Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox reportedly won’t be a part of E3 2023

The big show’s return may not have the big three

E3 is set to return to an in-person show this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. But according to a new report, some major players may not be in attendance for E3 2023.

IGN reports that Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox will not have a presence on the E3 2023 show floor, nor will they be a part of E3 2023. This info comes from multiple knowledgeable sources the outlet has spoken with about the show.

While Sony has been skipping E3 for a while now and Xbox has recently held events offsite and adjacent to E3, this marks three big potential no-shows for the event this year.

Xbox is still planning to host a summer showcase in Los Angeles. Recently, Xbox head Phil Spencer had confirmed to IGN that its event would be placed “at a time where hopefully it’s convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event.”

“We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans,” said Spencer. “As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful.”

The new E3

E3 is due to return in 2023 with the help of ReedPop, the organizer of PAX and other organized conventions. (Disclosure: I was formerly employed by ReedPop at USgamer.) The event will host both digital and in-person components, and will be open to consumers.

ReedPop responded to a request for comment from IGN, stating the following:

“E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.

This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.

As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.”

Meanwhile, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest is still planning for a showcase this June.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter