The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2022) will be a virtual event for the second year in a row due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in the United States (US), according to the Electronic Software Association (ESA).
E3 2022 moves to virtual event
In a statement to GamesBeat, the ESA confirmed the decision to move the event online was brought on by the Omicron variant “and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees.”
“We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon,” the ESA said.
The last time tens of thousands of gaming enthusiasts filled up the Los Angeles Convention Centre was in the summer of 2019. Anticipation for the return of a physically attended event was ruptured by the rapid spread of Omicron and, despite competing conventions like CES 2022 forging ahead with superspreader gatherings, E3 2022 is taking no chances.
It is unclear, at this stage, what the schedule of the virtual conference is but, from what we understand, E3 2022 is still accepting sign ups from programmers and gaming publishers interested in hosting exhibitions at the online event.
Under normal circumstances, the annual conference attracts more than 50 000 industry guests and an average of 12 000 fans.
“[ESA] is excited about the possibilities of an online event,” the ESA added.
E3 2022 is scheduled to take place in June 2022. More information on how the virtual conference will take place will be relayed by the ESA in the near future.