Iconic video game expo E3 is officially dead
After trying to make a comeback following the pandemic, E3 is officially dead.
The announcement was made today on social media with the Entertainment Software Association simply saying, “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.”
From 1995 to 2019, E3 was a major event showcasing upcoming games to members of the industry. In 2017, the event became open to the public, which allowed more people to check out some new titles. While E3 was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, a virtual event took place in 2021.
Plans to return to as in-person event saw a slew of problems. A 2022 return was cancelled because of the pandemic while a 202 return was nixed because all major publishers backed out of the event. Earlier this year, plans for a 2024 E3 was scrapped with hopes for a return in 2025. Its 2025 return would’ve seen the event not return to the Los Angeles Convention Center.
During the pandemic, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest became the new summer video game event with a plethora of publishers showcasing their games for a global audience. With Summer Game Fest’s rise in popularity, many people wondered if E3 would still work today.