E3 2020 may have been canceled

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• E3 2020 may have been canceled

We've heard a lot of talk about why E3 2020 might be on its last legs, and now it looks like the big game expo has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for June of this year, E3 2020 was plagued by backstage disagreements, high-level dropouts, we're watching you Sony, and a ripple effect from other gaming and tech conferences. were canceled in response to the COVID-19 virus. We are keeping our eyes open for an official announcement, but Ars Technica reports that the program has indeed been cancelled, writing that "several sources familiar with the Entertainment Software Association's (ESA) plans have confirmed to Ars Technica that the organization, which is responsible for Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), will soon be canceling the three-day expo.” Regardless, publisher Devolver Digital (Hotline Miami, Katana Zero) tweeted that it was time to cancel travel and accommodation for the expo, telling him gives additional credibility to the cancellation.

Cancel all your E3 flights and hotels on March 11, 2020.

E3, we barely knew you

It makes sense to cancel the showcase now, rather than closer to the event's scheduled dates, given the amount of planning, preparation, and financial commitment publishers, developers, and attendees would have put into the event. We may never know exactly what the event would have been like. E3 2020, though in every way, would be a different show than years past, with an Entertainment Software Association submission proposal (obtained by GameDaily.biz) describing E3 2020 as a "festival of fans, media and influencers" rather than a trade show, more in line with Gamescom. We're likely to see some preservation of live streams online under the E3 banner, or at least scheduled at the same time by publishers leading to certain announcements, trailers, or showcases of their games. And for those of us who wouldn't attend in person, it probably won't make much of a difference. We will update this article as we hear an official announcement from ESA on this.