No, this is not an April Fools joke.
Bethesda announced an alternative digital showcase for their future releases and games in the pipeline after E3 was forced to cancel due to coronavirus.
But despite hoping to fill the E3 void, Bethesda has likewise cancelled due to the virus.
Cancellation announcement
Bethesda SVP of global marketing and communications Pete Hines took to twitter to break the cancellation news.
His Tweet reads, "Given the many challenges we're facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months."
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The timing for this announcement is of course unfortunate among many joke posts on April 1st. But Bethesda deserve credit for trying to fill the entertainment void for games.
Another drop in the bucket
The Premier League was one of the first cancellations
This cancellation is one among many across the gaming world due to the dangerous virus.
It's obvious that in-person events like E3 or esports matches have no place during self quarantine. But Bethesda has quickly learned that even a digital presentation can be offput by coronavirus.
READ MORE: Will FIFA 21 be delayed due to coronavirus?
This cancellation comes 3 months before the slated June date. While this seems pretty far out, we've seen many other events cancel even further ahead. It just goes to show how hard it is to put a timeframe to coronavirus.
What's next?
Bethesda was looking to use this conference as their own E3 showcase for future releases and announcements. Without this platform, the studio must decide if they can afford to wait for the next.
READ MORE: Next gen consoles maintain release date despite coronavirus
Most likely Bethesda will instead release its announcements and hype trailers via social media for as long as the virus is a factor.
That means it's important to stay tuned to the studio's social channels to not miss out on a big announcement!