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E3 2023 Cancelled: Here’s What We Know So Far

This will be the fourth year without E3 in Los Angeles.

E3 2023 Cancelled: Here’s What We Know So Far
Nacho Requena Molina

Nacho Requena Molina

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Goodbye to E3 2023. It was an open secret that this edition was not going to be held, especially after all the cancellations and rumors we have had in recent weeks. However, it has not been until now when it has been confirmed: the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has sent a statement (and a tweet) confirming its cancellation both physically and digitally. Now, why has this happened?

To begin with, the main reason why this E3 2023 has been canceled is because of the null presence of important companies. Already after the 2018 edition Sony announced that it would not be present at the 2019 edition, something that has been maintained over time. Likewise, Microsoft held its own outside the Convention Center, leaving only Nintendo of the big three. Problem? Well, Nintendo confirmed in February that it would not be attending E3. All the big ones were out of the event.

From here we have to start adding another large number of companies that have been falling off as the weeks went by, with Ubisoft as the last of them (at first said it would go, but then has ended up confirming its cancellation). What is a video game fair without video games? That was going to be E3 2023 after all the major companies said “goodbye”.

On top of that, there is also the idiosyncrasy of the show itself. The companies already know that they can capitalize on all the attention by staging their own events, hence the physical presence should give something extra (and more considering that the price of the booths at the show are not cheap). In addition, the relationship of many of these video game companies with the ESA is not good.

If one adds all this up, the odd thing is not that E3 2023 was canceled now, but that it wasn’t canceled months ago. The looming doubt now is whether we will have E3 2024. And it doesn’t look good, really. Maybe there will be no more E3 in our lifetime.

Nacho Requena Molina

Nacho Requena Molina

Journalist specialized in videogames and technology. Almost two decades dedicated to it.

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