The global outbreak of the coronavirus has been altering the landscape of day-to-day life. For the gaming industry, one of the biggest effects of coronavirus has been the cancellation of E3 2020. With E3 2020 having been cancelled entirely due to coronavirus, many companies have had to change their game showcase plans, and Square Enix has just recently issued a statement regarding the issue.
Since the outbreak began, many different gaming events, including various EA esports events, have been affected as a result of the health risk. Citing the "health and well-being" of fans, employees, and more, Square Enix has come out in support of the ESA's decision to cancel E3 2020. The decision to cancel E3, however, has put Square Enix and other developers in a position where they must come up with another way to show off their games.
Square Enix has confirmed that it is looking at alternatives to showcase its games, though nothing concrete has been announced yet. But, it's likely that Square Enix will follow in the footsteps of other companies, such as Devolver, which will be doing a livestream for E3 2020, and go digital. Seeing as E3 is the biggest time each year that game companies get a chance to showcase what they're working on and build hype, it makes sense that Square Enix would find a way to show off their games however it can.
There are issues stemming from E3 2020's cancellation far beyond the fact that it was simply cancelled. On one hand, Square Enix fans will be glad to hear that new and upcoming games will still be announced and displayed. It is integral that companies like Square Enix reveal and show off their games in order to keep up hype. The problem is that without E3 2020 there will be fewer eyes on the games that Square Enix decides to showcase. One of the best parts about E3 was how it got games and companies press at a level that they would never receive otherwise. Hopefully, the lack of an E3 doesn't impact Square Enix in a negative way, especially after the company already had to change its PAX East plans because of coronavirus.
This is the first year that E3 has not been held since 1995, and E3 2020's cancellation might have a lasting impact on the gaming industry. With companies—particularly Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo—feeling more comfortable doing livestreams and pre-recorded announcements, the cancellation of E3 2020 might be the nail in the coffin for the 25-year old convention. As companies like Square Enix begin to use different mediums to announce and showcase their games as well, this is only looking more likely.