Not quite dead yet: ESA announces the return of E3 in 2023

The Electronic Software Association (ESA) has announced that it will be digging E3 out of the grave next year. The traditional Summer Games event will return in 2023 as both digital and face-to-face events.

This was announced by ESA President Stan Pierre-Louis Washington Post on the return of E3: “We look forward to returning in 2023 with both a digital and in-person event. As much as we love these digital events and as much as we love them to reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to come together – to connect in person and see each other and talk about it , which makes games great.”

ESA held a digital E3 in 2021 and canceled it entirely this year, ostensibly over concerns about the pandemic. This led to speculation that E3 was dead given the plethora of game shows poised to replace it. However, it seems that ESA is not content to let it go.

The summer gaming events this year are mainly taken up by Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Showcase and various other shows.