experience.
"This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences," wrote Marsden-Kish.
ReedPop and the ESA have stated that they will continue to collaborate on future E3 events.