Have we witnessed the last E3 and not realized it? This year’s gaming convention has been hyped as a return to form with the first in-person event since 2019. However, it has been made obvious that studios are no longer interested in the E3 format, instead opting to host their own events or skip it altogether. Big studios like Nintendo and Ubisoft have already pulled out of this year’s event and now the convention has lost Sega and Tencent.
The folks over at IGN have been reaching out to some of the major studios to discover their E3 attendance status. While several big names like EA, Square Enix, and Epic Games have yet to comment on their plans, Sega and Tencent reached out to confirm they would not be attending this year’s event. Neither studio gave specific reasoning for their absence, just that the decision was not made lightly.
The spokesperson for Sega provided this statement to IGN: “After careful consideration, we have decided not to participate in E3 2023 as an exhibitor. We look forward to sharing more information on announced and unannounced projects in the future.” Meanwhile, Tencent confirmed their absence through a spokesperson as well, saying that Level Infinite would not be attending. However, the studio did participate in last year’s Play Days and remarked that they “found it to be an ideal experience for showcasing our games to the media”.
Although Bandai Namco did not officially announce whether they would be at this year’s event, the studio did confirm their attendance at this year’s Play Days. Perhaps, Tencent will take a similar route since they found the experience so beneficial.
With so many names dropping out of the event, it does beg the question of whether we have seen the last of E3, or at least an E3 worth seeing. Which is a shame considering E3 has always been an event that benefits both player and studio. I’d really hate to see it go.