UPDATE: The ESA has confirmed to VentureBeat that E3 has been completely canceled following reports. E3 will return in 2023 with a physical and digital show. The original story continues below.
Beloved gaming event E3 2022 has reportedly been completely canceled. E3 has always been the hub for big gaming reveals and is arguably the biggest time of the year for gaming enthusiasts. Sadly, it appears to be coming to an end. In 2020, E3 was canceled due to the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 virus. In 2021, a slightly less exciting version of E3 was held online, but it was largely a shell of the high-energy event fans know and love. At the start of 2022, it was confirmed that E3 would not be holding an in-person event and that it could be held online once again.
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Sadly, it seems that dream is dead. According to Razer PR lead Will Powers, an email has been sent out confirming that E3 2022 is completely canceled. Despite rumors of an online version of the event, Powers is saying that there is no event at all. Instead, fans will likely have to look forward to Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest event, which has served as a rival or replacement to E3 since 2020. We’ve reached out to the ESA to confirm what Powers has said, but have yet to hear back. IGN has also verified the email that has been sent out.
If what Powers is saying is true, it’s unclear if E3 could return in 2023. Perhaps the event knows its strength lies an in-person showing and would rather use its resources for that when the time is right. Similarly, EA recently confirmed that its EA Play 2022 event is also canceled. It was also expected to be a digital event, used to show off the next year or so of games from the publisher. The event was canceled as the gaming giant believed it didn’t have enough meaningful content for its own show. Many are still expecting to see EA titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 at other events instead.
What do you think of E3 2022 being canceled? Do you hope to see the event return next year? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
