Why Was E3 2022 Cancelled?

Yesterday, the news broke that the ESA was cancelling E3 2022. If you’re wondering why the body has decided to cancel the annual video games trade show, we’ll explain everything you need to know here.

Simply put, the ESA’s reason for the cancellation of E3 2022 is “so the organization can focus its resources” on the 2023 show.

While E3 was supposed to go ahead this year as another digital event, it appears as though the ESA is now abandoning these plans in favor of devoting “all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer,” as per a statement from the ESA given to IGN.

The statement continues, “Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience.”

Outside of that, the ESA hasn’t provided any further reasoning. However, given how lackluster last year’s digital showing was — with many publishers opting to do their own digital showcases outside of what was technically ‘E3’ but within the same week — it might be the ESA has opted to cut its losses and wait until health and safety concerns around COVID-19 have subsided so the trade show can return in its traditional in-person format.

Will There Be a Digital E3 2022 Show?

Unfortunately, as far as an ‘official E3 2022’ digital trade show, no, there won’t be one. However, you can expect most major publishers to still have their own showcases which will be livestreamed during the same week that E3 is traditionally held towards the beginning of June.

Expect to see announcements from these publishers in the coming weeks as we get closer to hot game summer season.