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After some confusing back-and-forth, Ubisoft has officially withdrawn from E3 2023 in favor of holding its own independent showcase around the same time.
In a statement to VGC, Ubisoft confirmed that "while we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles."
E3 2023 technically runs from June 11 through June 16, 2023, with the first two days of the event reserved for "partnered digital events." However, given Ubisoft's wording here, it seems its planned Forward showcase will be its own shindig despite overlapping with E3 season.
This puts the house of Assassin's Creed in a similar position to Xbox, which has likewise confirmed that it will be appearing during E3 week, with both the Xbox Game Showcase 2023 and Starfield Direct targeting June 11, but won't actually be on the showfloor. Nintendo has already bowed out saying the show doesn't "fit into our plans," and Sony hasn't attended the event in years, leaving the E3 2023 schedule quite unclear and thin.
Curiously, Ubisoft initially hinted that it would appear at the show "if" it takes place. That's according to CEO Yves Guillemot, who addressed the publisher's E3 plans at a February earnings call. Asked if Ubisoft would "attend in person and show your games," Guillemot said "if E3 happens, we will be there and we will have a lot of things to show."
E3's new organizer, ReedPop, was quick to clarify that E3 2023 is indeed happening and has already "confirmed exhibitors." Who those exhibitors are remains to be seen, as many of the biggest names in the games industry are already off the list.
Nintendo is reportedly skipping E3 2023 because it doesn't have enough games to show.
