E3 permanently pulls plug on annual trade event

Last Updated on December 29, 2023

E3, the expo that was once a towering presence in the video game industry, is officially powering down, with no plans for sequels, remasters or warp zones officially set. The primary causes stem from major exhibitors such as Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and EA holding their own events. Of course, EA probably charges attendees a fee every time they sit down…

A statement from the Entertainment Software Association on the E3 website reads, “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.”

E3 had been facing what seemed to be the inevitable for a number of years, beginning with the first canceled showcase in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it one of so many industry events that were nixed in that first year. In 2021, the event went virtual, which is actually quite fitting considering how much gaming is done online. But this would prove to be the final E3, as the 2022 show was canceled both in-person and virtually and the one set to be held in June 2023 was canceled back in March.

What might be seen as most disheartening here is that E3’s (Electronic Entertainment Expo) permanent cancellation comes after three consecutive years of near-record numbers from 2017-2019, showing the trade event was just as important to gamers and industry insiders as it was more than a decade prior when it hit peak attendance.

E3 first launched in 1995, with the event showcasing games like Donkey Kong Country 2, WWF Raw and Acclaim’s adaptations of movies like Cutthroat Island, Judge Dredd and True Lies, which is actually a damn good game. As the years progressed, E3 proved itself a staple of the industry, an annual tease of what was to come to home consoles and more. For example, the final event in 2019 offered previews of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and more, in addition to numerous esports contests.

Will you miss E3 or was it looking like time for the event to hang up the paddles? Give us your take on the story below.