The Entertainment Software Association will begin hosting E3 in-person again starting in 2023.
As reported by Variety, the ESA revealed on July 7 that the convention will be returning to Los Angeles next year. The ESA also shared that it’s partnering with ReedPop, a pop culture events organization, to host the show. ReedPop is the company behind PAX East, New York Comic Con, and several other high-profile fan conventions and trade shows.
E3 has traditionally been the game industry’s flagship event, a place where the biggest new consoles and games are announced. The ESA did not share when E3 2023 will take place, but previous E3s have taken place around the second weekend in June. The ESA promised to share more details in the coming months.
This is the first time since 2019 that E3 will be held in person. Like many other large events, 2020’s iteration of E3 was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2021, the ESA hosted a virtual E3, with an all-online schedule for viewers to follow along with. The show was canceled entirely in 2022, with the ESA sharing that the cancellation was necessary in order to work on returning the show to a physical space.
E3 has had competition since 2020 in the form of Summer Game Fest, an all-digital event that also offers game reveals, announcements, and trailers. Several companies have also pulled out of E3 in recent years, including Nintendo, which releases a Nintendo Direct video around the time of the show rather than taking the stage.
