The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will not be returning as an in-person event in 2022.
A report by Venturebeat confirms that the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade group that oversees E3, will not be holding its standard show again this June.
“Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022,” the ESA said in a statement via Venturebeat. “We are nonetheless excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”
As Omicron cases continue to surge globally, it’s no surprise that E3 isn’t making a return. Not since E3 2019 has the ESA held an in-person show, as E3 2020 and E3 2021 were exclusively online affairs. A trend that will likely continue for quite some time, especially with the advent of livestreams rendering trade shows like E3 somewhat obsolete.
E3 2022 will be online-only again due to the ongoing pandemichttps://t.co/AleelNDiv8 pic.twitter.com/1LlftYQp9K
— Nibel (@Nibellion) January 6, 2022
Massive, live events in the video game industry are a rarity these days. Last fall, Valve Software canceled the DOTA 2 International championships due to COVID-19 concerns. Tournament organizer Silviu Stroie event said the only way for large-scale events to return is if all attendees are vaccinated.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
