The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has informed its members that this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been canceled, as confirmed by IGN. The announcement was made through an email sent out to the members by the organization, almost a year after its return was first announced.

After IGN's report, the Global VP of Gaming at ReedPop, Kyle Marsden-Kish, released the following public statement on behalf of the ESA:

"This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences."

On the other hand, an interview conducted by GamesIndustry.biz with ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis sheds light on reasons behind the event's cancellation. He claims that game development timelines have been modified due to the COVID pandemic, according to reports from various companies. Other reasons include economic challenges that have prompted companies to reconsider their investments in large marketing events, hence companies are actively seeking ways to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.

This year's E3 was originally planned to take place from June 13 to June 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It would have been the first in-person E3 since 2019. 2020's event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and even though a digital version was held in 2021, the 2022 event was canceled again. Unfortunately, this year marks its third cancellation in four years for the event.