E3 2020 Officially Canceled, Xbox Planning Digital Event

Speculation about whether E3 2020 would be canceled were fueled last night, when developer Devolver Digital posted a rather blunt message on Twitter:

In the hours following the tweet, rumors swirled and a few outlets even remarked that the official news would be coming this morning.

And here we are:

This morning the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released a brief statement on Twitter and a more lengthy response on the official E3 website regarding this major decision to cancel the event. It was explained that while the choice to cancel E3 2020 was a difficult one, it was ultimately done because of the mounting concerns over the COVID-19 virus.

“Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus,” the statement reads, “we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.”

For those who’ve already purchased flights and hotels for E3 2020, the statement also explains that the E3 team will be in touch with “information about providing full refunds.” You can read the full statement here.

So what happens now?

Turns out, there are already a couple of ideas in the works. The official ESA statement noted that it will be exploring options to coordinate an online experience in order to showcase industry news and announcements. Meanwhile, companies like Microsoft and Ubisoft are already planning to take its shows online.

Following the announcement, Xbox head Phil Spencer stated that Xbox will be holding a digital event. Details concerning the date and time will be announced in the coming weeks.

Ubisoft has also released a statement of its own regarding the cancellation of E3 and its plans for how it will showcase games. Of all the major publishers and developers, so far Ubisoft has the most robust lineup of announced, next-gen titles. Titles such as Watch Dogs Legion and the new IP Gods and Monsters would have, more than likely, made an appearance at E3 in June.