Those hoping for a return to the Los Angeles Convention Center this year will be disappointed, as the ESA has confirmed that E3’s physical event has been cancelled (via IGN).
“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,” reads the ESA’s statement to IGN. “We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”
This marks the third year in a row without a physical E3.
The recent surge of the Omicron variant has certainly put events, which wer †e slowly beginning to return, on the back foot as late. However, this cancellation comes somewhat earlier than it did in previous years, which were announced in March 2020 and February 2021, respectively.
Additionally, in a follow-up communication with IGN, the ESA could not confirm if there would be a digital version of E3 this year, as has been seen in previous years – raising questions on social media about the future of the event.
The ESA has not set any firm dates for E3 this year, despite previous physical and digital events being announced a year in advance. While an in-person E3 in 2022 was planned last year, there has been unusually little news since then.