E3’s official Twitter account made an announcement earlier today. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an announcement of E3 2024, or any year after that.
“After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye,” said the Tweet. “Thanks for the memories. Good games, well played.”
The E3 presentation began back in 1995 where publishers like Atari, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, SNK, and 3DO were able to give fans a sneak peek at some of the games that were coming out. Unfortunately, it seems that the organizers’ attempts to revive the yearly presentation have failed ever since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of E3 2020.
Had E3 been able to continue throughout the years without any cancellations, E3 2024 would’ve been the program’s 30th event. However, E3 2020, E3 2022, and E3 2023 all had to be cancelled either due to concerns regarding COVID-19 or low attendance numbers.
There have been plenty of fighting game announcements present at E3 over the years. For example, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and its “Everyone Is Here” theme was first revealed at E3 2018. Following this, fans were treated to a spectacle as invited players competed at a special pre-release tournament for the game.
Luckily, many other yearly events have seemingly been inspired by it, such as Nintendo Directs and The Game Awards ceremony. While E3 is being seemingly being discontinued permanently, it’s undeniable what type of impact the event has had throughout the years as well as the memories that will stick with fans throughout their lifetimes.
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023