Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo will likely be absent at E3’s first in-person event in four years, meaning our yearly dose of game announcements will have to be released at a different time. The event is usually home to merch, trailers, and game showcases for the public and press, but this year all its heavy hitters won’t be attending.
According to reports by IGN, all three gaming giants—unquestionably the “big three” in the scene—won’t “have a presence on the L.A. Convention Center show floor.”
Reedpop, E3’s event producer, responded by saying, “We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry.”
They added: “We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.”
The event is set to begin on Jun. 13 and run until Jun. 16 and is usually an easy way to build hype surrounding new projects. However, it seems each console has its own unveiling events throughout the year now instead.
Xbox has confirmed it won’t have a formal presentation. Neither Sony nor Nintendo has officially announced whether they would be in attendance. It seems Xbox got all the info they wanted out from The Xbox and Bethesda “developer direct” earlier this year, where they showcased games like Minecraft: Legends and Forza Motorsport.
PlayStation has “State of Play” and with rumors floating around the gaming sphere that suggest its next event could be close at hand, maybe there’s no point in sharing anything at E3. Sony has missed an E3 before, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they do again.
If Nintendo follows in its own footsteps, its game presentation event, “Nintendo Direct,” will likely arrive in February. Direct arrived Feb. 2022 and Feb. 2021, meaning there’s a good chance it could be in the coming months.
Either way, if the big dogs don’t show up to E3, it might look a little empty.
