The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has confirmed its plans for this year’s E3. After the event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ESA is bringing back E3 as a digital recording that is completely free to attend. It takes place between 12 and 15 June.
Nintendo and Xbox are one of the big names that will be part of E3, along with Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games and Koch Media. According to the ESA, there will be more additions to this range, but as it currently stands, the notable omissions include Sony, EA, Activision Blizzard, Square Enix, Sega and Bandai Namco. Sony skipped E3 2019 and did the same last year, so it would not be surprising for the company to release this year’s version as well.
There have been so many discussions over the past year or so about the future of E3, and whether the event still has a viable place in the industry. In the absence of E3 2020, many developers and publishers offered their own digital showcases, and others got a little shine from like Summer Game Fest. However, the ESA intends to hold E3 2022 as a personal event, so it is confident that the fair will remain a list of the game calendar.