E3 2020 has officially been cancelled due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 VIRUS/Coronavirus. The ESA issued an official statement regarding the cancellation moments ago.
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
The full statement reads:
After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors, and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.
Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.
We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3Expo.com.
We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.
The reaction among gaming media and enthusiasts has been mixed, with some believing it’s for the better and others legit devastated about the cancellation. Last year, the ESA was hit with negative press after a data breach that resulted in personal information from E3 2019 attendees leaked on the internet. In addition, many now feel like E3 is more of a showcase for influencers and that it has become less about the games themselves.
There’s speculation that the ESA will still arrange for press conferences to be streamed online in a digital E3 event, but for now we’ll wait for further updates from the organization. Be sure to follow the official E3 account on Twitter for alerts about refunds and more.
With gamer’s eager for any new information on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, it raises questions on when we’ll get a full press conference about the next-generation consoles.
Source: e3expo.com
