The list of events, movies, and projects being cancelled because of the coronavirus, or COVID-19 grows today. No Time to Die was postponed last week due to box office concerns from the virus. Now, the cancellations are hitting gaming’s biggest event, E3. Straight from the source, the ESA, here’s what they had to say about cancelling the event.
WASHINGTON – MARCH 11, 2020 – After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.
Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.
We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3expo.com.
We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.
Other Events Cancelled And Why
As far as I’ve seen, this is the latest an event has been cancelled. Most of the events being cancelled or moving have been in the April-May range. This could mean that Comic-Con in July and almost assuredly WonderCon in April are in jeopardy of being cancelled. It’s horribly disappointing but something that is 100% necessary.
E3 is a gathering of people from around the world and this virus is showing that it’s spreading among people who are in confined, tight spaces. This won’t be the last cancellation. It’s for the best in the end. While one might say that COVID-19 isn’t as deadly as other viral or bacterial infections, we need to be diligent about stopping it. That means sacrificing these larger events until the following year or later in 2020.
Being diligent about keeping your distance is about keeping people who are more prone to issues arising from being sick safe. So while you might be up in arms about this. You need to remember that safety is the number one concern for all these events. Sporting and outdoor events are also in jeopardy but they seem to be getting more of a leash. Wrestlemania, March Madness, MLB, NBA, and other events are still up in the air how they’re going to work.
The most important thing to stress during this time is to remain calm and not to panic. Don’t go out and clean out your Costco of water and whatever else. Don’t try to buy up as many N95 masks as possible. It’s about being vigilant with washing hands, staying away from sick people, and staying home if you are sick.
