Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
This week, Summer Game Fest will occupy the space previously held by E3, where developers and publishers from across the industry share the latest news and announcements on their upcoming games. Although E3 was officially canceled for this year, we apparently haven’t seen the last of the event. The ESA, which operates the annual conference, has announced that E3 will return in 2023 as an in-person and digital event.
ESA president and CEO Stan Pierre-Louis shared the news of E3’s future with The Washington Post in a recent interview. “We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event,” he told the publication. “As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”
When E3 was canceled (for the first time) in 2020, it was followed up by a digital event in 2021 that featured some presentations from major companies in the industry. When E3 returns in 2023, it will keep its digital component, but will eye a physical gathering in Los Angeles.
There has been a lot of skepticism surrounding the future of E3, with many pointing to the success of independent, digital presentations as evidence that there’s no need for publishers to spend the time and money to be a part of the ESA’s event. The E3 will also have to compete with Summer Game Fest, as Geoff Keighley’s event has been growing each year and will undoubtedly be back in 2023. We’ll be keeping an ear out for any E3 2023 updates over the next year and will report them to you.