This year’s E3, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, has been canceled entirely, organizers at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) confirmed Thursday. E3 2022 was planned to take place sometime this summer in an online-only format, after a plan to revive the in-person version of the expo was canceled in January, but it appears that there will be no version of E3 at all this year.
New of E3 2022’s cancellation broke through partners and publishers, who said they were informed via email by the ESA that this year’s digital event had been scrapped.
The ESA confirmed in a statement to Polygon that E3 2022 had been fully canceled, adding that E3 is planned to return in 2023 as an in-person and online event. Here’s the ESA’s full statement:
E3 will return in 2023 with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations.
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.
Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience.
We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023.
Look for more news and announcements soon.
The ESA said last year that it had planned for E3 2022 to return to an in-person event, after canceling 2020’s event and holding a digital version in 2021. E3 2021 featured participation from game companies including Nintendo, Ubisoft, Xbox, Square Enix, Capcom, and Warner Bros, and was free to watch.
Pouncing on the news of E3 2022’s cancellation, organizers for Summer Game Fest, a practical E3 replacement led by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley, reminded fans that Summer Game Fest 2022 will take place in June, with a “spectacular live kickoff show” hosted by Keighley. E3 was typically held in June, and it appears that Keighley’s show will help fill the void left by the ESA.