E3 2022 digital event is still happening this year claims insider

Despite rumours that E3 would be cancelled in terms of both its physical and digital events it seems the online showcase will still happen.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo in June used to be the most important date in the video game calendar, a time when dozens of big name new games would be announced for the first time, as publishers big and small – including Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo – competed for attention on the world stage.

Those days are long gone though. Even before the pandemic, E3’s importance was being eroded, primarily by Sony and Activision Blizzard refusing to attend, and, following an announcement in January, this year will be the third in a row with no physical event.

After the lacklustre attempt last year there were rumours that the digital showcase would also be cancelled but industry insider Tom Henderson claims that is not the case and that organisers at the ESA (not ESRB) sent out emails this week confirming it is still going ahead.

You could be forgiven for not realising there even were digital events the last two years, given how low profile they were and how few new game announcements were made.

Technically Microsoft and Nintendo did take part last year, with their own online showcases, but other than being at the same time of year there was little to show that they had anything to do with E3.

The attempts to involve third party publishers amounted to nothing and Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest has proven to be much closer to what most people would expect from a digital E3.

Presumably the ESRB realise this but whether they’ll able to organise a worthwhile alternative remains to be seen.

Now that the pandemic is abating, other yearly events from around the world are planning to return to normal this year, with Gamescom 2022 in August set to be an in-person event as well as a digital show (which is likely to also involve Geoff Keighley).

Tokyo Game Show 2022 in September will also be a physical event again, although it’s a long time since it’s held any real significance as a venue to announce new games.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.

MORE : E3 cancelled for third year running thanks to Omicron – no sign of digital event

MORE : Xbox won E3 2021 but the only loser was the show itself

MORE : E3 2021 news round-up: every story and preview so far

Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.