Ubisoft, the publisher behind the popular game franchise Assassin’s Creed, has announced that it will not attend the upcoming E3 2023 event as previously planned. Instead, the company will hold its own event, the Ubisoft Forward Live, in Los Angeles on June 12.
E3 2023, the flagship industry event, is set to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Tuesday, June 13, and is the first physical show in four years. The event has been taken over by ReedPop, the media and events company behind PAX, EGX, and Star Wars Celebration, from the Entertainment Software Association. Under the revamped format, the first two days of E3 2023 (June 13-14) will be reserved exclusively for business, while the remaining days will include consumer visitors.
Ubisoft Forward: What to expect and what it means for E3 2023?
Ubisoft’s decision to move away from E3 2023 means that, with only three months left to go, no major company has been officially announced as attending. The fact that Ubisoft had previously committed to attending raises serious questions about the line-up for the revamped show.
While Ubisoft has historically been a staunch supporter of E3, CEO Yves Guillemot had expressed support for the 2023 plans. The company’s decision to opt-out of the event is a significant blow to E3’s efforts to reestablish itself as the premier gaming event.
In a statement issued to VGC, a spokesperson for Ubisoft said, “E3 has fostered unforgettable moments across the industry throughout the years. 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. We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.”
The Ubisoft Forward Live event will likely showcase the company’s upcoming games and provide a platform for the company to interact with its fans directly. Ubisoft has been known to make significant announcements during its Ubisoft Forward events, so fans can expect some exciting news during the event.
The decision by Ubisoft to hold its own event rather than attending E3 2023 is not unprecedented. Other companies have opted to hold their own events in the past, with some, like Sony, skipping E3 entirely. However, Ubisoft’s decision could be a sign of waning interest in E3 among major publishers.
Nintendo and Xbox have already confirmed that they will not attend this year’s E3 event. However, Microsoft will have some form of presence in LA during the same window. The absence of major players like Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Xbox raises questions about the relevance of E3 in the gaming industry.
ReedPop, E3’s new organizer, has claimed that unnamed “AAA companies, in addition to indie darlings and tech and hardware firms,” have committed to “making their return” to the LACC. However, with only three months to go, the lack of major announcements from these companies is cause for concern.
E3 2023’s “Digital Week” will kick off on Sunday, June 11, with outside digital events, including The PC Gaming Show, Future Games Show, Guerilla Collective, and Black Voices in Gaming, falling under this banner.
While the absence of major players like Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Xbox is a significant setback for E3, the event is still expected to attract a significant audience. E3 remains one of the biggest events in the gaming industry, and fans are eager to see what new games and technologies will be announced at the event.
The gaming industry is constantly evolving, and events like E3 will need to adapt to remain relevant. The rise of digital events and the growing trend of companies holding their own events means that E3 will face increased competition in the coming years, and it will need to find new ways to attract major publishers and capture the attention of gamers worldwide. Only time will tell how E3 will evolve in the coming years and whether it will remain the premier gaming event it once was.
