E3 Will Return As An Online Event This 2021

Due to the pandemic, E3 got canceled last year along with every in-person video game event. And while other digital showcases attempted to fill the void, a hoped-for online version of E3 never happened. Instead, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) decided to a 2021 event.

Indeed, even though vaccines are getting out already, with the current state of the pandemic, the ESA still had to confirmed that they have plans for 2021. Sources say that documents sent to game publishers laid out plans for 3-day live stream coverage from June 15 to 17.

The plan is to have a preview night, awards show, and separate streams from various influencers. The week prior would be similar to pre-E3 events traditionally held by major game publishers, along with their previews and demos. Aside from that, there will be also some remotely-streamed game demos available.

About the E3 2021 Event

The upcoming event will be spearheaded by the ESA. Through the years, it has invited some of the biggest and well-established video game devs in the industry, as well as publishers and various game distribution channels to take part in the event. Some other new game-affiliated startups would also make their way as a participant in the said event.

If only there was no pandemic, people from all sorts of places would be able to arrive and participate in the latest game offerings. But what we can only do (for now) is to turn it into an online convention while still waiting for the cure.

Some of the event’s participants will include GOG, Epic Games, and Steam. Various gameplay demos would be available for the participants to experience them firsthand. According to some fans, this event could turn out to be a more innovative and interesting one.

Online Events Since The Coronavirus Pandemic

The recent emergence of utilizing online platforms to deliver the upcoming video games and tech events proved to be a good alternative for physical convention-type events. Last November, TwitchCon went full online with their 12-hour GlitchCon event. There were a couple of events and video game presentation that served as the alternative for the traditional ones.

The loss of in-person events last 2020 has led to Ubisoft, Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA), and Sony finding other ways to continue to get their messages to their target audiences. Even under better circumstances, it was discovered that the publishers would still be eager to throw in another digital-only E3, if that’s for the best.

Blizzard is set to hold BlizzConline – its own event, later this February from 19-20. The company will reveal more information regarding some highly-anticipated games such as Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 during the online showcase.

Even the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) went full online this year 2021. Some of the most anticipated gadgets and technology from various companies worldwide were presented online using the video conferencing app called Microsoft Teams.