EA has been inseparable from E3 for several years. Even after the massive publisher pulled out of the E3 show floor, it continued to host its own yearly event around the same time. While not technically part of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, its timing generally made it synonymous with the industry tradeshow. Unfortunately, this is the first year in which EA will be missing in action completely.
In a statement provided to IGN, an EA representative said that the event would not be taking place this year. According to the representative, “this year, things aren’t lining up to show you everything on one date.”
The statement goes on to clarify that no similar event is taking its place at any point in 2022. Instead, EA will be sharing development updates throughout the year on an individual basis as the games are ready to be shown. Perhaps this is a sign of development struggles across various studios within EA’s portfolio.
Conversely, the publisher may be taking a different approach to marketing its titles. Its events have typically been criticized more heavily than other publishers and platform holders due to their pacing and the content shown. The type of consumer that tunes into E3 generally doesn’t want vague cinematic trailers that barely communicate a title’s vision, while only filling the spaces in between with mobile games and sports games.
Perhaps with this, EA will be able to provide more intimate livestreams that cater to specific audiences such as the recent Dead Space livestream.
