though cancellations of previous years and general uncertainty Looking ahead, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has just announced that the E3 gaming expo will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center as a live event next year. So if you’ve been wanting to get the sweaty crowd of gamers brave enough to sneak a peek at upcoming releases, you’ll finally be able to.

The show will take place from June 13 to 16. Digital events will continue from June 11 until the end of the congress. E3 2023 will kick off with a few press and industry-only days, after which the doors will open for fans looking to try out all the latest games. Convention industry participants will meet on June 13-15, with June 15-16 being “Gamer Days” for fans. How similar is this Gamescom escapes and should help alleviate miserable traffic jam which has plagued E3 since it opened to the public. While E3 is traditionally an industry event, its organizers are trying to make it more fan-friendly by having a dedicated theater where they can meet developers and host content creators.

Reedpop — the same organizer behind PAX and New York Comic Con —took over the convention last year, and has big plans for it. “Our vision is to reinvent the traditional E3 week, reconnect the industry, bring back that spark and restore E3’s role as a truly magical global showcase event for game creators and consumers,” said Kyle Marsden-Kish, Vice President of Gaming.

Reedpop has experience with consumer-facing events, but that may have been overly optimistic. Publishers are already holding their own showcase events for years now, and much of the hype cycle has gone digital in whole or in part. Even structurally, game announcements are made sporadically throughout the year, rather than centered around one big annual event in June.

I’m sure E3 will be good. I’m not sure I’d call it “magical”. If you plan to go, make sure you get the latest coronavirus booster before then.