IGN is reporting that PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo will be skipping E3 2023.
This year’s event will take place from June 13 to June 16, and was intended as something of a reset for the once unmissable conference after years of uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s been four years since E3 held an in-person show, and since then Summer Game Fest has emerged as a serious rival to what was previously one of the most important events on the game industry calendar.
IGN, however, claims that PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo won’t have a presence on the show floor when E3 returns in June, with sources from around the industry telling the outlet that none of the traditional “big three” will be in formal attendance.
Xbox, however, has confirmed it will host its annual summer showcase in Los Angeles alongside E3 at a time that’s “convenient for press and even consumers. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has also backed E3’s return, but the console maker seemingly won’t be on the show floor itself.
“E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming,” Spencer told IGN in a wide-ranging interview published last week. “I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things […] getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue.”
IGN claims it’s currently unclear whether Nintendo and Sony intend to host a showcase alongside the event as in previous years.
It’s perhaps unsurprising to hear the biggest players will potentially be skipping the show, with PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo all leaning into Direct-style digital events in recent years, but it would still no doubt be a blow to those planning on attending the conference when it finally returns.
Game Developer has reached out to E3 organizer The ESA for more information.