Rumors Swirl Around E3’s Future as Sega, Even More Publishers Back Out

ign.com:

Concern over E3 2023's future is continung to grow, prompting more publishers to drop out behind Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, and Ubisoft. IGN has learned that Sega and Tencent will be skipping E3 2023 amid rumors that the promised triumphant return of gaming’s biggest event may not happen after all.

IGN reporters have spoken with numerous individuals in publishing and PR who typically have knowledge of event strategies, all of whom expressed concern about the status of this summer’s event. Many told us that they hadn’t heard of anyone else who was planning to attend for sure, and some said they felt there had been a significant lack of communication from the ESA and organizer ReedPop as to what exactly they should expect from the show. Several described the situation as one where everyone was waiting for someone else to be the first to jump, but no one was willing to take the leap – and time was running out.

As one knowledgeable source put it ahead of the Monday news of Ubisoft’s departure from the show, “There’s no possible way this show can happen.”

Neither ESA nor ReedPop responded to IGN's request for comment in time for publication.

What was most striking around these conversations was the sheer confusion. Several told us that in past years when E3 had taken place, they recalled already having all their plans firmly in place by this time in March, some even publicly announcing this early (a quick glance at recent past E3 news announcements confirms this).

But not so in 2023. Multiple people broached the question of E3 with us throughout the conference even before we asked, seemingly desperate for information that could help them make informed decisions about whether or not they should be allocating large budgets for a show