Gaming industry’s mega event E3 now permanently cancelled, say organisers

New Delhi, Dec 13: The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) gaming event, once the world’s largest gaming event, has been permanently cancelled after two decades of its glorified run.

Industry body Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which ran E3, confirmed to the BBC that the event will not happen ever again.

The organisers said in a statement: "After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories. GGWP (good game well played)".

E3 was last held virtually in 2021 and the last in-person event was in 2019. In March this year, ‘E3 2023’ was cancelled in Los Angeles. The event was scheduled from June 13-16.

The announcement came after several gaming companies such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Ubisoft claimed that they will not be participating in the event.

Game developer Hollie Bennett said it was "sad" to see E3 "fizzle out".

“It's hard to sum up the impact E3 had on the industry. Entire dev cycles and publishing calendars revolved around creating demos and beats to be part of it. Your year almost revolved around it! It's sad to see it fizzle out, in the past nothing generated buzz like E3 did,” she posted on X.

E3 took place annually in June at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 1995 to 2006, and again from 2008 to 2019. The event was cancelled for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the event in 2021 was held as a virtual event to mixed reception.

The ESA had planned to return to a full in-person convention in 2023 with assistance from ReedPop to develop a new format.

Before E3, game publishers went to other trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the European Computer Trade Show to display new or upcoming products as well as to pre-sell shipments to retailers for the rest of the year.