Gaming’s Biggest Expo, E3 Shuts Down After 28 Years

E3, once the biggest gaming expo in the world has been shut down, confirms Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

E3’s Downfall was Inevitable

E3 started back in 1995 as a hub for annual gaming announcements and showcases and it continued to do so for another two decades before companies started opting for direct showcases which benefitted them and allow them to communicate with select audiences in a more direct way.

For instance, Geoff Keighley, a former E3 journalist, left the expo to organize his successful events, such as Summer Game Fest and the annual Game Awards. Nintendo initiated Direct, while Xbox and PlayStation started organizing their own showcases.

With the majority of game publishers following the footsteps of the Big 3, E3 found it challenging to reclaim the popularity and excitement it once generated. In fact, the event did open its doors to the general public in 2019. However, with the onset of COVID and subsequent cancellations in 2022 and 2023, it became almost inevitable that the show wouldn’t carry forward.

After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.

GGWP

–ESA via X (formerly Twitter)

Stanley Pierre-Louis, the president of ESA, acknowledged that online video conferences are more cost-effective than traditional trade shows, and so companies would understandably opt for that instead of actual events like the E3.

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.