After months of uncertainty, E3 has officially ended for good. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has today put out a statement to confirm that after more than two decades, the gaming convention is no more.
In recent years, most notably since the COVID-19 pandemic and its after-effects, E3 has struggled to stay relevant amidst multiple efforts to reinvent itself. Both the 2022 and 2023 events were cancelled following an all-digital event in 2021 at the height of the pandemic.
Here's a slightly longer statement provided to The Washington Post by the ESA:
"After more than two decades of serving as a central showcase for the video game industry, ESA has decided to end E3. ESA remains focused on advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce who fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day."
Since E3's last event, Geoff Keighley's 'Summer Game Fest' has effectively taken over as gaming's big mid-year convention. Run by The Game Awards host, the show has carried the torch in recent years - providing publishers and developers with a public platform to show off their upcoming titles.
We have some amazing memories of E3 over the years so it's certainly sad to see it go. Recent iterations of the event haven't been what they used to be, sure, but we'll miss it dearly as the industry's big summer event. Farewell E3!