E3 2022 is officially canceled in all its various forms, the Electronic Software Association has confirmed to 12DOVE in a statement.
"E3 will return in 2023 with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations," the organizer shared.
"We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022. "
The ESA also confirmed it still plans for the iconic games expo to return in 2023.
"Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer," it said.
"We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023."
Original story:
The E3 2022 digital event initially meant to serve as an alternative to the in-person show has reportedly been canceled as well.
Will Powers, a PR lead at PC peripheral giant Razer, broke the news on Twitter, citing an email that confirms "E3 digital is officially canceled for 2022." Razer would reasonably be on the mailing list for this kind of news, and while the official E3 and ESA accounts have yet to make an official announcement, several industry insiders have supported the claim that E3 2022 digital is dead.
We reached out to the ESA for confirmation, but when contacted by phone, an ESA employee said no one was available to speak on the subject at this time. They notably did not deny that the event had been canceled.
E3 2020 was canceled entirely, while E3 2021 endured as an online-only show. The ESA previously confirmed that it wouldn't hold an in-person expo this year, citing the health risks associated with mass gatherings amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While initial reports suggested it was pursuing digital options as it did last year, follow-up statements implied that the association's plans were still up in the air. If today's reports are accurate, we can safely assume that these plans never solidified.
With E3 2022 seemingly off the table entirely, we can expect another scattered lineup of individual showcases from publishers and platform holders throughout the year, especially the summer. Xbox is reportedly preparing its own E3-style showcase, for one. That said, we can cross one off the list: the E3-adjacent show EA Play Live isn't happening this year, as the publisher confirmed earlier this month.
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