The ESA has confirmed plans for E3 to return in 2023. In an interview with the Washington Post, ESA president Stan Pierre-Louis said that the world’s largest annual games event should be back next year. Its return to the big stage will come with both a physical and digital event.
Stan Piere-Louis announced, “We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with a digital and an in-person event.” He went on to acknowledge that although digital events serve an important role, he understands that there is a “really strong desire” for people to visit E3 in person. The goal is to be in a place where the ESA can offer that opportunity next summer.
This news follows three years of either canceled or unorthodox E3 events. Both 2020 and this year’s E3 were outright canceled, while last year was hosted as an online-only event. This was done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid spreading the virus.
Piere-Loius didn’t provide any specific details as to what E3 2023 will look like. Traditionally, the Los Angeles Convention Center in California hosted the event, so a return to that location seems likely. Although it is possible that the ESA sees this reboot as an opportunity to go someplace new.
Games aren’t the problem
Also mentioned in this interview was the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Some politicians are once again blaming it on video games. When asked about this, Pierre-Loius was clear on his stance. He believes the links are nonsense and that video games provide many benefits for American citizens.
The ESA president said, “We discourage baseless accusations linking these tragedies to video gameplay.” He then went on to point to the numerous studies that failed to find a link between video games and real-world violence. It is a sentiment that most readers will agree with but also one that many politicians don’t seem willing to accept.
