COVID-19: E3 2020 cancelled

The coronavirus outbreak has shut down yet another gaming event - this time, the goliath that is E3

Jack Wallace-Hunter
18th March 2020
The coronavirus outbreak has shut down yet another gaming event - this time, the goliath that is E3
E3 2020 has officially been cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Rumours had been circulating on social media a couple days prior, but in an unprecedented move, the ESA has shut down the trade show.

This comes after iam8bit announced that it will resign from its partnership with E3. No reasoning has been disclosed as to why the company has ended its creative directorship at the event.

After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our long time E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for 9-11 June in Los Angeles.

The ESA

"We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today."

Following the announcement, major companies in the industry have rallied to offer support regarding the future of E3. Nintendo announced, "We support the ESA’s decision to cancel this year’s E3 to help protect the health and safety of everyone in our industry". Nintendo has always attended the convention but still stands with the ESA cancelling E3.

Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of gaming at Microsoft, has also joined the rally to provide clarity for Xbox fans, "This year we’ll celebrate the next generation of gaming with the Xbox community and all who love to play via an Xbox digital event."

With rumours circulating that Xbox was set to announce its new entry to its console franchise, key players will now have to find different ways to reveal new games and consoles.

Related: Battlefront 2 to get double XP through March due to COVID-19

Despite this shocking turn of events, the ESA said, "we are exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020." Therefore, despite the ongoing public health crisis, fans will likely still receive their gaming news, albeit in a coordinated E3 digital showcase.

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