Ubisoft joins Nintendo and Xbox in missing E3 2023

Ubisoft has confirmed it will not have a presence at this year’s E3 showcase, joining Xbox and Nintendo in skipping the conference.

Speaking to VGC yesterday (March 27), a Ubisoft spokesperson confirmed that while the company “initially intended to have an official E3 presence,” it will no longer be attending.

“We’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles,” said Ubisoft. “We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.”

Ubisoft joins the likes of Nintendo and Microsoft in skipping E3.

Nintendo stated it would not be attending E3 in February, claiming “since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision not to participate”.

Earlier in the month, Xbox also confirmed that it will not have a presence on E3’s show floor. Instead, Microsoft will host an Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 – two days before E3 officially begins – which will feature a “deep dive” Starfield Direct.

While it’s yet to be confirmed, it has also been reported that Sony will not be attending E3, though the company is yet to confirm whether that is the case.

Last month, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot cast doubt on the conference during a company earnings call, stating “if E3 happens, we will be there and we will have a lot of things to show”.

News of Ubisoft’s departure from E3 arrived on the same day that NME reported allegations of crunch culture and management issues at Ubisoft Paris.

Speaking anonymously to NME, workers at the studio alleged a “mess” of pre-production, 13-hour shifts, and difficult creative decisions handed down from leadership.

Ubisoft Paris is best known for Just Dance, but has also worked on Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope, the Watch Dogs series, and Beyond Good And Evil 2.