Hey, gamers! I’m sure you’ve heard the sad news by now: E3 2023 has been canceled. But what you may not know is that E3 2024 and 2025 have also been canceled, according to the Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners.

That’s right, folks. The biggest gaming event of the year, the one we all look forward to every June, the one that showcases the latest and greatest games and consoles from the industry’s biggest players, is no more. At least, not for the foreseeable future.

So what happened? Well, according to Polygon, E3 2023 was canceled after several major publishers like Ubisoft, Sega, and Tencent pulled out of the event. They joined Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony who had already confirmed they wouldn’t take part in this year’s E3. The reason? Apparently, they didn’t have playable demos ready or they faced resourcing challenges due to the pandemic.

But that’s not all. Wario64 reported that the Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners confirmed that E3 is not returning in 2024 or 2025 either. That means we won’t see E3 back in its original home at the L.A. Convention Center for a long time, if ever.

E3 cancelled for 2024 & 2025, according to Los Angeles City Tourism Board of Commissioners

Wario64

This is a huge blow to the gaming industry and to us fans who love watching the live streams, trailers, announcements, and interviews from E3 every year. E3 has been a staple of gaming culture since 1995, when it debuted with Nintendo as the only major console manufacturer present. Since then, it has grown into a massive spectacle that attracts millions of viewers and attendees from around the world.

But maybe it’s time for a change. Maybe E3 has become too big, too expensive, and too outdated for the modern gaming landscape. Maybe we don’t need a centralized event to showcase games anymore, when we have digital platforms like Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation Now that let us play games anytime, anywhere. Maybe we don’t need a single week of hype and excitement anymore when we have events like Summer Game Fest that spread out the announcements throughout the year.

Maybe E3 is gone forever. And maybe that’s okay.

What do you think? Do you miss E3? Do you think it will ever come back? Do you prefer other events like Summer Game Fest or individual publisher showcases? Let me know in the comments below.