It looks like E3 2022 will follow in the footsteps of last year’s show by being a digital-only event. Although the hope after 2021 was a return to an in-person gathering at the Los Angeles Convention Center (with even the city’s mayor crossing his fingers), the ongoing pandemic has nixed those plans.
In a statement to Venture Beat, posted below, the ESA confirmed that the coronavirus remains a major issue so it’s playing it safe for one more year:
“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 are nonetheless excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”As we all know, the pandemic is still very much a thing, especially with the Omicron variant running rampant. This isn’t the biggest shock in the world but still disappointing for fans, developers, and media hoping to reconnect in person this June. Since the pandemic started, E3 has been canceled outright in 2020 and the 2021 edition saw the event unfold through a series of livestreams and digital meetings held on the ESA’s website. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see how the ESA iterates on last year's approach.
[Source: Venture Beat]
Are you disappointed about E3 going digital for one more year? What improvements to last year's show would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!