Several credible sources and industry insiders have questioned the status of this year's E3 event. After the ESA canceled E3 for the first time in 2020 and returned in 2021, only for the event to be universally panned, there was a feeling of unrest when ESA said E3 2022 would be an all-digital event.
After much speculation and rumors, the ESA has now cancelled E3 2022 entirely.
The news comes from Razer's PR lead, Will powers, who revealed that he received an email from the ESA stating that the organization had canceled E3 2022. Since then, several other key figures and publications within the industry have come forward after receiving similar emails.
Just got an email... It's official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this...
— Will Powers 🛫 NYC (@WillJPowers) March 31, 2022
ESA planned to hold E3 2022 as an in-person affair before shifting towards an online-only exhibition back in January. Since then, several rumors have suggested the cancelation of E3 2022 in its entirety. Now that it's official, there are talks that E3 will be no more, forever.
E3 has experienced a steady decline in recent years. It certainly doesn't help that big-time publishers like Nintendo, Sony, and EA, have all elected to host their own showcases since leaving the event. Although people would have still probably tuned in to E3 2022 had it pushed through, it wouldn't have been as successful.
If it's any consolation, ESA isn't the only organization to cancel its flagship extravaganza. A few weeks ago, EA also dropped its plans for EA Play 2022 in favor of shining the spotlight on its games individually.
Also, Sony and Nintendo will still deliver with their usual slate of State of Play and Nintendo Direct, so it's not like fans have nothing to look forward to. Not to mention, the Summer Game Fest is still on track for June, and following last year's successful outing, Geoff Keighley's brainchild will more than suffice for an E3 replacement. All of this is to say that E3 2022 will not be missed.
Hopefully, the ESA can take notes on how the industry hasn't missed a beat without E3, and delivers on its promise to come back in 2023 "with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations."
