Nintendo Confirms That It’s Skipping E3 This Year

Nintendo has confirmed that it will not participate in E3 this year. This comes in the wake of a recent report stating the three console makers plan to skip the annual event entirely this year. Sony and Microsoft have yet to confirm any formal attendance.

In a statement to IGN, Nintendo say E3 didn’t fit into its plans but will continue to support the event alongside its organizer, the ESA.

“We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans. Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA and E3.”

Although Nintendo was the first of the three console makers to stop holding live E3 press conferences in favor of pre-recorded Direct videos, it was also the last one to have a traditional booth on the show floor. Up until the last traditional show in 2019, Nintendo still had a large, often elaborate booth with demos where it broadcasted its Treehouse Live stream. Xbox moved its booth out of the convention center to the Microsoft Theater next door in 2018 (though it was still part of E3); PlayStation pulled out of the event entirely in 2019 and hasn’t returned.

E3 2023 is being organized by ReedPop, the company responsible for overseeing PAX and Star Wars Celebration. It will be the first in-person show since the 2019 edition and only the second to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic started (the 2020 and 2022 shows were completely canceled, while 2021 was a virtual event). E3 runs from June 13-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will have dedicated attendance days for industry and fans. The show has no exhibitor list yet, but Ubisoft recently confirmed it will attend E3 if it happens. Xbox head Phil Spencer has expressed support for E3’s success but also alluded to Microsoft holding a separate event around the same time in Los Angeles.