E3 will return in 2023 with an in-person and digital event, organizers insist.

E3 does not want to lose its title as the most important video game event in the world and for this reason its organizers are betting on a comeback with everything in 2023. In a recent interview with Washington Post, Stan Pierre-LouisPresident of the ESA, ratified plans for a hybrid edition –full-time and digital– next year.

“We are excited to be back in 2023 with both a digital and in-person event. As much as we love these digital events and how much they reach people – and we want this global reach – we also know that there is a very strong desire for people to come together so that they can connect in person, see each other and talk about what makes games so great,” he said.

E3’s desire to personally return in 2023 isn’t too surprising. After all, its organizers have already announced that they will bet on bring the event to life after confirming this year’s cancellation, which won’t even have a strictly digital version. The fair has been in decline for several years, especially with the departure of some of the strongest names in the industry; EA and PlayStation in between.

Add to that the growing popularity Summer Games Festivalevent Geoff Keighley that every year adds more weight indicators. But that’s not all, as the companies behind the major video game platforms have also adopted the custom of holding their own virtual events to announce new titles or products; Sony does this with State of Play – like the last one for the new PlayStation VR2 – Nintendo with Direct, and Xbox with Showcase, like the one they’re organizing with Bethesda on June 12th.

Will E3 be back by 2023?

This is a big question, no doubt. The complete absence of E3 from the 2022 schedule of events could seriously hurt the drive to gain momentum next year. If Summer Game Fest repeats the successful formula of past years, one cannot help but think that It will be very difficult for ESA to restore the splendor of its fair.

And to that, we must add that Geoff Keighley may have an ace up his sleeve that could turn out to be “deadly” for E3 2023: a face-to-face event that rivals him. Today, SGF is carried out through transmissions over streaming, with conferences of each of the participating companies. While it’s true that it also has an in-person press release in Los Angeles, it’s a small event and unlike anything on the scale of E3 at its best.

But this may change. Speaking to a follower about whether E3 2023 is considered unnecessary by the big players in the industry, Nibellion tweeted: “It really depends on what ESA has to offer them. things, so far there has been no “physical alternative” to the E3. To which Kaley replied with an eye smiley, as if hinting that there will be news about it soon.

If SGF makes the jump to attendance for the general public, hopes for an updated E3 2023 may not come true. Especially knowing that Geoff Keighley already has the backing of the biggest names in the video game industry, including PlayStation and Xbox.