The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which used to be held each summer as the video game industry’s largest convention, has officially come to an end, the Entertainment Software Association has confirmed. Stanley Pierre-Louis, president of the Entertainment Software Association, said: “We know that the entire industry, both gamers and creators, are passionate about E3. We share that passion. “We know it is difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it is the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”
The Electronic Entertainment Expo website now features a single page with the farewell message: “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories”. The decline of E3 began in 2018 when Sony Interactive Entertainment decided to withdraw from the event, starting a domino effect with other exhibitors stopping attending.
In 2020, long-time contributor and journalist Geoff Keighley announced that he would no longer be working with the event and has since created his own separate event, Summer Game Fest. The last in-person E3 was held in 2019, allowing the general public to attend. Although there were plans for an event in 2020, it was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. A digital-only event was held in 2021. And although a digital event was planned in 2022, it was also canceled. A renewed event had been planned for 2023, but that too was cancelled.
This announcement marks the end of an era for E3, an event that has been an iconic showcase for the video game industry for more than two decades. The evolving events landscape and the growing importance of digital presentations has led to the closure of E3, making way for new ways to connect with fans and the global gaming audience.
Fountain: Gematsu
