Bethesda will not hold its usual virtual press conference this June due to complications from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Marketing vice president Pete Hines announced the conference's cancellation on Twitter. "Given the many challenges we're facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June," he said. "We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months."
For the past few years, Bethesda has always held its own press conference adjacent to E3. E3 2020 was officially canceled three weeks ago, also due to coronavirus concerns, but this didn't necessarily rule out a separate showing from Bethesda, which always leaned into digital offerings.
Xbox and Ubisoft, for example, have both already committed to hosting digital events to make up for E3's absence, though the nature and timing of these events remains to be seen. Square Enix is also looking for an alternative way to show its next-gen lineup, which it insists is "stronger than ever."
However, it seems Bethesda's hit hurdles of its own, hence the studio's decision to axe the June showcase entirely. That said, it's still possible that it will host a dedicated event later in the year once the situation with coronavirus has calmed down.
Bethesda certainly has plenty to talk about. Fans are hungry for any information on far-off games like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, and more immediate projects like Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo are also due for another showing. We may also hear something out of Roundhouse Studios, formerly Prey developer Human Head Studios, which Bethesda acquired last November.
Relatedly, Quakecon 2020, which has hosted several Bethesda-published games like Doom Eternal, has also been canceled.
