E3 2020 has officially been cancelled due to the coronavirus, following an announcement from the Entertainment Software Association.
For weeks, reports have been rife that the Los Angeles-based video game expo was likely to be cancelled. On March 4 the ESA stated that they were still planning for the show to happen in June and that they would be monitoring the situation daily as a result of LA declaring a state of emergency.
Now, organisers have confirmed that this year’s show will not be going ahead. A statement posted on the ESA website today said: “After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
(Image: Getty)
“Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.
“Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.
“We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3expo.com.
“We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.”
The cancellation is yet another blow for the show, with its status diminishing in recent years as a result of big hitters like Sony and EA choosing to hold their own separate events, as well as pre-show leaking of big announcements. Last year’s E3 was mired in controversy after it emerged that the contact details of more than 2000 press and content creator attendees were accidentally leaked online.
E3 isn’t the only gaming show to be put on hiatus because of the COVID-19 outreak. San Francisco’s GDC (Game Developers Conference) was due to go ahead this Sunday but has also been pulled.
On the UK side of things, London is set to host the indie-centric EGX Rezzed on March 26, and while there’s no official word at the time of writing, there are rumours that the convention will not go ahead.
Likewise, Gamescom – due to be held Cologne, Germany this August – may also suffer the same fate.
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