author: Mathias Zulpo
UPDATE: E3 2020 Is Officially Cancelled Amid Coronavirus Fears
E3 2020 won't take place after all, organizers announced. The biggest gaming expo in the world has been called off due to coronavirus concerns.
UPDATED MARCH 11, 11:20 EST
E3 has been officially cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, expo’s organizers stated in a tweet. “This decision was not reached lightly, but it is the right one for the health and safety of all involved.”
The event may still take place – but only as an “online experience” that would “showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020.”
Original message follows
E3 2020, one of the biggest video game conferences in the world, is being cancelled over coronavirus concerns, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. According to “a person familiar with the matter,” the cancellation will be officially announced on March 11, at 9:30 am Los Angeles time. This was foreshadowed by a tweet coming from Devlover Digital, which said, “Cancel your E3 flights and hotels, y’all.”
Bloomberg also reported that the organizers of the expo are “exploring options for an online E3 event this summer.”
It then appears that E3 2020 will be another victim of the coronavirus crisis, despite earlier claims that preparations for the expo were moving full steam ahead. Even though Sony pulled out of the conference as early as January, Microsoft, Warner Bros., Take-Two, and Tencent were expected to show up.
Earlier, fears surrounding the disease caused other popular gaming events to be called off, or at least reorganized:
- Google recently cancelled its I/O 2020 conference.
- GDC 2020 was postponed to summer after numerous developers said they wouldn’t be attending the event.
- Intel Extreme Masters was hosted without on-site attendance, which effectively turned the event into a ghost championship.
With more than 1,000 confirmed coronavirus cases across the US, more events are expected to follow this grim trend.
