E3 is officially dead | Eurogamer.net

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is officially no more.

The future of the convention was in doubt after the 2023 event was cancelled and Reedpop, owner of events such as PAX and EGX (as well as Eurogamer), said in September it would no longer work with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) to relaunch the show.

“After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye,” reads a post on X, formerly Twitter, by the official E3 account. “Thanks for the memories.”

The event website has also been updated with the same message.

Stanley Pierre-Louis, president and CEO of the ESA, confirmed the news to The Washington Post.

“We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share that passion,” said Pierre-Louis. “We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”

“There were fans who were invited to attend in the later years, but it really was about a marketing and business model for the industry and being able to provide the world with information about new products,” he continued. “Companies now have access to consumers and to business relations through a variety of means, including their own individual showcases.”

Indeed, Nintendo’s Direct showcases – beginning in 2011 – bypass big conventions and go straight to consumers, a format PlayStation and Xbox have since adopted.

E3 was known as the biggest gaming event each June, partnering with the biggest game companies to reveal brand new hardware and software. However, the show struggled to find an audience in recent years and was particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest now seems poised to hold the June industry news slot unopposed, alongside showcases from other companies. That continues with The Game Awards in December – though that show has been criticised for not fully representing the industry.