On Tuesday, we reported that Ubisoft has pulled out of this year’s E3 trade show. The news followed earlier reports that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo were not participating, and now even more game companies have canceled.
IGN revealed this week that Sega and Tencent are also steering clear of E3 2023. At the same time, employees from several other developers and publishers tell the site that they simply have no idea if their companies are going to show up.
Sustaining comeback
E3 2023 was supposed to be the big comeback for the games fair, after several years of closed doors and digital shows due to the corona pandemic. ESA entrusted the arrangement to ReedPop – the company behind, among other things, PAX – but with only two months left until the whole thing breaks loose, there is great uncertainty about the scheme.
According to IGN, many believe that there has been too little communication from the organizer about what they can expect from the fair. Several say that they have waited to see which other companies sign up, but no one has dared to be the first out.
A source with knowledge of what’s going on in the gaming industry told the website that things now look bad for the whole thing.
– There is no chance in the world that anything will come of this show, said the person.
At the same time, several have confirmed that they will be at the Summer Game Fest – organized by The Game Awards boss Geoff Keighley – and the associated fair Play Days. Summer Game Fest kicks off on June 8, four days before the planned E3 fair.
Neither ReedPop nor ESA have commented on the matter.
READ ALSO: Starfield postponed until autumn »
