ESA says E3 2022 will be an online-only event in the summer due to COVID-19 concerns

The Entertainment Software Association is shifting the Electronic Entertainment Expo to an online-only event out of concerns around the pandemic. — “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 …

VentureBeat 2022-01-07 Dean Takahashi

Context & Ripple Effects

E3 had already been disrupted by its 2020 COVID-19 cancellation, then returned as a free virtual conference in 2021 with an in-person Los Angeles event planned for 2022. The ESA's online-only reversal shows that plan could not hold under renewed health concerns.

The later withdrawal of even the planned digital equivalent, which ESA communicated to partners in April, made the January online plan a short-lived bridge rather than a durable event format.

First-order effects

The ESA drops the in-person component of E3 2022, requiring its partners and prospective exhibitors to plan around an online summer event instead of a convention-floor program.

Second-order effects

ESA's subsequent decision to cancel the digital equivalent removes the launch and marketing window partners had been preparing for, shifting announcement planning away from the E3 calendar.

Third-order effects

The pattern culminates in E3 2023's cancellation after Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft declined to attend, indicating that the event's ability to coordinate major publishers was weakening beyond the immediate pandemic disruption.

The trend: E3's pandemic-era shift online is part of a broader erosion of the centralized industry-event model as major game companies pull back from a shared launch calendar.

Discussion

@duckvalentine Rebekah Valentine on x
well, what can you do! I'd been investigating this for the last few months. multiple folks told me their understanding was that the physical event had been quietly canceled months ago. and the ESA can't confirm the digital event, even now, five months out https://www.ign.com/...
@dmc_ryan Ryan McCaffrey on x
Might write a eulogy for E3 b/c while this isn't surprising it is sad. I was hoping we'd get back to LA this June. Given that E3 had already been weakening, skipping 2 straight IRL yrs is probably the nail in the coffin for E3 ever being a Big Deal™ again https://www.ign.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Surprised they would cancel the in-person event 6 months in advance at this point. Also: June, same month as WWDC. https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Anyone else feel like E3 is dead? The in-person event has been canceled 6 months in advance and it will be online-only for 2022 https://twitter.com/...
@duckvalentine Rebekah Valentine on x
To clear up confusion, the ESA said absolutely nothing about a digital event, and when pressed they couldn't confirm one. All they said was the in-person event was canceled. That doesn't rule out a digital E3, but as of now one has not been announced and no dates have been given …
@ashleyesqueda Ashley on x
It's smart to do this far in advance. Honestly until we can get a handle on the pandemic globally, this is safer for everyone (even though I'm BUMMED because I absolutely adore E3). https://twitter.com/...
@chitogaminyt @chitogaminyt on x
Damn that's sucks but better safe then sorry https://twitter.com/...
@alanjohnson Alan Johnson on x
E3 will be online only again this year. https://venturebeat.com/...
@cade_onder Cade Onder on x
god, E3 is going to suck again this year lmao https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@instalyssa Alyssa Vidales on x
E3, a summer event, going virtual due to Omicorn sure does make an in-person SXSW in March sound wild https://twitter.com/...
@tha_rami Rami Ismail on x
I... don't think E3 is ever coming back. https://venturebeat.com/...
@wario64 @wario64 on x
E3 shifts to online-only event because of Omicron concerns. “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022” https://venturebeat.com/...
@gilbyranger Adam Ellis on x
I'm glad I fulfilled 13-year-old me's wish of attending (and even hosting a stream during) E3, but I'm not surprised at all that it's not looking good for the future. https://twitter.com/...
@stlcty03 @stlcty03 on x
E3 has been trash since PlayStation stopped showing anyway. Might as well just drop stuff through out the year. https://twitter.com/...
@tennesseeluna @tennesseeluna on x
E3 could've been an email for the past 4 years https://twitter.com/...
@julipuli Juli Clover on x
I didn't expect an in-person WWDC this year, but this definitely seems to solidify it. Apple is very likely to go all digital again. https://twitter.com/...
@nickstatt Nick Statt on x
Wow. The ESA cancels in-person E3 2022 six months away due to omicron concerns. Will GDC follow? https://twitter.com/...
@patrickklepek Patrick Klepek on x
RIP and good riddance. https://twitter.com/...

Chronicles