E3 2021 Will Officially Be an All-Digital Event

It seems we didn’t have to wait very long for news after all. Just a few days after its announcement earlier last week, the Electronic Software Association (ESA) officially revealed that the E3 2021 showcase will be making its return as a free, all-digital event. The broadcast will take place June 12-15, featuring “live press conferences and a four-day long video stream,” according to E3’s official website.

As of now, Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Koch Media have made early commitments to attend the event’s digital lineup. The ESA has made it clear that more companies will be announced down the line, but it’s unknown if PlayStation or EA will be joining this year’s broadcast. Even before its cancellation last year, several major publishers, including Sony and EA, opted out of E3 2020 and hosted their own events instead.

In its official announcement, the ESA’s plans for a “reimagined” E3 2021 aims to turn this year’s showcase into a “more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities.” With the event also being free for all to attend, E3 2021 looks to be more accessible for fans to directly engage with this year’s showcase.

Despite being only three months away, we still don’t know much about the structure and format of E3 2021’s digital broadcast. The ESA seems keen on revealing more details the closer we get to the event, but we aren’t sure what to expect out of this year’s show. The ESA is still determined to have E3 serve as the “central destination for industry networking,” however.

Though we’re still waiting on further details for this year’s show, the ESA is already looking ahead towards a physical conference for E3 2022. Many other competitors will be looking to host their own showcases this summer, but hopefully E3 will remain a staple event in the industry.