The Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, is returning this year as a digital only event.

E3 2021 is scheduled to start on June 12th -15th. This event is being backed by Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros and Koch Media.

According to E3, game developers around the world will be able to showcase their content directly to the fans for free. E3 promises that more details on the event will be provided in the coming months.

There are rumors circulating that EA, Activision Blizzard and Square Enix among some others will not be making an appearance in E3 this year. This is yet to be confirmed as there is still time for publishers to sign up for the event.

The E3 expo planned for last year was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then publishers have started hosting their own Nintendo Direct style digital events.

The organizers say that while this year’s E3 is virtual they are trying to make the next E3 expo an in-person event.

While on the topic of E3, it is also worth mentioning that the event has been losing popularity over the last few years with more and more publishers hosting their own events instead of taking part.

Additionally, any plans to hold E3 needs approval from the Electronic Software Association (ESA). The ESA has been under pressure of late to change or reinvent E3 due to several major publishers such as Sony, Activision-Blizzard, and EA leaving the show.

Moreover, the 2019 E3 event saw the ESA leak a list of personal details of over 2000 members of the media. The leak included their home addresses and phone numbers.

We should also consider the many game trailers showcased at E3 that do not resemble the final game that’s shipped. Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs reveal in 2012 is a particularly notorious example of this. The final game did not at all match the in-depth and exciting image of the announcement trailer.

All this to say that yes, E3 is coming back but whether it will be a worthwhile event or not remains to be seen.

They have a lot of work ahead if they want to rebuild game-liker trust.