Concern over E3 2023’s future is continung to grow, prompting more publishers to drop out behind Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, and Ubisoft. IGN has learned that Sega and Tencent will be skipping E3 2023 amid rumors that the promised triumphant return of gaming’s biggest event may not happen after all.
IGN reporters have spoken with numerous individuals in publishing and PR who typically have knowledge of event strategies, all of whom expressed concern about the status of this summer’s event. Many told us that they hadn’t heard of anyone else who was planning to attend for sure, and some said they felt there had been a significant lack of communication from the ESA and organizer ReedPop as to what exactly they should expect from the show. Several described the situation as one where everyone was waiting for someone else to be the first to jump, but no one was willing to take the leap – and time was running out.
As one knowledgeable source put it ahead of the Monday news of Ubisoft’s departure from the show, “There’s no possible way this show can happen.”
Neither ESA nor ReedPop responded to IGN’s request for comment in time for publication.
Panic! on the Show Floor
What was most striking around these conversations was the sheer confusion. Several told us that in past years when E3 had taken place, they recalled already having all their plans firmly in place by this time in March, some even publicly announcing this early (a quick glance at recent past E3 news announcements confirms this).
But not so in 2023. Multiple people broached the question of E3 with us throughout the conference even before we asked, seemingly desperate for information that could help them make informed decisions about whether or not they should be allocating large budgets for a show floor booth and the personnel to staff it in just two months’ time. Many questioned whether they should skip the show itself but still make an appearance in town to meet off-site with media who might be around that week.
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In contrast to the deep concerns around E3, feelings were mixed to positive about Geoff Keighley’s Play Days – an in-person, media-only event that last year took place over two days in early June around the same time as E3 and which has been confirmed again for this year. Several people we spoke to confirmed they had games locked in for Play Days, and a few mentioned they expected more games to be present this year than last year.
That said, the event is still significantly smaller than E3 has been historically, and as opposed to its first run in 2022, may not be composed almost entirely of hands-on demos.
Even without the historical baggage of E3, it’s unsurprising so many publishers are hesitant to make grand appearances at a summer event of any kind. The COVID-19 pandemic violently disrupted production, announcement, and release cycles, and for several years in a row removed the urgency of having a polished game demo ready for hands-on at a big summer event.
Budgets, too, are reportedly in limbo. Lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 prompted companies to significantly slash funds for events while laying off their events teams, with sources through the industry telling IGN that many publishers have yet to replenish to pre-2020 levels. Even if companies wanted to come to E3, or Play Days, or just LA in general, many aren’t financially prepared for all the expenses that entails – or if they are, they’re spending that money on events that have fewer questions about their stability, such as PAX or Gamescom.
This perhaps explains why so few companies are willing to play ball despite sources telling IGN that numerous publishers collaborated with ReedPop on defining exactly what they wanted out of E3’s 2023 rendition. Their initial participation and subsequent reluctance has led to a sense of betrayal within ReedPop, which has been tasked with bringing the gaming event back from the grave, with those involved feeling they were left to shoulder the blame for the ESA’s past mistakes and publishers’ present day fears.
What’s more, ReedPop is preparing for further internal shakeup next month. Per an email to staff, as seen by IGN, Lance Fensterman, the company’s president for the last 14 years, is preparing to step down, leaving current VP and ReedPop veteran since 2004 Michael Kisken to fill his shoes. [Disclosure: I am a former ReedPop employee, as a staff writer at GamesIndustry.biz from 2018-2021].
Who’s in? Who’s out?
IGN reached out to a number of major publishers ahead of publication to ask if they were able to confirm E3 attendance this year; or, where applicable, their plans for satellite events around E3. Those that did not respond in time for publication included EA, Square Enix, Embracer Group, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Take-Two, and Warner Bros. Games. IGN understands that more publishers plan to skip E3, but that they have yet to make a formal announcement.
Of those that did respond, Sega confirmed to IGN that it would not be attending the show after all, saying in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have decided not to participate in E3 2023 as an exhibitor. We look forward to sharing more information on announced and unannounced projects in the future.”
Bandai Namco declined to provide an update on E3, but did confirm it would be attending Play Days. Tencent confirmed through a spokesperson that Level Infinite would not be attending E3 2023, but that it had participated in Play Days in 2022 and “found it to be an ideal experience for showcasing our games to the media.”
Devolver Digital, which has historically never officially attended E3 but has multiple years running set up shot in an adjacent parking lot, provided the following:
While we always root for the success of any industry gathering that promotes great games, we have never officially attended E3 and do not plan to do so this year unfortunately. We will also confirm we will not be hosting satellite events this year in Los Angeles, but look forward to returning to our beloved parking lot to do so if the opportunity arises for a future LACC-based event. We are happy to report that we are well underway in the production of our annual Devolver Direct scheduled for June which we will share news about soon.
With only two months to go before E3 2023 is scheduled in Los Angeles, the mood surrounding the show is a far cry from previous years. At a time when companies would normally be preparing to announce their major showcases and businesspeople, media, and the public would be booking travel, instead there is a pervasive question as to whether or not the show will happen at all. And if it does, those responsible for participating fear they may find themselves shackled to an expensive husk of a show as the rest of the industry moves on.
Additional reporting by Kat Bailey.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.