The Entertainment Software Association has announced that E3 2021 will take place June 15-17 next year, after cancelling its 2020 event about a month ago due to COVID-19 concerns.
The event, set to take place a week later than usual, is said to be “a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry,” according to the ESA.
As part of this announcement, however, plans to host a visual event of some kind this year have been halted.
It is likely that publishers have found some freedom in being able to dictate when they release messaging about their games, services, and hardware. Not being caught in the fray of hundreds of other announcements is a huge win for smaller and larger publishers alike.
Even with plans of E3 2021 making the rounds, some companies such as Sony, who hasn’t been at E3 in two years, and Microsoft, who just recently announced that they’re going all-digital for events until at least July 2021, still won’t be there.
How will E3 change in the landscape where two of the world’s largest publishers are not present? Or will E3 2021 mark a return to the conference for Sony given Microsoft’s absence?
As we find out, we’ll be sure to let you know.