E3 was once the biggest video game event of the year, with the biggest companies using it to make blockbuster announcements. An E3 event took place in some capacity every year from its inception in 1995 until 2020, when E3 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. E3 made its return as a digital-only event in 2021, but it seems supposed plans for another digital-only E3 for 2022 have been scrapped as well.
The in-person E3 2022 was canceled earlier this year, but reports indicated that there were still plans to host a digital-only version of the event like what happened in 2021. Unfortunately for those looking forward to E3, it's now been confirmed that the ESA has no plans to host a digital-only version of the event in 2022. This was initially revealed by Razer's Will Powers on Twitter, with a follow-up report by IGN confirming the news.
While E3 2022 will not be happening, it doesn't mean that there won't be big gaming announcements to look forward to this summer. In fact, The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley cryptically tweeted out a winking face after news of E3 2022's complete cancellation started making the rounds, reminding fans that Summer Game Fest will be returning this year to help fill the void left by E3.
Summer Game Fest, for the uninitiated, is a special summer event hosted by Geoff Keighley that started in 2020 when E3 was canceled. Keighley brought Summer Game Fest back in 2021, where it famously featured the gameplay reveal for Elden Ring. Keighley has been clear about Summer Game Fest returning for a 2022 event, and now with E3 out of the equation, it seems this year's event has potential to be even bigger than it was going to be before.
It's unclear at this point how exactly Summer Game Fest 2022 will work. It's possible it will be made up of smaller events sprinkled throughout the summer, or it's possible it will be one big showcase for fans to tune into. Whatever the case may be, more information should come to light in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, it's likely that the big companies will host their own events independent of both Summer Game Fest and E3. Nintendo always has its Nintendo Direct presentations to showcase its upcoming games, while Sony has its PlayStation State of Play events. Microsoft doesn't really have an equivalent, but maybe it will introduce one at some point. For now, fans can look forward to the announcements on the way for Summer Game Fest, whenever it may be taking place.
Source: IGN