Nintendo, Sony And Xbox Reportedly Skipping E3 2023

E3 is returning as a physical event for the first time in four years in 2023, and while it was expected to be a return to form for one of the biggest showcases in the gaming calendar, it seems it could be without the major players.

According to an “exclusive” by IGN, the gaming media outlet has been informed by “multiple knowledgeable sources” Nintendo, Sony and Xbox will not be joining in on the E3 2023 fun, and will also not have a “presence” on the show floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

While it’s no surprise Nintendo won’t be hosting a showcase at the event, as noted in the report, the Japanese company has traditionally maintained a booth at E3 year after year.

The article goes on to mention how PlayStation originally dropped out of the event in 2019 due to “reported disagreements” with the ESA and Xbox this year has already announced its own summer showcase and supposedly won’t have a booth at this year’s event.

In a statement last September, ReedPop said it was ready to “reunite the industry” with the annual gaming event. Full disclosure: Nintendo Life and its Hookshot Media sister sites are partnered with ReedPop.

ReedPop gave IGN a statement regarding its report, suggesting that negotiation is ongoing with “many of the biggest companies in the industry”:

E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.

This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.

As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.

E3 will run from 13th – 16th June, 2023. How would you feel about an E3 event without the big 3? Leave a comment below.