We’ve had our fair share of cancellations come through the news in the past few weeks due to the Coronavirus. While some events and conventions have made the move to online-only events, it’s been more difficult to rearrange other events.
Back when the Entertainment Software Association officially canceled E3 2020 a month ago, they said they were looking into creating an online event. They were said to be “exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience”.
However, while some publishers were planning their own online-only events and showcases, this won’t happen for E3 2020.
What’s Happening With E3 2020?
An ESA representation said in a statement: “Given the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June.
“Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences.”
The ESA says that they plan to run an E3 event next year in June 2021.
What Will We See Instead Of E3 2020?
This is a bit of disappointing news in the tech world, especially considering E3 2020 was penned to be a big year, particularly given that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are due to drop in 2020.
However, plenty of things are getting delayed anyway, particularly games such as The Last of Us Part II which could have left us with a bare-looking E3 2020 even if it did go ahead.
While we won’t get the E3 experience we were all expecting, we will still get to see showcases on individual products and company announcements. These are likely going to look similar to Microsoft and Ubisoft’s digital showcases planned for later this year.
After yet another cancellation, it’s looking like this pandemic will have a long-lasting effect on the games and technology industries. In the meantime, if we hear any more news about E3, gaming events or game delays, we will keep you updated.