E3 2022 Digital Event Reportedly Canceled

Multiple sources are saying that E3 2022's digital event has been canceled.


Published: March 31, 2022 2:59 PM /

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E3 2022 Digital Reportedly Canceled cover

Update (March 31, 2022 - 4:21 PM Eastern TIme) - The ESA has responded to TechRaptor's request for comment and confirmed that E3 2022 has indeed been canceled.

Here is the text of the statement provided by the ESA:

E3 will return in 2023 with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations.  

We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19.   Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022.  

Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer.  Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience. 

We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023.

Look for more news and announcements soon.

However, this is not the end of the E3 convention as a whole -- the ESA notes that it will be using the time to develop "a new standard for hybrid industry events and fan engagement." It adds that it and its members are looking forward to all of the individual presentations taking place throughout 2022.

Our original story continues below.


The E3 2022 digital event has been reportedly canceled according to multiple sources -- it looks like this iconic, long-running gaming show won't be taking place at all this year.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, has been known as the flagship gaming convention for decades. It was once restricted to media and developers only before finally opening up to public audiences. Now, it looks like this year's show is not happening at all -- and this could be the death knell for E3 altogether.

What's Happening With the E3 2022 Digital Event?

The fate of E3 was somewhat uncertain for this year, and now it looks like it isn't happening at all. According to a tweet from Razer's PR Lead for the Americas Will Powers (via @Wario64), the digital E3 2022 event has been canceled for this year.

"Just got an email..." read the tweet. "It's official, E3 digital is [officially] cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this..."

"Official ESA E3 is officially cancelled cancelled," read a reply from Powers in response to a question about the cancellation.

Adding to this, Jeff Grubb confirmed this statement in a tweet, noting that he had previously talked about the cancellation on his show Grubbsnax. He also had a bit of commentary to add on the matter, too.

"The vibe check I was getting is that everyone is going with [Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest] instead because he's actually competent," read a follow-up tweet.

As for Keighley, his only response was a winking emoji and retweeting a tweet promoting the upcoming Summer Game Fest, a competing show that was put together by him and has been running for the last couple of years.

Furthermore, IGN's Rebekah Valentine independently confirmed that the E3 2022 digital event has been canceled in an article.

"Was able to independently confirm that E3 2022 is fully canceled now," Valentine commented in a tweet. "Unsurprising given that they never actually confirmed they were doing a digital event in the first place and were so cagey when we asked them about it."

"Multiple folks have told me they're regrouping for a big comeback in 2023, which I really hope happens," she added in a reply. "I love E3 a lot, just deeply frustrated with the bizarre communications and strategies the ESA has had regarding it in recent years."

E3 has been a veritable rollercoaster over the last few years. While attendance was somewhat down for E3 2019, things weren't looking all that bad for the annual gaming convention. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and caused countless cancellations, delays, and more in the gaming world and elsewhere. This resulted in E3 2020 being canceled and E3 2021 being an all-digital show.

We've reached out to the ESA for comment and will update this article when we receive a reply or official confirmation from the show's social media accounts.

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


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