Ubisoft pulls out of E3 2023 and will hold its own event: report

Ubisoft no longer plans to attend this year’s physical E3 event. In a statement to VGC, the game’s publisher decided to “go in a different direction” and instead host its own Ubisoft Forward Live event on June 12 in Los Angeles. The news comes after last month’s call to investors, where the company’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, confirmed his attendance at E3 with “lots to show for it”. With PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo pulling out of the summer video game extravaganza in January, E3 2023 has no major publishers expected to be in attendance.

“E3 has fostered some unforgettable moments in the industry over the years. While we originally planned to have an official presence at E3, we made the later decision to go in a different direction,” A Ubisoft spokesperson told VGC “We look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon.” The upcoming E3 event marks its first in-person iteration since the pandemic shutdowns and is being managed by ReedPop, which has previous experience in setting up New York Comic-Con and Pax.

As for exhibitors, organizers previously said “AAA companies to independent darlings and tech companies will be announced ahead of the expo.” Those interested can register for passes on the E3 website, with the event set to take place June 13-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

It’s no surprise to see major publishers pulling out of E3, as Geoff Keighley’s digital-only Summer Game Fest proved that it’s totally viable for companies to get their game to market without paying big bucks for a physical booth. Much like Ubisoft, Microsoft is planning an Xbox games showcase on June 11, which continues with a presentation of Bethesda’s highly anticipated space RPG, Starfield.

Meanwhile, PlayStation continues to hold occasional State of Play events to showcase new games and updates. Last month, ReedPop president Lance Fensterman hinted that the organization was pleased with “progress and community engagement” regarding E3. “As we have confirmed exhibitors, we look forward to sharing more as details are cemented and attendees prepare their own detailed plans,” Fensterman said in an interview.

In February, Ubisoft finally confirmed the reason for its many game delays and cancellations in recent years, with CEO Guillemot claiming the company was churning out too many titles. Ubisoft has canceled three unannounced projects, in addition to postponing the highly anticipated naval combat game Skull and Bones for the sixth time. The enigmatic sequel to Beyond Good and Evil also suffered a setback, as the studio’s chief executive reportedly left the company in early 2023. The game has yet to enter full production.

The Ubisoft Forward Live event is scheduled for June 12; further details on this will be revealed in due course.

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