While our last article was poking fun at the hearsay that E3 2020 was being canceled. Now The ESA has officially confirmed that the Los Angeles gaming convention, E3 2020, has been canceled. Given the severity of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus, it was sadly the only call to make.
The ESA had this to say about the cancelation.
“After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry–our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners–we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles,” the ESA said in a statement.
“Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.”
So there you have it, E3 2020 has been canceled. The ESA will actively work with exhibitors and those who were attending the event to provide refunds. They’ve also mentioned that they are exploring ways to possibly create an online showcase for June 2020, but nothing has been set in stone. Lastly, while E3 2020 has been canceled, plans for E3 2021 are already underway and according to The ESA.
Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.
We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3expo.com.
We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.
Sadly, this cancelation means that a number off people will either lose out on money, possibly their jobs and for the smaller devs, exposure for their games. While E3 was always seen as an event that AAA and larger companies can show off their wares, smaller companies also used the event to get their names and offerings out there. With E3 2020 no longer happening, that’s a huge void and a missed opportunity for many.
This hurts on so many levels, and there will be an effect of this that will ripple through the gaming industry. This, sadly, will also not be the last event to be affected by COVID-19. Don’t be surprised if we end up seeing Gamescom 2020, or the 2020 Tokyo Game Show, among others, decide to also cancel.
