Many gamers have fond memories of attending or tuning in live to E3, the massive trade event that was once the event for the video game industry. It was where press could get first details about new games and products, making the annual show an exciting time for fans eager to see what was next for their favorite game and publishers. Since E3 officially shut down, many publishers have hosted their own virtual events, but many miss that in-person excitement. Now, the company behind E3 wants to bring those vibes back with a brand-new conference to be held in 2026.
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Though it was primarily an industry event, E3 was a big deal for most anyone invested in video games. In fact, for its last few years E3 was even open to the public, letting fans get exciting industry info firsthand. But like many live events, E3 didn’t survive 2020, ultimately pulling the plug after a lukewarm virtual attempt in 2021. Afterwards, many big publishers pulled out to host their own events, leaving the conference without much to draw press or fans. However, The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is confident they’ve learned from E3, both in what worked and what didn’t.
Today, ESA officially announced a new Interactive Innovation Conference, to be called iicon for short. It will reportedly be a “first-of-its-kind event designed to connect visionaries, thought leaders and innovators from across industries.” The new event will take place in Las Vegas, with the first one planned for April 27th-30th, 2026. As much as news of a return to big gaming conferences sounds exciting, many are curious to know how this will compare with the E3 we used to know.
New iicon Conference from E3 Creators Will Include Major Players in Video Game Industry
One of the big things that can make or break a conference like this one is who will – and won’t – attend from the industry. The initial press release from ESA confirms that several big video game publishers will participate in some form, stating that “attendees will learn from and engage with industry icons.” The list of publishers already confirmed is pretty impressive, including many big names in games. Here’s every name drop from the press release:
- Amazon Games
- Disney
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- Microsoft
- Nintendo of America
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Square Enix
- Take-Two Interactive
- Ubisoft
- Warner Bros. Games
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That list reads much like a “who’s who” of AAA video games these days, and is certainly a promising start for the new iicon conference being a hub for exciting video game news. Leaders from many of these companies offered statements of enthusiasm for the iicon conference as a place to collaborate and shape the future of the video gaming industry.
If fans are hoping to get their ticket, however, it looks like this event will return to the industry-focused roots of early E3 conferences. The audience is described as “by invitation only,” meaning that the event will likely not be open to the general public. Those interested in attending this new conference from the creators of E3 can get more information at the iicon website. At this point in time, signing up is primarily a way to stay in the loop with updates, as information about tickets and programming is still to come.
What do you think about this new video gaming conference from the creators of E3? Let us know in the comments!
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