No Online E3 Event Planned to Replace Canceled E3 2020

The Entertainment Software Association isn’t planning on holding a singular digital showcase this year to replace the canceled E3 2020 event, a new statement from the organization has confirmed. The E3 event, like many others scheduled to take place during the spring and into the summer, had been canceled because of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. There was a question of whether the ESA would adopt a digital format for a replacement event given how that’s what many other companies are opting to do after their E3 plans were canceled, but it appears that’s no longer part of the plan.

PC Gamer received a statement from the ESA about its plans for future events or the lack of plans as far as a digital event for 2020 was concerned. The ESA said it doesn’t intend to have a digital make-up event for E3 2020 but plans on returning next year for E3 2021.

“Given the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June,” an ESA representative told PC Gamer. “Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences.”

Other companies have already started making plans for replacement digital events to make up for their lost spot at E3 2020 following the cancelation, so expect to see these sorts of digital events being the ones promoted as the statement above mentions. Microsoft, for example, is planning on holding a digital event to showcase its games and announcements at some point this year, though timing of that event has not yet been announced.

The ESA’s statement also echoes previous commitments to offer new types of experiences to viewers and attendees compared to previous years of E3.

E3 2021 has already been announced with a date even set for the event that’s now scheduled to take place on June 15, 2021.