One of the most important events for gaming of the year, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), has been canceled due to unspecific reasons.
A report from ArsTechnica notes that several sources working for the organizer the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), told the publication that the firm will make an official announcement soon.
[Read: Sony to skip E3 again, leaving the floor open for Xbox to shine]
Earlier this month, ESA said in a COVID-19 update that it’s “monitoring and evaluating the situation daily.” We’ve asked ESA for a comment, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.
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If the expo gets canceled, it would be for the first time since its inaugural edition took place in 1996.
Edit 10:45 am CST: It’s now official. The ESA has issued a statement saying it’s cancelling the event to minimize the risk to exhibitors during the coronavirus outbreak: “After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.” It’s also contemplating doing some of this year’s scheduled events online in June.
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