There will be no more E3 2022 as the gaming expo has been officially canceled both physically and digitally. Several industry insiders have reported that E3 2022 will no longer be held and will be officially canceled. The confirmation comes as other gaming industry events return to face-to-face meetings. In early 2022, it was confirmed that E3 would not be hosting an in-person event and that E3 could be played online again.
ESA originally planned an in-person E3 event this year after no events in 2020 due to COVID-19 and a digital event in 2021. The E3 2022 in-person show was canceled earlier this year, but reports have indicated that there are still plans to hold a digital-only version of E3 2022, as happened in 2021. The ESA confirmed in a statement to Polygon that E3 2022 has been canceled entirely, adding that this year’s E3 is expected to return in 2023 as an in-person and online event.
Just got an email… It's official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this…
— Will Powers (@WillJPowers) March 31, 2022
Today we’re announcing that E3 2022 will also not feature a digital demo of their gaming showcase. We previously announced that their game fair will not be held in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks associated with COVID-19. Despite initial claims that their gaming fair would be online-only for another year, the Electronic Software Association has decided to cancel E3 2022 entirely. EA recently confirmed that its EA Play 2022 event has also been canceled. According to Will Powers, PR manager for Razer, an email was sent confirming the complete cancellation of E3 2022. In a tweet, Will Powers, public relations specialist for gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer, revealed that Will Powers received an email claiming that the digital event was canceled.
Excited to share that @SummerGameFest will return this June with a slate of events. We'll be producing another Kickoff Live show with announcements, news and first looks.
Much more to share in the coming weeks, along with some very cool new elements for '22. pic.twitter.com/jjXLG8Xueh
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) March 31, 2022
Today, in the minds of gamers and the gaming industry itself, E3-less is a collection of many events and meetups held every June on Twitch, YouTube, and in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center, not all of which are officially affiliated with the ESA Entertainment Software Association program. For starters, the Summer Games Festival is a special summer event hosted by Jeff Keighley that started in 2020 when E3 2022 was canceled. Following news that E3 was completely canceled, industry veteran and creator of The Game Awards Geoff Keighley announced that the Summer Games Festival online event series will return for the third time in June. In fact, after news of the cancellation started spreading, Game Awards host Geoff Keighley gave a mysterious wink on Twitter, reminding fans that the Summer Games Festival is returning this year to help fill the void at E3 2022. Video games seamlessly stepped in, announcing that his Summer Games Festival was set for June of this year.
