E3 2022 is Officially Canceled

The ESA has announced that E3—the once massively important videogame conference and trade show—has been canceled.

Originally reported by IGN, the ESA decided to nix a completely online conference after previously canceling an in-person event in January .

In a statement released by the ESA to IGN, the organization is putting all their resources into a grand 2023 return with a “reinvigorated showcase.” They hope for the event to be both in person and digital.

The cancellation comes not long after the recent Game Developers Conference (GDC), where some people attended the event despite knowing they were positive with COVID-19.

COVID-19 has not been the only issue facing E3 over the past few years—last year’s completely digital showcase was marred by a horrendous online portal and lackluster announcements. That’s not to mention the exodus of companies like Sony, EA, Microsoft, and Nintendo that host their own presentations that are affiliated with E3 only by coincidental shared times and locations.

There’s also competition from the Summer Game Fest, which is a month-long smattering of announcements and showcases throughout June.

Still, with no E3 there is no chance of something like the 2019 leak, where the ESA accidentally allowed everyone to see a spreadsheet full of journalist’s phone numbers, home addresses, and emails. They quickly pulled the document, but it’s still unknown who may have a digital copy stashed away for a rainy day.