The ESA insists E3 isn't dead despite the city of Los Angeles saying otherwise
The Entertainment Software Association is insisting that E3 isn't dead quite yet, though the Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners would beg to differ.
A ResetEra post shared a snippet of the board's most recent meeting, which seemed to all but confirm the death of the once-beloved gaming convention. A footnote inside the meeting's packet for convention sales, dated June 12, reads «includes E3 cancellations for 2024 and 2025.» While that doesn't account for its future in 2026 and beyond, it seemed like the final nail in the coffin. After all, everyone seemed to do just fine without E3 around this year, and last year. It was a shaky time for the convention even before the pandemic, but now it seemed almost certain that we wouldn't see its grand return.
Never say never, apparently, because a spokesperson for the ESA has attempted to snuff out any premature grieving (or celebrating). Issuing a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, the trade body says it's «currently having conversations about E3 2024 (and beyond), adding that „no final decisions about the event have been made at this time.“
It's a pretty vague response to an almost definitive footnote from the LA tourism board, but it could mean a multitude of things for E3's future. My theory is there's a pretty high chance we'll see a digital version of the event return next year, culling the need for a physical presence and all the financial woes that come with it. It would make sense with ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis's comments earlier this year about the likelihood of an E3 2024, too.
From an ESA note sent to members (game publishers): “We expect E3 to continue to be a part of ESA’s storytelling and are currently in conversation with a number of
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