E3 2021 Officially Announced As All-Virtual Event

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has officially announced that E3 2021 will be an all-virtual event this year. Taking place from June 12-June 15, the event will feature live streams throughout the duration of the event with it being accessible to all who want to watch for free.

”For more than two decades, E3 has been the premier venue to showcase the best that the video game industry has to offer, while uniting the world through games,” says ESA President & CEO, Stanley Pierre-Louis in a press release. “We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.”

Companies that have confirmed their attendance include Konami, Xbox, Nintendo, Capcom, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Koch Media. More companies will be announced as we get closer to the event. It wouldn’t be too surprising if companies like Sony or EA don’t formally attend the event since they’ve chosen to do their own events in recent years.

In addition to live streams of the press conferences, E3 2021 will also feature major exhibitor showcases, charitable initiatives, an online portal and supporting app, and more.

Reports of E3 going all-virtual first started earlier this year. Just last week, VGC revealed more details about potential plans that the ESA had for the event, which included potentially putting some content behind a paywall. Following their report, the ESA stated that the event wouldn’t have any content that required paid access, but didn’t confirm their full plans.

We still don’t know all the specifics of what this year’s completely virtual E3 will entail, but we can likely expect to receive those details within the coming weeks. June is right around the corner, and with E3 officially coming back this year, it’s time to start getting excited.