Xbox is reportedly planning an E3-style showcase for June, according to sources cited by GamesBeat. The planned show would present console and game announcements following the cancellation of this year’s in-person Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
Timing and sources
Jeff Grubb of GamesBeat, speaking on video, said he expects to have more details soon and indicated the event is slated for June rather than May. He noted that Xbox “might do something in May or September” as alternatives, but was clear that the company is “planning an E3-style show for June.”
Conversations with partners
Industry chatter suggests Xbox has been talking with partners about where and how to present its announcements—either within E3’s framework if the event runs digitally or through its own standalone presentation. Those discussions, however, remain at the rumor stage in the reporting.
Precedent for large Xbox showcases
Microsoft has organized major digital showcases in June before. Last year the company partnered with Bethesda, which Microsoft had recently acquired, for a joint game showcase. The company also held a digital Xbox event in 2020 to announce its slate of news.
Context: E3’s uncertain future
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which organizes E3, announced in January that the in-person edition of the show would not take place this year, leaving open the possibility of a digital event. The ESA said it was “enthusiastic about the possibilities” but had not confirmed an online edition.
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, E3 faced pressure to reinvent itself as several major publishers—including EA, Sony and Activision—reduced their participation. In response, many developers and publishers, such as Ubisoft, have found success staging their own digital showcases.
Industry perspective
Last year Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former head of Nintendo of America, told VGC that the ESA needs to act quickly if it wants to preserve E3’s status as a major industry event. That comment came amid broader concerns about the viability of the traditional trade-show model.
