E3 2024 and 2025 have not been cancelled, still in discussions
ESA says "no final decisions" have been made about the future of the event
The Entertainment Software Association has shut down speculation that E3 2024 and 2025 have been cancelled.
A post on ResetEra yesterday shared an update from the Los Angeles Tourism Board of Commissioners projecting future sales results based on the cancellations of the next two iterations of the long-running trade show.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to the ESA for clarification, and a spokesperson told us the trade body is "currently having conversations about E3 2024 (and beyond)."
The spokesperson added that "no final decisions about the event have been made at this time."
E3 2023, which was being organised by the ESA and GamesIndustry.biz parent ReedPop, was cancelled back in March.
At the time, ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis attributed this to a mix of factors, including the impact of COVID-19 on game development and economic headwinds making companies more reluctant to invest in large marketing events.
When asked if E3 would return in 2024, he said: "We're committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening but we want to make sure we find that right balance that meets the needs of the industry. We're certainly going to be listening and ensuring whatever we want to offer meets those needs and at that time, we will have more news to share."
Several of the independent games events that were to run alongside E3 2023 – such as Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase and Ubisoft Forward – went ahead as planned.