About a year ago, E3 announced its grand return after being suspended due to the pandemic. However, today, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced to its members that this year’s E3 event is officially canceled, following multiple big companies’ withdrawal, such as Sega, Ubisoft, and Tencent.

ESA conveyed this news to their members via email, and a public statement was released shortly afterward, explaining that the decision to cancel E3 2023 was made with the industry’s and E3’s best interests in mind. The statement also acknowledged that resource challenges and lack of playable demos were significant hurdles for interested companies, which ultimately led to their decision to cancel the event.

The event was scheduled to take place in mid-June, but ESA now feels that there isn’t enough support to organize it in a manner that accurately represents the industry’s strength. This news is a significant disappointment to many, and it raises concerns about the future of E3.