The annual gaming convention was canceled last month amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Los Angeles' annual video game convention that was originally scheduled to take place June 9-11, has scrapped reported plans of offering an online-only version of the event this year. The convention was canceled in March amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"Given the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June," the ESA, E3's organizer, said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter and which was first reported by PC Gamer. "Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences."
Following the initial cancellation, reports of the event shifting to an online-only version began to circulate, similar to the Game Developers Conference's approach last month, which hosted streaming versions of its scheduled talks through its website. With plans for a digital version of E3 now officially scrapped, 2020 will be the first year without the event since its inception in 1995.
E3, one of the world's largest video game conventions, is held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event drew more than 66,000 attendees in 2019 and over 200 exhibitors. E3 first debuted in 1995 as an event exclusive to media and industry members. In 2017, the convention opened its doors to the general public for the first time.
E3 is not the only major gaming event on the calendar in 2020 to be canceled. San Francisco's Game Developers Conference also postponed its event, originally slated for March 16-20. GDC Summer, a replacement event, is now scheduled for Aug. 4-6 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
