Nintendo Will Not Attend E3 This Year, New Statement Confirms

Nintendo has confirmed previous reports that it will not be attending this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, according to a recent statement made to Venturebeat. IGN reported about Nintendo's absence a month ago, and the news also mentioned that Sony and Microsoft might skip the event, but neither has commented on the reports since.

"We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans," the statement reads. "Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA and E3."

In light of IGN's report and the potential absence of these industry giants, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which oversees E3, has released a statement expressing its belief that ReedPOP, the primary organizing partner for this year's E3, is making significant strides in revitalizing the event to remain relevant not only for this year, but for 2024 and beyond.

ESA has partnered with ReedPOP in an effort to revive E3, which hasn't held a physical event since 2019 due to the pandemic, and IGN reported that Xbox and Nintendo had initially expressed interest in participating in the event, but both had to back out for reasons unrelated to the show itself.

Furthermore, according to Videogamechronicle's sources, Nintendo's main reason for pulling out was allegedly not having enough major releases in the second half of the year to warrant taking a significant space at such a big event. This information was also corroborated by IGN.

Head of the Xbox brand Phil Spencer reiterated his unwavering support for the ESA and the E3 event in IGN's report. With Xbox on the ESA board, he expressed his commitment to doing everything possible to ensure the success of E3. He also confirmed that a summer showcase is in the works, regardless of whether Xbox attends E3 or not.

Nintendo and Microsoft have both revealed their plans for the first half of this year in Nintendo's recent Nintendo Direct and last year's Xbox and Bethesda showcase, respectively. In addition, Sony recently completed a State of Play presentation that highlighted numerous upcoming games for the first half of the year, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 already set for release this fall.