E3 2020 has been officially cancelled by its organizers, the Entertainment Software Association, in the wake of public health concerns surrounding the continued spread of the COVID-19 disease across the globe.
In a statement announcing the news, the ESA cited the ongoing dangers posed by the Coronavirus as the overriding factor behind its decision to cancel this year's iteration of the annual gaming exhibition.
"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." reads the statement.
Following GDC's move, the ESA also is looking at holding 'an online experience' this June. "We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020."
"We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry."
The ESA's official announcement follows previous reports that the organizers had made the decision to shutter the show earlier this week, and were working on plans to set up an online-focused alternative in the expo's physical absence, which it today confirmed.
Even before the cancellation, that state of E3 going into 2020 was on shaky ground. Last year, PlayStation once again confirmed it wouldn't be attending for the second time, while the ESA even managed to leak its own website and attendee list in February, adding to ongoing concerns over cybersecurity.
A number of events have been cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19, including GDC and SXSW, while rumblings of a potential PS5 delay and Xbox Series X delay continue to fester, given that production pipelines have been heavily affected by the spread of the disease across the industry.
What this particular cancellation means for when we can expect to hear more about the latest games, the PS5, and Xbox Series X is anyone's guess for now, but we'll be sure to keep you updated day-in, day-out.
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