E3 2020--Nintendo, Microsoft, Square Enix And More Reactions To Cancellation

E3 2020 has been officially canceled, as conference organizers and publishers talk about potentially putting on digital presentations in its stead. It's a huge change in how games will be promoted in 2020, and publishers have begun explaining their plans for going forward without the event. In short, it looks like we'll be seeing more Nintendo Direct-style digital presentations in 2020.

Many publishers like Xbox and Ubisoft are echoing the sentiments of the ESA--particularly that this is being done for the safety of employees and attendees alike, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Some have also pointed out that they're exploring their options, or even just announced a date and time for their planned streaming press conference.

Pressure on the ESA had mounted in recent days as more public events were scuttled to minimize the risk of virus transmission. That came amid some high-profile changes to the show, including Geoff Keighley and iam8bit dropping out of their participation. And Sony had previously announced that PlayStation would once again skip the show this year.

You can see the statements from various publishers gathered below. This story will be updated as more come out, but also check out our look back at E3's biggest announcements over the years.

Nintendo

"Nintendo supports the ESA's decision to cancel this year’s E3 to help protect the health and safety of everyone in our industry--our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners. We would like to express our concern and support for all those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak during this challenging time.

"We'll continue to be flexible and redirect our efforts to other ways of keeping our fans up to date about our activities and products. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, large industry events may be untenable for the foreseeable future. But we are considering various ways to engage with our fans and will have more to share as the year continues."

Xbox

"E3 has always been an important moment for Team Xbox. Given this decision, this year we'll celebrate the next generation of gaming with the community and all who love to play via an Xbox digital event. Details on timing and more in the coming weeks"

Ubisoft

"The health and well-being of our teams, players and partners is our top priority, so while we're disappointed, we fully support the ESA's decision to cancel E3 2020. E3 is and will continue to be a moment where we come together as a community and share our love of games. We're exploring other options for a digital experience that will allow us to share all the exciting news we have planned."

Here are some other company reactions on Twitter. It seems Limited Run and Devolver Digital will still show off the games they planned to announce during E3; THQ Nordic's response is perhaps less clear.

Limited Run Games

THQ Nordic

Devolver Digital