The Longtime Coming End Of An Era: E3 Is Officially No More

For quite a few years now – especially post-COVID – we’ve been talking about how E3 is dying. In a lot of ways, it’s been dead for a while, despite attempts by the Entertainment Software Association to keep it running.

Over the years, what started out as one of the few places for developers to introduce their products to the world found itself in competition with more focused and more fan-friendly events. Developers found it was easier – and probably more cost-effective – to host their own events where they wouldn’t have to compete with everyone else on the floor. This was better for fans as well, who might only be interested in specific games. Streaming became more viable, making the cost of even leaving unnecessary. In the midst of all this, COVID hit and made going to any events impossible.

With all the changes, people just aren’t as interested in spending time at E3, so it should be no surprise that when the lockdowns ended, and E3 tried to start back up, the trend of developers pulling out of the conference only continued.

None of this is shocking when you consider that E3 was, at its heart, an event intended for industry people. The fact that it eventually opened up to fans had more to do with trying to keep something that was already dying alive.

Today, we mark the end of an era, but we’re not surprised and are honestly a bit relieved to be doing so.

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— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023