95. The Future of E3: Is the Big Gaming Expo Gone Forever?

For over two decades, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was the Super Bowl of the video game industry. Every June, gamers would tune in to see the biggest reveals from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. However, the landscape has shifted permanently. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has officially pulled the plug on the event, leaving a vacuum that is rapidly being filled by digital showcases and Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest.

The Official End of E3

The speculation ended on December 12, 2023. After several years of cancelled shows, attempted rebrands, and failed partnerships, the ESA announced that E3 is permanently cancelled. It is not taking a hiatus. It is not restructuring. It is gone.

Stanley Pierre-Louis, the President and CEO of the ESA, confirmed that the trade group is abandoning the event entirely. For 28 years, the Los Angeles Convention Center served as the hub for the industry, but the business model that sustained E3 simply does not exist anymore.

This decision came after a disastrous 2023. The ESA had partnered with ReedPop, the organizers behind PAX and New York Comic Con, to revive the show. However, major publishers rapidly pulled out, forcing the cancellation of the 2023 event before it even began. That failure signaled to the rest of the world that the centralized expo model was obsolete.

Why The Giant Collapsed

E3 did not die overnight. It was a slow decline caused by three specific factors that changed how video games are marketed.

The Cost of Doing Business

Exhibiting at E3 was incredibly expensive. Companies like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Activision spent millions of dollars renting floor space, building elaborate booths, and flying in staff. In an era where tech budgets are tightening, justifying a multi-million dollar expense for a three-day event became difficult.

The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer Streams

Nintendo proved that you do not need a physical stage to sell games. In 2013, they stopped hosting a traditional E3 press conference and switched to the “Nintendo Direct” format. This pre-recorded video allowed them to control the messaging, eliminate technical hiccups, and save money.

Sony followed suit, skipping E3 entirely in 2019 to host its own “State of Play” events. Once the two biggest console manufacturers proved they could generate hype without the ESA, the value of an E3 booth plummeted.

The Pandemic Acceleration

COVID-19 forced the industry to go fully digital in 2020. This broke the habit of the annual pilgrimage to Los Angeles. Publishers realized they could get the same amount of views on YouTube and Twitch without the logistical nightmare of a physical trade show. When restrictions lifted, few companies saw a reason to go back to the old way.

The Rise of Summer Game Fest

As E3 faded, Geoff Keighley stepped in to fill the void. Keighley, a longtime video game journalist and the creator of The Game Awards, launched Summer Game Fest (SGF) in 2020.

Unlike E3, which was a trade show owned by a lobbying group (the ESA), Summer Game Fest is a digital-first event designed for the modern internet. It is now the anchor for “June gaming announcements.”

How SGF Differs from E3

  • Centralized Kickoff: SGF begins with a single, massive live showcase hosted by Keighley at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. This replaces the scattered press conferences of the past.
  • Media Days: Instead of a chaotic convention center floor, SGF hosts “Play Days.” This is an invite-only event for media and influencers to play upcoming games in a controlled environment.
  • Platform Agnostic: SGF partners with everyone. You will see Xbox, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and indie developers sharing the same stage.

The New June Schedule

The permanent cancellation of E3 has not stopped June from being the busiest month in gaming. However, the schedule is now fragmented. Instead of a tight three-day schedule, announcements are spread over two or three weeks.

Typically, the new “Not-E3” schedule looks like this:

  1. Summer Game Fest Showcase: Usually the first or second Friday of June.
  2. Xbox Games Showcase: aired on the Sunday following SGF.
  3. Ubisoft Forward: A standalone stream usually taking place the Monday after Xbox.
  4. Nintendo Direct: Nintendo often waits until later in June to air their partner showcases or first-party reveals.

What Was Lost?

While efficiency has improved, the death of E3 resulted in the loss of a specific type of energy. E3 was a moment where the entire industry physically gathered in one place. It allowed for “water cooler” moments and unexpected networking that digital events cannot replicate.

Furthermore, E3 briefly opened to the public in 2017, allowing fans to experience the spectacle. Summer Game Fest is strictly industry-only regarding physical attendance for Play Days, though they do sell tickets for the seated live showcase.

For consumers, the change is minimal. You still get trailers in June. But for the industry, the loss of the Los Angeles Convention Center gathering marks the end of a unified gaming culture. The future is decentralized, digital, and significantly cheaper for publishers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any chance E3 will return in 2025? No. The ESA has been explicit that E3 is permanently cancelled. The brand will not be revived for future conventions.

What is the biggest gaming convention now? In terms of physical attendance, Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, is now the world’s largest gaming event. It takes place in August and attracts hundreds of thousands of public attendees. The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) in September is also a massive physical event.

Does Sony or Nintendo attend Summer Game Fest? Sony and Nintendo do not typically hold press conferences at Summer Game Fest. However, they often allow third-party games coming to their platforms to be shown during the broadcast. They prefer to save their major first-party announcements for their own standalone streams.

Where can I watch the new summer reveals? All major events, including Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Showcase, and Nintendo Directs, are streamed for free on YouTube and Twitch.