Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo Won’t Participate in E3 2023 Gaming Show


According to IGN, the first physical in-person E3 2023 show in four years will not be accompanied by the biggest names in the gaming industry—Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo. Historically, gaming shows like E3 have been the primary source of news and hype machines that allowed gaming publishers to showcase their latest work and partnerships with other companies/brands alike. However, as IGN’s sources note, this year’s E3 will lack the presence of the biggest names in the industry, like Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo. With the first physical E3 event in four years, it is only logical that companies look forward to participating and showing their upcoming work to generate interest. But, the leading console makers will not do so.

It means that the latest E3 show will be a bit different and that the rest of the gaming industry has to adapt. IGN has contacted Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, and Entertainment Software Association (ESA) representatives, with no response at the time of writing. ReedPop, E3’s parent company, has issued a statement that notes that there have been some changes to E3’s format, which we are yet to see in June once the Los Angeles event starts. You can read the statement for IGN below.

ReedPop for IGNE3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.

This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.

As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.