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Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the long-running and iconic annual games showcase event, is coming back this year after four years since the last in-person show. E3 2023 is set to take place from June 13 to June 16 in Los Angeles. With new organisers at the helm, the event will see major changes from the long-established format, but gamers can still expect the usual from E3 — new announcements, trailers, gameplay showcases and more for upcoming and yet unannounced games. However, according to a report, E3 2023 will not feature the industry’s big three. Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo are reportedly set to skip the summer event, a development which might put a damper on the excitement for the return of gaming’s hallowed convention.
A report in IGN says that gaming giants Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo will not be a part of E3 2023, which is set to take place at Los Angeles Convention Centre in June this year. Xbox has already confirmed that the company will be hosting a standalone showcase event this summer in Los Angeles. Xbox’s yearly summer showcase will present a deep dive into Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, among other upcoming first-party games.
The Xbox showcase will reportedly take place around the same time as E3 for the sake of convenience. Nintendo, on the other hand, has been announcing its games at its own Nintendo Direct events for years, but has maintained a token presence at E3 in the form of a booth. According to the IGN report, even that won’t be happening this year. The same goes for Sony; PlayStation had pulled out of E3 2019 over disagreements, and it remains unclear if the company will return to showcase its games at E3 2023. Neither Nintendo nor Sony have officially confirmed their plans for the event, or any similar showcases.
A no show from gaming’s three biggest players is likely to adversely affect the buzz around the event. E3 itself is in a phase of transition, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the event in the past three years. The last in-person E3 event took place in 2019, with the 2020 convention cancelled due to the pandemic. E3 2021 was an entirely online event, with virtual conferences announcing new games. Last year, E3 2022 was completely cancelled again, with the expectation of building towards a proper and safe return to in-person events in 2023.