E3 Will Be Online-Only Again This Year

Once again, the ESA has decided to turn the Electronic Entertainment Expo into an online-only affair. Once again, it’s because COVID cases are on the rise – this time the Omicron variant. And, well… we all know how conventions like these are oftentimes the best place to catch almost anything. It’s not as if the term “con crud” exists without reason.

As a rule, E3 generally takes place in June. Because of this, the ESA hadn’t made any announcements regarding the annual event. It’s likely they were biding their time in order to see how things would go this year. Now, the decision has been made. We still don’t have a date for the event. But, we do have a statement offered to GamesBeat by an ESA spokesperson that confirms the decision to go online-only is a result of the continuing pandemic.

“Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022. We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.” The ESA also noted they’re excited by the “possibilities” of hosting the event online.

It probably also gives them a bit more wiggle room in scheduling since many developers can literally phone their presentations in and venues won’t have to be procured.