According to the ESA, E3 is on track to make a comeback in 2023

There are several major gaming events taking place this week, but several well-known figures are absent. E3, which was formerly the most important gaming trade show on the calendar, is one of them. E3 has had a tumultuous few years due to the COVID-19 epidemic and other factors; it won't be held again in 2022. The Entertainment Software Association, on the other hand, intends to bring E3 back in 2023 with both in-person and digital elements.

“As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great," Stan Pierre-Louis, CEO and president of the ESA.

The ESA has not yet announced the dates for E3 2022. The event, on the other hand, usually takes place in early June. The 2020 edition was set to take place only a few months after the virus' start, but it was later canceled. (E3 did occur in 2021, albeit as an online-only gathering.)

E3 was already in danger before all of that. Sony opted not to participate in the 2019 edition, for example. Rather than holding a State of Play event like Nintendo, Sony took the Nintendo approach and streamed digital presentations under its State of Play brand. Other publishers have also avoided E3, allowing them to dominate the gaming news cycle whenever they organize their own conferences. Microsoft, on the other hand, appears to be aboard the E3 hype train. It was a part of last year's virtual E3 and will hold a display during this year's event.

There have been a number of problems that have afflicted E3 in recent years. Thousands of journalists, analysts, and content creators had their personal information stolen in a data breach in 2019. According to reports, an internet-based news outlet utilized for last year's all-digital event exposed some individuals' personal information to anybody who joined up.

There may still be a role for E3 in 2023, if it can bring together enough of the gaming industry. It has value as a meeting spot for developers, publishers, media, and fans to get together, show off their games, and participate in conferences. Indie game creators will benefit greatly from trade shows since they provide them with an excellent opportunity to obtain publishing agreements that may help them turn their great concept into a major hit like Stardew Valley or Undertale.