E3 2023 canceled after major studios pull out
E3 2023 is canceled, the gaming convention’s comeback to Los Angeles after a four-year break is not happening anymore. While organizer ReedPop remained confident it could put on a great show regardless of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony not participating, the subsequent pull-outs by Ubisoft, Sega, and Tencent seem to have broken the camel’s back.
E3 was originally scheduled to take place in June 2023, combining a Digital Week with several showcases and the usual physical portion of the event. However, a lack of participants for the showfloor to draw big crowds has thrown a wrench into these plans.
ReedPop and E3 owner ESA have released a statement regarding the event’s cancellation with Kyle Marsden-Kish, ReedPop's Global VP of Gaming, saying:
"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.
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."
ESA and ReedPop noted that they would continue their partnership and work on “future E3 events” together, so this is not a complete admission of defeat for now – fans of the event have some hope left for a comeback over the coming years.
