Ubisoft won’t be attending E3 2023
After the announcement of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo steering clear of E3 this summer, there were doubts that the show would be able to viably continue. After taking a year break in 2022, most developers decided to just hold their own virtual events to lower costs and bump up production value for their showcases. However, with the reasonable likelihood of publishers like Capcom, Square Enix and EA still attending, summer's big gaming event isn't dead (vet). Considering today's news that Ubisoft have also dropped out, however, there's a lot less hope for this year's E3.
Developers of huge game series like Assassins Creed and Far Cry, Ubisoft have more than their fair share of fans that would draw in crowds to E3. Although the company already confirmed last month that they would be attending the event, now they have U-turned that decision and are hosting their own event instead. Much like Microsoft, their event will still be in Los Angeles but will be in its own venue on June 12th. The Ubisoft Forward Live is expected to be similar to Nintendo's Directs and Sony's State of Play shows where a number. of upcoming games are showcased and announced. Essentially, an E3 show without E3.
This follows a trend from publishers who have thrown E3 to the sidelines while hosting their own events for a fraction of the cost. The problem here is that each studio dropping out causes a knock-on effect where fewer companies want to be a part of the event- leading them to also skip the show. Ubisoft's decision likely comes as a direct result of the big three software developers not attending- which will drive down ticket sales significantly. Simply put, if there aren't enough people to justify going to E3, hosting your own event may be the better option. Talking about their decision to skip the event, Ubisoft shared the following with VGC:
"While we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we've made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction, and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live Event on 12th June in Los Angeles"
Still going ahead on 13th June, E3 has lost yet another big name in their shrinking roster of developers. While Ubisoft games aren't exactly known for their quality or critical reception in recent years, they are still widely popular. Without the presence of big names like Assassins Creed and Far Cry at the event, a substantial portion of fans will see little point in attending E3. While this may not quite be the final nail in the coffin for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the death toll is getting louder and louder with each closing month.
