It's official: E3 2022 has been completely cancelled, with no physical or digital event taking place. But exactly why was E3 2022 cancelled? That's a complicated question with a lengthy answer.
"We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022," the ESA said in a statement on March 31. "Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience."
While the ESA says it's focusing on next year, in truth, E3 has been trending downwards for a number of years now. At the beginning of the last decade, E3 was the powerhouse for game reveals and announcements, very commonly referred to as something along the lines of "Christmas for games."
The impact of Covid-19
E3's relevance was being questioned even before the coronavirus pandemic, but in March 2020, the ESA announced that E3 2020 would be cancelled, with the showcase called off in all shapes and forms. A number of other shows, including Gamescom, GDC, and PAX, were all affected in some way, but E3's traditional position as a press show rather than a convention aimed at players or developers opened up the scene for others to muscle in.
The following year, Summer Game Fest was announced by host Geoff Keighley, kicking off in June in direct competition to where E3 would normally be taking place, and hosting its own sets of game reveals and announcements from publishers and developers throughout the world. Gamescom's Opening Night Live ceremony then sprang up slightly later in the year in August 2021. Just like the Summer Game Fest, it was once again hosted by Geoff Keighley, and brought together dozens of publishers, big and small, to unveil their games and host interviews surrounding their new information.
Over the past couple of years, E3 has faced increasing competition alongside a decreasing number of major publishers willing to use it as a platform. While the likes of Ubisoft and Xbox have still hosted showcases at E3 last year when the event transitioned to a digital format, the lack of Sony and Nintendo, combined with Summer Game Fest and Gamescom Opening Night Live, have undoubtedly hurt E3's relevance and popularity.
Whether E3 really does return next year in 2023 is irrelevant right now. What's important is that, while the ESA will point to COVID-19 as the primary reason for E3 2022's cancellation, there's a lot more at play here, with the event's decreasing relevance and dominance in the modern video game landscape. We'll have to wait and see what the future brings for E3, but this year's showcase is off.
For a better idea of what to expect this summer, check out our guide to the E3 2022 schedule.
