E3 2021 live event has reportedly been cancelled

E3 2021’s live event has been cancelled according to documents released by Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Commission.

Found by Resetera user Rösti, the document shows that the convention commission is working with E3 organiser, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) on broadcast options for an online-only E3 event in 2021. The city board is also working on obtaining a license for E3 shows in 2022 and 2023.

The annual E3 expo is a global video game convention which features conferences by numerous video game developers and publishers. The show was traditionally only accessible to presenters of the industry, but in recent years the event has opened its doors to the public.

It was reported earlier this month that ESA intended to shift the event to an online format. when VGC obtained pitch documents sent out to publishers. The documents detailed 12-hour live streams across three days on June 15-17.

The event is proposed to have “multiple two-hour keynote sessions” from large developers and publishers, alongside smaller streams from influencers, media partners and more.

The ESA has come under fire in recent years to update the format of the show, as Sony and Nintendo both pulled out of the annual event, each instead focusing on individual online conferences.

Plans leaked by Polygon in 2019, showed the ESA’s intention to rebrand the event as a “fan, media, and influencer festival” in 2020. The ESA had intended to open the doors to more public footfall ahead of last year’s show, but it was subsequently cancelled amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Elsewhere, Sony announced it would expand the Final Fantasy VII Remake with additional content and a host of graphical and quality of life improvements during this week’s State Of Play conference.

Titled Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, the expanded edition will feature a new chapter featuring Yuffie Kisaragi as she embarks on a quest to infiltrate the Shinra Corporation.