E3 2020 Cancelled Due to Coronavirus, ESA Planning “Online Experience” to Showcase Announcements

e3 2020

Due to the ongoing development of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), E3 2020 will no longer be taking place this June.

In a statement issued this morning by event organizers, ESA (Entertainment Software Assocation), the company cited the reasoning behind E3 cancellation is the growing concern over the spread of the Coronavirus. This will be the first time ever that E3 has been canceled, with the event first starting in 1996 and going on yearly since. This news comes just one week after the ESA stated that E3 was still on schedule. You can read the full statement down below (via GameSpot).

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.

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.

The ESA says that it would coordinate with both exhibitors and attendees for a full refund. As for the big event itself, the entity is exploring options with members to “coordinate an online experience” where companies can showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020.

E3 joins the latest in gaming events being canceled due to the virus. GDC was recently postponed to this Summer, but with E3 previously taking place in June, it is looking very unlikely that GDC will still happen this year. Gaming this year has suffered a major blow due to the virus, but at the end of the day, we shouldn’t be upset by this news. Safety should always be our number one priority, and right now preventing spread is of the utmost importance.

It’ll be a lot quieter this year for gaming, but for those wanting to learn of all the new exciting announcements that would have debuted at E3, you can expect many companies to now stream their reveals.

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