E3 2021 Is Pushing Forward With Plans for a Virtual Event

It's planned to take place in June.

E3 2021's in-person event has been cancelled for the second year in a row, according to the agenda for an upcoming LA Board of Convention and Tourism Development meeting (we know, that’s a mouthful).

Before you ask if E3 is still relevant, here are just some of the games that have been announced at E3 in the past: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Doom Eternal, Borderlands 3, Dying Light 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros., and Cyberpunk 2077.

Okay, maybe Cyberpunk is not the greatest example given the backlash, but you get the picture.

Anyway, back to business.

The published agenda for the meeting has a section outlined for any upcoming conventions in the City of LA, and according to the notes, E3 2021 is a “cancelled live event in 2021”.

Why has it been canned? The reason is yet to be made public, but considering last year’s cancellation was due to the coronavirus pandemic, a similar announcement is expected given California remains under stay-at-home orders. (Just one more thing to chuck on the ‘Things That COVID Ruined’ list.)

It is not all bad news though, gamers. The event organisers, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), are planning for E3 2021 to go digital.

Slated for 15 – 17 June, the online showcase will include three days of live-streamed content featuring several two-hour keynote sessions, an awards show, a preview night, and streams from game publishers and popular influencers.

You can also expect there to be a handful of demos to be released and available to play during the three-day event (heck yes, free games!).

Some of the most highly anticipated games that could feature at the digital expo include Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (seriously, if you haven’t ever played Ratchet and Clank, you’re missing out), Far Cry 6, Gotham Knights, Dying Light 2, Bioshock 4, Indiana Jones, and Hogwarts Legacy.

Personally, I can’t wait for Dying Light 2. The first game was brutal, bloody and full of free-roam, zombie-smashing action.

Future plans are in place for E3 to return back to normal, pre-COVID conditions in 2022 and beyond.

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