Yes, despite the absence of major participants like Sony and Activision, E3 is coming back in 2020. According to the ESA’s banner, E3 will once again be returning to the LA Convention Center in early June, and the official dates of the event will be June 9 through June 11. So, if past press conference scheduling holds true going into 2020, the Xbox keynote will be Sunday, June 7, PlayStation’s will be Monday, June 8, and Nintendo’s will be Tuesday, June 9. That’s if the “Big 3” all decide to attend next year.
Next year will be a big year for E3, or at least it should be. Microsoft has confirmed that the next generation Xbox console, Project Scarlett, will be launching holiday 2020. The PlayStation 5 is also expected holiday 2020, though Sony hasn’t officially confirmed the date yet. Both consoles could potentially be unveiled at E3, along with their final prices and release dates, as the event has been host to console unveilings in the past. At worst, both Xbox and PlayStation would be showing off some of their expected next-gen launch titles.
It’s also worth mentioning that, while extremely unlikely, E3 could continue to fall from grace over the next year. Sony and Activision could again skip the event in preference for their own alternatives, which could lead to other publishers leaving as well. Again, that’s unlikely given how much companies, like Xbox, Ubisoft, and Nintendo, all rave about what E3 offers to games and the community. But it’s still possible.
All drama aside, E3 remains a mainstay in the industry. It marks an end to what’s usually a dry run of spring months and gives way to a slowly growing wave of publisher build-up for the games of September, October, and November. It’s an event the bring the greater gaming community together to cheer for games and laugh at the silliness of it all in a way unique among conventions and events. E3 2019 may be coming to an end, but it will be back next year.
E3 2020 will take place June 9 - 11, 2020 at the LA Convention Center.
