E3 Organizers announce end to gaming conference after 2 decades

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — For the past several years, organizers of the E3 gaming conference have attempted to revive the once highly attended event; now its organizers have said no more.

On Tuesday, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced the official end of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) after two decades.

The conference was once seen as the largest and most prestigious trade show in the video games industry, and was often used by game makers like Nintendo, EA and others to promote interest in prominent projects.

The following message was posted on the official event website and social media pages:

After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.

The event hasn't been held in person since 2019 and was last held virtually in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was expected to be held back in March of this year but was canceled due to a lack of interest in a way organizers were expecting, according to an article from The Verge.

According to Kotaku and theWashington Post, the event's permanent cancellation followed the rise of competitor gaming events like Nintendo "Direct" and Xbox's games showcase, which offered wider access to more audiences.

Many partners, like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo also backed out of the event. The pandemic also reportedly harmed attendance and interest in the event.