In a surprising turn of events, the future of E3, gaming’s renowned trade show, hangs in the balance as cancellation plans for 2024 and 2025 are revealed by the Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners.
E3, widely regarded as the pinnacle of gaming events, was initially scheduled to make a comeback in 2023 under the management of ReedPop. However, it was abruptly canceled earlier this year, with the internal email addressed to employees citing insufficient interest as the primary reason.
With the recent confirmation from the Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners, things appear even bleaker for the longstanding convention. This revelation, brought to light by vigilant gaming enthusiast Wario64, indicates that E3 will not return in 2024 or 2025.
It seems plausible that E3 2021 might have marked the end of an era, casting doubts on whether the beloved convention will ever see the light of day again.
It’s worth noting that the inaugural E3 occurred almost 25 years ago, in May of 1995 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Similar to the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of E3 2023, the first show faced skepticism, as both Sega and Sony withdrew their support, leaving Nintendo as the sole representative of the major companies at the time.
Despite the early hurdles, E3 enjoyed years of resounding success. However, in recent times, a series of setbacks have hampered its momentum.
During E3 2019, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) [1] inadvertently exposed the personal information of thousands of attendees, causing significant distrust between the organizers and those affected, including journalists, streamers, and content creators.
The global pandemic dealt another blow to the trade show, as E3 2020 had to be canceled due to the circumstances. The event’s return in 2021 failed to meet expectations, with fans and companies turning to the Summer Game Fest hosted by Geoff Keighley.
Unfortunately, this news foretells the disheartening conclusion of a longstanding tradition that has shaped the gaming industry. The absence of E3 in the coming years leaves a void in the gaming community, with uncertain prospects for a similar grand-scale gathering.
