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E3 2023 is due to take place between the 13th and the 16th of June in Los Angeles, California. However, in the last few days, key publishers and developers have pulled out of the event, leaving gaping holes in the convention that, at this point, aren’t likely to be plugged. Recently, Ubisoft withdrew from the event, and now, Sega and Tencent have declared that they will not attend the once-iconic gaming festival.

Once upon a time, E3 was considered the most significant gaming convention on Earth. It was certainly the biggest in terms of footfall and overall impressions, and it was a stage upon which some of the most impressive games ever made were revealed. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person gaming events have suffered immeasurably, and E3 may be the latest to fall if things continue the way they are at present.

E3 used to be absolutely incredible (Image Credit: Xbox)

Weeks ago, Sony, Nintendo, and Xbox all expressed their express intention to not attend 2023’s E3 convention. They’ve all opted instead for individual showcases and presentations, which immediately stripped three titanic presences from within the confines of E3’s show halls. It became a much more dire situation when, mere days ago, Ubisoft withdrew from the event, which was a huge blow, considering the beleaguered developer had made actual promises that it would definitely attend.

Recently, Ubisoft cancelled several projects and delayed Skull and Bones for an unprecedented sixth time in order to recoup some lost financials. It isn’t the end of the marketing story for the company, though – there will be a Ubisoft Forward event later this year, on June 12th, as part of the Summer Games Fest.

It has been suggested that E3’s 2023 plans are so loose that they might as well not exist at all. It takes just a cursory glance through historic news to see that, in the past, E3’s scheduling, exhibitions, panels, and so on, were more or less confirmed by this point every year. That’s not really the case for 2023’s convention.

As we’ve said, E3 was once considered the most significant gaming event in the business, but now the vast majority of the industry and its community are wondering if the event will even go ahead. And, if it does go ahead, who will even be appearing at the show to make it worth purchasing a ticket and making the journey to Los Angeles?

At present, there’s no official indication of what’s going to happen to E3, but if it does get cancelled by the organisers, there’s a very real chance that it’ll never be seen again.