This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) might be in jeopardy due to an ever-expanding concern of the coronavirus as Los Angeles appears ready to declare a state of emergency.
E3 is one the most iconic conventions in the gaming industry and the world’s top studios come together to showcase what they’ve been working on behind the scenes. From the shock and awe of surprise announcements to first-looks of brand new gaming hardware, it is often viewed as one of the most significant weekends on the gaming calendar.
As concern continues to brew surrounding the coronavirus however, it appears as though the convention could be in jeopardy for 2020.
The first coronavirus-related death in California was reported on March 4. Subsequently, Los Angeles County became the second county in the United States to declare a state of emergency as the situation worsened.
In a statement provided by the Electronic Software Association, it was outlined how the state of emergency could impact this year’s convention. Despite pressing forward with the event for the time being, the situation is constantly being monitored and plans could change at any moment.
“The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, partners, and staff is our top priority. While the ESA continues to plan for a safe and successful E3 show June 9-11, 2020 – we are monitoring and evaluating the situation daily.”
“We are actively assessing the latest information and will continue to develop measures to further reduce health risks at the show.”
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While the ESA rallies in spite of the emergency, notable events throughout the gaming landscape have been significantly impacted and even cancelled outright as a result of the coronavirus.
For instance, after countless studios pulled out of the event, the 2020 Game Developers Conference was postponed on February 28.
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Additionally, one of CSGO’s landmark esports competitions , IEM Katowice, was forced to continue without a single attendee due to the coronavirus.
There’s no telling just yet whether E3 2020 will be postponed or cancelled entirely, though the ESA is certainly aware of the possibility and constantly monitoring the severity of the situation in Los Angeles.
With more and more studios opting to present their new announcements in a pre-recorded format through their own channels, perhaps that may be the way of things for all devs in 2020 as concern surrounding the virus continues.