It’s Official: Nintendo is skipping this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3. The Switch maker confirmed on Friday it won’t participate in the gaming convention, which is returning this summer in-person after being canceled in 2022.
Given that Nintendo has pulled back from the convention in recent years, the move isn’t that surprising. Nintendo stopped holding dedicated press conferences after the 2012 show, instead holding digital-only Nintendo Directs.
“We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans,” the company said in a statement. “Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA and E3.”
As The Verge reports, Nintendo’s participation had been in doubt since IGN reported that it, Sony, and Microsoft would all be skipping E3, and now we know for certain that Nintendo won’t be at the show. E3 is set to take place just over a month after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so Nintendo may be skipping E3 in part to keep the focus on that flagship $70 title.
“Although Nintendo will not exhibit at E3 2023, we are energized by the interest in what ReedPop’s Remastered E3 will look like,” Lance Festerman, president of E3 organizer ReedPop, said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing news soon about our exhibitors and all the exciting things taking place.” This week, Ubisoft confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that it would be attending the event.
E3 2023 is scheduled for June 13-16, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. According to CNET, the gaming convention was canceled in 2020 and held as a digital event in 2021 due to the pandemic. It was expected to return in 2022, but ultimately got canceled again.
But that’s not the only big gaming event taking place this Summer: Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest will be back just ahead of E3, taking place on June 8th. Microsoft has said it will be doing a Xbox showcase in Los Angeles this summer, though it hasn’t specifically confirmed it will be a part of E3.
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