Now Microsoft Confirms E3 2023 No-Show

E3’s return to its first in-person show since the pandemic this year has taken another hit after Microsoft confirmed it would not be on the show floor, two weeks after Nintendo pulled out.

In a statement to IGN(Opens in a new window) on Friday, Xbox said it would co-stream its Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 at E3 instead of being on the show floor, adding: “We can’t wait to host our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and will share more details later.”

Despite pulling out of the event in a physical capacity, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has maintained E3 won’t be left out of the company’s vision. In an earlier interview with IGN the gaming boss said Xbox would “continue to work with [E3 organizers] ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can do help make the E3 successful.”  

Citing sources with behind-the-scenes knowledge at E3 IGN reports that many game publishers are unclear about who will take part in the annual Los Angeles conference. For now, Ubisoft has been the only major developer to confirm(Opens in a new window) it will attend, though that was dependent on “if E3 happens.”

E3 is billed to take place from June 13 through June 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It will be split between business days for media and gaming industry types, and days exclusively for fans. 

In its statement confirming it was ducking out of E3 proceedings this year, Nintendo had 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.” The Japanese games maker added: “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.”

Meanwhile, Sony hasn’t yet said whether it would show up or not at E3 this year. The company, which hasn’t shown anything at E3 since 2018, is strongly rumored to also be a no-show.