E3 2022 has been officially cancelled, not only as a physical event but as an online one too. It’s a sign that game publishers have more power and influence than ever before.
E3 2022 was set to return the video game industry to the status quo, a framework where publishers and developers scuffled for prominence at the premier games events each year. That, however, will not be happening.
The news that E3 2022 has been cancelled broke when Razer PR Lead Will Power tweeted that he’d received an email confirming no online event would take place. The physical E3 2022 was cancelled earlier this year in January.
E3 was cancelled entirely in 2020 due to pandemic related complications, and the 2021 event was an online-only affair. However, in the event’s absence, game publishers have realised they can put on their own digital events, taking the spotlight away from E3 2022 almost entirely.
The advantage of putting on your own event is that you can exercise greater control over how the event runs and guarantee attention is exactly where you want it. You are also more likely to attract a positive audience that is particularly interested in your games.
Sony has already demonstrated a willingness to focus on its State of Play events over E3 2022. Nintendo and Microsoft Xbox have also put on their own digital events.
Where this leaves the future prospects of E3 is unclear. It seems inevitable that people will eventually want to rediscover the thrill of attending a physical event.
E3 will return: we are sure of it. It just might not have the same clout and influence it enjoyed before the pandemic.
Just got an email… It's official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this…
— Will Powers (@WillJPowers) March 31, 2022
We’ll be sure to provide any further updates regarding E3 2022 on this page. Currently, there hasn’t been an official statement regarding this news on the E3 website.
