E3 will take place in 2021 as a digital event

Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has confirmed that E3 2021 will take place as a digital event, and in a statement to IGN, ESA confirmed the return of one of the biggest video game conferences after its cancellation in 2020 due to ongoing COVID. 19 pandemic.

“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we bring together the global video game community.” An ESA spokesperson said. “We have great conversations with publishers, developers and companies from all walks of life, and we look forward to sharing details of their involvement soon.”

The news follows a report by VGC, in which E3 2021 blurb documents sent to game publishers described the proposal which would see three days of live coverage from previously announced dates of June 15-17, 2021. .

The plan includes “multiple two-hour game partner showcases, an awards show, a preview night on June 14, and other smaller feeds from game publishers, influencers, and media partners.”

The broadcast event would be preceded by a week of media preview and demos would be made public during E3 2021 to help celebrate the future of video games.

ESA also plans to make it possible to “enable partner companies to remotely broadcast playable game demos to the media through ‘thousands’ of scheduled meetings,” as well as individual developer support.

According to the report, those plans for E3 2021 still need to be approved by ESA members, which include some of the world’s biggest gaming companies.

Before COVID-19, many companies, including Sony, had already ditched E3 to host their own digital events. Additionally, Geoff Keighley of the Video Game Awards and Summer Game Fest had also pulled out of E3 2020 and has no plans to return this year.

Being a part of E3 is also very expensive, and a video game company has indicated that it would rather host its own digital event instead of “paying the six-figure sums needed to join the E3 2021 schedule.”

VGC notes that ESA has not officially canceled plans for a physical E3 2021 event, but the digital event is indeed the primary focus.

The proposed show would run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, with regional reruns scheduled around the world. A typical day would include “a 30 minute pre-show hosted by a media partner, followed by a 2 hour” exclusive press conference “by a console platform owner, followed by a question and answer session. responses and a reaction from the panel. ” Then there would be more presentations from third-party publishers, a wrap-up show, a teaser for the next day, and an “after the charity party” feed.

Any advice to give us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.