The woes of what was once gaming’s biggest expo event are not yet over. After promising to attend earlier, Ubisoft has now backed out of E3 2023, leaving the event with no confirmed major companies in attendance when the date is drawing precariously close.

• Related Reading: Xbox Confirms E3 Show Floor Absence, Will Instead Host Xbox Games Showcase During E3 Digital on June 11

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) for the first time since 2019 this summer, kicking off its Digital Week on June 11. However, despite a change of hosts and significant marketing efforts, the event has been unable to count gaming giants Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo among its promised attendees. Back in February, Ubisoft promised to attend and bring a “strong line-up” of games to Los Angeles, but it appears the French company too no longer sees a reason to come to the event. Instead, it will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on June 12 in the city to showcase its offerings for this year. Here’s the official statement:

E3 has fostered unforgettable moments across the industry throughout the years. While we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles. We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.

Salt on ReedPop’s wound is the fact that before Ubisoft, Microsoft essentially did the same thing: it confirmed a physical no-show at E3 2023 while still bringing a digital showcase to the event, and is also holding its own event in the same timeframe in Los Angeles.

Source: VGC