Nintendo Says It Won’t Attend E3 This Year

After weeks of speculation, Nintendo has confirmed it will not attend E3 in June this year. 

In a statement reported in Engadget,(Opens in a new window) Nintendo said, “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.”

E3, which has not had a full in-person edition since 2019, will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Tuesday, June 13 to Friday, June 16. Like in 2021, a digital-only version of the 2022 exhibition had been planned but organizers scrapped it entirely for undisclosed reasons. At the time the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), said(Opens in a new window) “we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer.

It’s worth noting that ESA didn’t deny(Opens in a new window) that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft would skip E3 when IGN first broke the news in January, citing “knowledgeable” sources from all three companies. Nintendo is the only one to actually confirm it won’t attend so far, however.

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Sony hasn’t shown anything at E3 since 2018, reportedly because of disagreements(Opens in a new window) with the organizer and their “vision” for the event. Meanwhile, Microsoft is deemed an unlikely show after reports that it is planning on holding its yearly Xbox Showcase around the same time as June’s E3. In a January interview with IGN(Opens in a new window), Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the show will also be held in Los Angeles and it was being timed to be held at a moment “convenient for press and even consumers.”  

Despite the dropouts, Ubisoft has confirmed it will have a presence(Opens in a new window) at E3 this year, and speaking to The Verge(Opens in a new window) last week, Lance Festerman, president of E3 organizer ReedPop said the show was “full speed ahead.”