The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced on Thursday that it has canceled this year’s in-person E3 event due to “health risks surrounding” the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In addition, entertainment news source IGN confirmed with the ESA on the same day that the trade association does not yet have plans for a digital/virtual event for E3.
IGN also reported that it has confirmed from multiple sources “tied to E3” that the ESA had already made the decision to not hold an in-person event “possibly as far back” as fall 2021. The news site also confirmed with industry sources that companies have not yet heard about plans for any E3 event, whether physical or digital, even if such plans would have typically been revealed at this point in prior years. According to IGN, the Los Angeles Convention Center never put the E3 2022 show in its show calendar, despite shows in past years already being on the convention center’s schedule over a year in advance.
The ESA held last year’s E3 as a “reimagined” virtual event in June 2021, after canceling its in-person event in February earlier that year. The ESA canceled the physical E3 2020 event, and did not hold an online event that year.
The Los Angeles Convention Center also hosts Anime Expo, typically less than a month after E3. Anime Expo previously announced last year that it will return as a physical in-person event on July 1-4 this year, but it will require attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to attending the event.
Sources: VentureBeat (Dean Takahashi) via Siliconera, IGN (Rebekah Valentine)