E3 2023 is officially canceled – That’s Gaming

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Major companies and publishers had confirmed in a series of reports and announcements in recent weeks that they would not be involved in E3 2023, starting with companies like Nintendo and Microsoft and later, more recently, Ubisoft and Sega followed in their footsteps. Reports then appeared claiming that the event could soon be canceled altogether. That has now been officially confirmed.

E3 2023, which was scheduled from June 13 to June 16, has been officially canceled, it was recently announced by the ESA and ReedPop, the official organizers of this year’s event.

In a statement to IGN, ESA and ReedPop said, “This was a difficult decision because of all the efforts we and our partners put into making this event happen, but we had to do what is right for the industry and what is right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies would not have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made overcoming E3 this summer an obstacle they could not overcome. For those who registered for E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t provide the showcase you deserve and have counted on from ReedPop’s event experiences.”

E3 has struggled to varying degrees in recent years, with E3 2018 being the last fully equipped event. E3 2019 saw Sony drop out for the first time since the event’s inception, while E3 2020 was canceled altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event returned in 2021, but in very limited capacity and as a digital-only event, while it was canceled again in 2022.

However, the month of June still has a number of major gaming events and showcases scheduled, including Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase (which will be immediately followed by the Starfield Direct), and Ubisoft Forward. Sony also reportedly has a PlayStation Showcase planned around that time. Meanwhile, leaks have claimed that Konami also had big plans for E3 2023, with announcements planned for a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and a new Castlevania game, but it remains to be seen how the company will adjust plans now that the event has been canceled.