The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and event organizer ReedPop announced E3 2023 has been officially cancelled. An email was sent out by the ESA to its organization members, confirming the cancellation of E3 2023. ReedPop also shared an official statement regarding E3 2023.
Official Cancellation
E3 2023 has been officially cancelled after weeks and months of uncertainty regarding the once annual event. Multiple publishers including Devolver Digital, Nintendo, and Ubisoft confirmed their absence from E3 leading up to the official cancellation. Most recently, SEGA and Tencent revealed they were skipping E3 entirely. We understand that multiple publishers were planned into avoid E3 altogether in favor of digital showcases. Additionally, publishers are gearing up to support Summer Game Fest 2023 and the Play Days event.
“This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3,” Kyle Marsden-Kish, ReedPop Global VP of Gaming said in a statement sent to IGN. “We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences.”
In a separate tweet, the official E3 Twitter account reiterates the event’s cancellation with the following statement: “ReedPop and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have announced that both the digital and physical events for E3 2023 are cancelled.”
According to the press release sent out for E3’s cancellation, the ESA and ReedPop did not rule out a return for E3. Both companies will continue to work together for “future E3 events.” However, it’s unlikely that E3 will return to prominence any time soon.
Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more updates, news, and reviews as we heading into an eventful summer 2023.