The prospects of E3 having a good show in 2023 continue to look bleaker by the day. Things already looked dire for E3 2023 when Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all announced their intentions to bow out of the show. But then, just recently, Ubisoft decided to join the three major console manufacturers in their decisions, leaving the show in an even bigger quandary. And unfortunately, fans of E3 who hoped that Ubisoft would serve as the last major publisher to skip the show have more bad news to swallow. Yesterday, outlets learned that both Sega and Tencent will refrain from attending E3 as well.
Speaking with IGN, “numerous individuals in publishing and PR who typically have knowledge of event strategies” have aired their concerns over E3’s recent woes. According to these anonymous sources, they do not know if any other publishers or companies will attend E3 for certain. Additionally, neither the Entertainment Software Association nor ReedPop, the event’s organizer, have communicated openly regarding any specific details about what the show will entail.
So what now?
These developments have put doubt in many people’s minds over whether or not the show will even still happen at this point. One anonymous source went as far as to say that “there’s no possible way this show can happen.” To make things more complicated, those planning to attend the show and set up their own booths need to plan out their budgets and personnel ahead of time, and the lack of information makes it difficult for them to do so, especially in such a short time frame.
With the recent news of Sega and Tencent skipping E3, it seems inevitable that other companies will join them. This coming summer will likely still see plenty of gaming news, but at the very least, E3 definitely won’t be at the center of it all.
Image via Sega