E3 2021 already has a date, IGN to fill this year’s void with the Summer of Gaming online event

A year without E3…weird, isn’t it? On the one hand, I’m sad because E3 when it’s done properly still serves a vital role in spreading the news about upcoming games from all manner of developers and publishers. I’m also secretly happy that it’s not kicking off this year, because it means that for the first time in years, I’m going to have a June that doesn’t require me to get up at ungodly hours to watch a series of press conferences while high as a kite on caffeine so that I don’t nod off when EA’s FIFA segment starts.

Thanks to COVID-19 effectively making 2020 the year of delays and no-shows (Cancelvirus culture has gone too far!), this year’s E3 was wisely called off due to the show usually being a hotbed for swarms of people clustered together in tight spaces that’ll make you realise that deodorant is as much a luxury in the US as affordable healthcare.

E3 organizer the ESA has confirmed that while this year’s show (Cheers, GI Biz), which was already looking barebones due to Sony, Geoff Keighley and even their own retail and production partner iam8bit skipping out on the gaming shindig, they’ll be back next year. Bigger! Better! With blackjack! And hookers! E3 2021 will take place from June 15 to 17.

There’s still a sizable gap to be filled within this year’s gaming calendar however, with IGN apparently stepping up to the plate to announce a Summer of Gaming that has so far roped in the likes of Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Amazon, Google, Twitter, Devolver Digital, and THQ Nordic:

With the next generation of console gaming kicking off later this year and gamers eager to learn more about what games they’ll be playing on their new hardware, our online event will be a key moment for publishers and developers to connect with the audience worldwide.

IGN chief content and product officer Peer Schneider

It’s a bit of a monopoly on announcements that has me slightly worried, but IGN is no doubt going to get a lot of solid SEO linkage for all the news that they’re about to break on various upcoming games and next-gen hardware. Kind of jealous, I am. On the plus side, Crit Con is still going ahead, just as soon as my mom finishes cleaning up the kitchen where the true replacement for E3 will kick off.

Last Updated: April 6, 2020