Report says ESA focussing on three-day all-digital E3 event in 2021 Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Report says ESA focussing on three-day all-digital E3 event in 2021 But no indication if major publishers onboard. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 9 Feb 2021 7 comments Despite the ESA's best efforts to forge ahead with E3 2020 in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, last year's physical show was ultimately cancelled - and plans for an alternative online event, originally scheduled for June, were eventually abandoned in favour of a "reimagined" show this year. All's been a little quiet on the update front since then, but now the ESA has emerged to confirm its plans for an E3 in 2021 are still go. Dates for E3 2021 have been earmarked since last April, and while a physical event still hasn't officially been ruled out, a report by VGC, based on pitch documents seen by the publication, suggests a digital event running 15-17th June is now the ESA's favoured approach in 2021. According to VGC, the ESA is proposing an E3 2021 consisting of a preview night on 14th June, an award show, two-hour keynote sessions from games partners, and smaller streams from publishers, influencers and media partners. This would be supplemented by media previews for key titles one week earlier, scheduled meetings between developers and media featuring remotely streamed playable demos, plus consumer demos across all platforms. Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Next-Gen News Cast - Will PlayStation Studios publish more games on Xbox? In a statement provided to VGC in response to its report, the ESA insisted it was having "great conversations" with publishers, developers and companies about "transforming the E3 experience for 2021", with "exact details" promised soon. However, it's currently unclear how many publishers have expressed an interest in adopting the ESA's proposed digital E3 (which has yet to be voted on by members), particularly given that a significant number of companies - including Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Square, and Ubisoft - all successfully ran their own digital events following E3's cancellation last year. Indeed, VGC cites at least one major publisher as indicating it will hold its own show again in 2021, rather than pay the ESA to be involved in a digital E3. Additionally, Geoff Keighley, who quit E3 and subsequently launched his Summer Game Fest series of digital announcements and reveals in 2020, has told VGC that he plans for the showcase to return this year. Following VGC's report, the ESA posted an additional (and inexplicably Metal-Gear-Solid-themed) statement to Twitter, confirming, "We've been hard at work on this year's event and we can't wait to provide the full picture of the E3 2021 experience." Interested parties are advised to "Keep an eye here for more big news from us soon!". Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store