In a statement sent to GamesBeat, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced E3 2022 will not be an in-person event. Instead, it will be online-only.
The ESA said ongoing concerns with COVID are to blame. The Omicron variant became the dominant strain in the United States, where infection rates have skyrocketed over the last two months.
Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022.
We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.
The ESA did not expand further on what E3 2022 could look like. Instead, the trade group said it is “excited about the possibilities of an online event.”
This would be the second year in a row E3 would be held online. The 2020 event did not take place in any form due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
E3 2022 is still months away — the yearly event typically takes place in June. However, the ESA is currently in talks with companies in regard to exhibition space. As a result, it could take months for companies to pull their booths from the E3 floor.
Before the pandemic, E3 typically drew around 15,000 fans and 50,000 folks who work in the video game industry. However, it has not had an in-person event since 2019.
We should learn more about E3 2022 as we enter the Spring months.
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