E3 2020 might be canceled but The Entertainment Software Association is already starting to prepare for next year's event. E3 2021 will take place from June 15 to June 17, 2021.
Typically, the announcement of next year's event takes place at the close of the current year's E3. But because the ESA had to make the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, the organization seemingly wanted to give gamers a sense that the show will continue.
Of course, in what form E3 might appear is up for debate considering that many companies were already planning not to attend the 2020 event, long before the coronavirus pandemic forced the ESA's hand. Among the big players, Sony has skipped out on E3 the last two years and it could potentially be done with the event for good.
This date announcement also calls into question whether the planned “digital E3” that the ESA hinted at will actually occur. Microsoft does have plans to host a presentation that will likely mimic its press conference, but the expectation was that a lot of other companies would simply trade live events broadcast online for a more straightforward stream.
Others might simply not be ready to show anything considering that devs are working from home and away from necessary resources. Just this week, Bethesda came forward to say that it will not be hosting any type of digital press conference to replace its usual E3 event. It's very likely other companies are in a similar boat – they would have been ready for an E3 presentation, but the pandemic has changed those plans. Still, some companies will have things to show over the next few months, whether they were meant for E3 or not.
And ultimately it will be how the gaming public responds to the upcoming pre-recorded announcements and livestreams that will determine whether E3 is still an event worth investing in. There has been a debate for a while now that most gaming companies don't need E3 in order to build excitement for their games, and it is far cheaper to host a stream from a home studio or even fly out select media and influencers to an event.
For the non-media and exhibitors, E3 was only beginning to expand. Each year the ESA expanded its allotment of public tickets and the event was becoming more like a trade-show than a place for business deals and corporate presentations.
That's all to say that E3 might continue on in the ESA's mind but that doesn't mean it will be the same show after all that has occurred. More and more companies could follow in Nintendo's footsteps and host their own “direct” presentations, but rather than also include a show floor booth for hands-on opportunities, the publishers could just leave it at that.
Either way, E3 2021 has dates now and gamers have something to look forward to on the horizon.