Despite its past status as the Mecca of gaming, E3 has had quite a rough time in the last few years with the event going as far as to cancel any plans it originally had for 2022 entirely on March 31st 2022.
This cancellation marks an interesting turning point for E3 as an event. The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly derailed the more fan-orientated direction that E3 wished to pursue with the 2020 and now 2022 shows being called off entirely and 2021 being restricted to digital-only.
So is E3 going to make a big comeback in 2023? Here's everything we know so far.
Is E3 Returning In 2023?
According to the ESA (the organisation that runs E3) in an email sent out to various publications including VentureBeat there are currently plans in place that'll see E3 return in 2023 "with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting videogames and industry innovations"
While the plans are certainly in place for a return, however, it doesn't necessarily mean that will be the case come 2023. The event in 2022 was promoted as being an in-person return to normality after the digital-only event in 2021 before being switched back to another digital event like last year and now cancelled entirely.
The saddest part about this situation, however, is the question surrounding whether or not E3 is even needed anymore. Despite the cancellation of E3, the June timeslot remains fairly unchanged with events such as Summer Game Fest keeping the spirit of E3 alive.
Publishers seem mostly unphased by this cancellation as well, with Xbox and Bethesda announcing their plans for a showcase on June 12th, right when it likely would have been anyway if E3 were to be happening this year.
So while we can only hope that E3 will make a dramatic comeback in 2023 and save gaming Christmas, it seems like the industry is more than prepared to keep the tradition alive, even if the event that started can't keep up.