E3’s significant and much-anticipated return to in-person events is happening at the Los Angeles Convention Center this June. While many convention fans have been excited about its return, they might soon find themselves feeling more disappointed than anything else. E3’s big return comes four years after the event was forced to go digital. The trade show returning to a physical event had fans worldwide hoping that E3 2023 would be the convention’s best year.
However, that doesn’t appear to be the case. According to sources over at IGN, when E3 returns in June, it will do so without three of the convention’s biggest draws. According to IGN, Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo have all pulled out and will have no presence at E3 2023.
Xbox’s decision not to be part of E3 comes as a shock considering how integrated into the event it’s been in the past, and for the first time in a long time, Xbox has some significant releases to promote. It’s also the first time Nintendo won’t have a booth on the show floor.
Out of the big three, Sony is the only one fans predicted wouldn’t be attending. They famously pulled out of the convention in 2019 over disagreements with the Entertainment Software Association. Although Sony has not addressed this disagreement publicly, it’s safe to presume that it has not yet been resolved.
Hosting the convention without any big gaming companies having a presence might make it challenging for E3 to reestablish itself as a physical event. Without the hype surrounding the platform holder stands, the event is unlikely to deliver the type of experience many attendees and fans have been waiting for over the last four years.