E3 officially abandoned by the ESA
"It's the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners," CEO says
E3 now officially belongs to the past as the Entertainment Software Association has announced the end of the long running event.
The news was shared simultaneously in a post shared on social media and via the Washington Post, in an article titled: "E3, once gaming’s biggest expo, is officially dead."
The ESA's president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis explained: "After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the US and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has decided to bring E3 to a close.
"We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share that passion. We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners."
Later in the interview, Pierre-Louis emphasised that "companies now have access to consumers and to business relations through a variety of means, including their own individual showcases."
On social media, the ESA simply said: "After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories."
GamesIndustry.biz parent company ReedPop was due to run E3 2023, after an online version in 2021 and two cancellations in 2020 and 2022.
This year's show was cancelled in March 2023. At the time, Pierre-Louis told us that the ESA remained "committed to providing a platform for industry marketing."
ReedPop and the ESA parted ways over E3 in September.
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