E3 Shuts Down Permanently, Posts Goodbye Message

The Official Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, is officially shutting down after more than two decades (1995-2021). It was revealed in a tweet posted on their official account on December 12, 2023 which is sure to make a lot of gamers emotional.

E3 officially ends run

[bs-quote quote=”After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye.

Thanks for the memories.

GGWP” style=”default” align=”center” color=”” author_name=”” author_job=”” author_avatar=”” author_link=””][/bs-quote]

The same message appears on the official website as well. There’s no other interactive element on the website apart from this – confirming that this really is the end. Fans from all over the world posted replies on Twitter (X) thanking E3 for the awesome events they held.

The previous tweet from the account mentioned the cancellation of both the digital and physical events for E3 2023 and so, this announcement doesn’t come as a surprise.

News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ

— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023

Here’s one from 2020, during the peak of the pandemic:

The E3 team is devastated to share this news. This decision was not reached lightly, but it is the right one for the health and safety of all involved. Read our statement here: https://t.co/1uOWxTerN9 pic.twitter.com/gD2IxNACLX

— E3 (@E3) March 11, 2020

Why did E3 get cancelled?

There are several reasons why E3 was cancelled in 2023 and isn’t expected to return in 2024, 2025 or beyond, as confirmed by the tweet. A few reasons include declining interest from major publishers and hardware manufacturers, which was the main audience-pull factor. Publishers like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo opted out of direct participation, and chose to make their game reveals and announcements on their own.

The landscape of how gamers consumed content also changed in the recent years, with Twitch and Youtube streaming taking the front seat. This led to publishers using the digital medium without spending money on physical events which proved to be cost effective in compared to the traditional format of E3.

The pandemic has created a massive shift in the minds of people and it has significantly impacted the gaming industry in various ways. Due to this, many chose not to travel to a location and preferred to watch reveals on screens in the comfort of their homes.

Previous Cancellations

E3 was cancelled for the first time in 2020 and the one next year was held online. The event for 2022 was entirely cancelled. There were hopes of getting back to the old glory of the event in 2023, but because publishers chose to organize their own showcase events by themselves or via the Summer Game Fest, ESA cancelled the show for 2023.

These were just some of the surface level issues that could have impacted the inevitable cancellation of E3 this year and years to come. If things change, it might return in a different format. Until then, thanks for the memories.