E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) has announced that it is shutting down permanently after nearly three decades of activity. E3 began in 1995 and attracted countless video game exhibitions every year.
The show was first canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The last E3 game convention was held in an all-virtual environment in 2021, and subsequent shows were also canned. Now, the non-profit Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has officially shut down permanently, leaving one message on its website. It reads:
“After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories. GGWP.”
Failing to stay relevant in a changing market
Although the ESA hasn't said why E3 is shutting down, industry watchers believe that the video game convention lost popularity in recent years and failed to attract enough partners and attention to remain sustainable.
In recent years, E3 lost partners like EA and Sony, while Nintendo moved to digital-only keynotes. It seems as though E3's fate was sealed in 2020 after its first cancelation and the convention never recovered.
In a recent social media post on X, the ESA announced that it will remain “focused on advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce to fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day.”
Image credit: Samsung
