The rise and fall of E3: gaming’s most legendary event
Once the most important gaming expo in the world, E3 is now a distant memory.
For decades, the E3 was the ultimate gaming showcase, bringing together the industry’s biggest publishers for a week of massive announcements in Los Angeles. But over time, the expo lost its relevance, and in December 2023, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) officially canceled it for good.
E3’s decline: Why did it disappear?
The downfall began when major publishers started moving away from shared events to host their own presentations. Nintendo led the shift with Directs in 2011, followed by PlayStation’s State of Play and Xbox’s Developer Direct, allowing companies to speak directly to their audiences.
Then came COVID-19, which forced E3 into digital-only formats in 2020 and 2021—both failed to capture the excitement of the live experience. Attempts to revive the event in 2023 also collapsed, leading to its permanent cancellation.
Now, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest has taken its place. While it lacks the spectacle of E3, it has become the new standard for industry reveals. Whether E3 ever returns is up to ESA and major publishers, but for now, it remains a legend of gaming history.
Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!