E3 Is Out of Extra Lives, Gamers Reaction The Convention's Death

Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty / E3

The zombie that was E3 finally got the blow to the head to keep it from returning. The Electronic Entertainment Expo announced via X, formerly Twitter, that it has run out of extra lives for the convention. The great Gene Park at the Washington Post broke the story before E3 confirmed the sad news that the beloved convention born in 1995 will not return.

“After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has decided to bring E3 to a close,” the Electron Entertainment Expo said in a statement. “ESA remains focused on advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce who fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day.”

In a post on X, E3 wrote, “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.”

The once popular gaming convention has been on life support since COVID came through and shut down the in-person video game convention in 2020. The ESA tried to hand on for dear life with a virtual convention in June 2021 that everyone agreed was a mess. The ESA did make a valiant attempt to bring the in-person convention back but failed in 2022 and 2023 due to the conference failing to attract exhibitors. Before the then-raging pandemic officially killed E3, the convention was dying slowly. Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley, who claims he was at every E3 since its exception, pretty much assisted in taking down E3 by founding Summer Game Fest in 2020. The last time there was an in-person E3 event, only 66,100 people came out.

Gamers Are Sharing E3 Memories

With the announcement, gamers and people in the gaming industry have shared their fondest memories while saying goodbye to the convention. “I understand why this happened, but it’s heartbreaking all the same. E3 was like Christmas for gamers and having all the conferences take place in one week was such a treat. So many good memories spanning so many years. Thanks for everything, E3,” Sony Santa Monica writer Alana Pearce said on X.

“E3 has had a huge significance in my life,” Spawn On Me founder Kahlief Adams wrote in a post on X.

What a sad day for the gaming world. Attending E3 was a dream for me, and I was close to achieving it, only to learn this year’s convention was canceled. So long E3. You can see more reactions in the gallery below. — Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty