Xbox is the latest major gaming brand to officially say it won’t be on the E3 show floor, confirming the decision Unpleasant IGN on Friday. This week, Microsoft announced the June 11 date for its annual Xbox showcase and a special Star field show, but we still didn’t know if Xbox would actually be on the floor of this year’s in-person E3 convention.
“We can’t wait to host our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and will share more details later,” an Xbox spokesperson said in a statement to IGN. “We also look forward to co-streaming our event as part of E3 Digital and will not be on the E3 show floor.”
In February, Nintendo confirmed it wouldn’t be part of E3, which now means neither Nintendo nor Microsoft will have booths at the convention itself. Don’t expect Sony to be there: the company skipped E3 in 2019 and hasn’t returned since, and IGN reported in January that Sony would also pass 2023. Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, ReedPop owner Reed Exhibitions US said exhibitor news is coming. “In addition to upcoming announcements from other AAA companies regarding their own participation, we look forward to sharing more of the publishers who will be part of our digital showcase series and exhibit on the show floor leading up to the return of E3,” Kyle Marsden-Kish, the global VP of gaming at Reed Exhibitions US, said.
The E3 convention is scheduled for June 13-16, with E3 “Digital Week” kicking off June 11 with Microsoft’s Xbox show. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest returns just a few days before that, on June 8.
