Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency over the Coronavirus, but E3 2020 is still forging ahead

It seems like you can’t even toss a stone at Brad’s head without a new story about the Coronavirus popping up (MOVE DAMMIT I’M GOING FOR THE HAT TRICK HERE), and guess what? Today is no different! The COVID-19 strain of the virus has pretty much delivered a running P-Klap to the world since it broke out of China, sending stock markets for a tumble and ruining many an industry convention.

Mobile World Conference got cancelled, this year’s Game Developer’s Conference has been postponed and it’s 00-no for James Bond who apparently does have plenty of time to die. So how about E3 then? The annual gaming celebration show may be a shell of its former self, but people are still going to attend it. There’ll be fans, plenty of stands featuring games and lest we forget, QUEUENTERTAINMENT!

Set in the heart of the Los Angeles downtown area, E3 is a petri dish of con flu just waiting to explode with a possible Coronavirus outbreak if things go pear-shaped. With Los Angeles having officially declared a state of emergency regarding the spread of the virus, you’d think that the Electronic Software Association would be ready to pull the plug on a show that few people are excited for. Nope! “The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, partners, and staff is our top priority,” the ESA said in a lip service press release via Games Industry.

While the ESA continues to plan for a safe and successful E3 show June 9-11, 2020 — we are monitoring and evaluating the situation daily. Our E3 team and partners continue to monitor COVID-19 via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We are actively assessing the latest information and will continue to develop measures to further reduce health risks at the show.

Hoo boy. Provided that you’re not ancient, don’t have a compromised immune system and you can avoid licking subway hand-rails, chances are that you’ll survive a mild case of the Coronavirus even though you really really don’t want to catch it. Not even for bragging rights. Being in a gigantic convention center, sandwiched between people and breathing in the same air inside of a stifling space is probably not recommended.

That, and the section of Los Angeles where E3 is held is rather…gross. The streets are busted, the air pollution will set your chest on fire and I kid you not, during my last visit to LA I’d walk past a gigantic bottle of piss that had been left inside of a bus shelter. Every morning it’d be there, like a disgusting amber waypoint on my daily commute to E3. Let that sink into your mind-space.

Last Updated: March 5, 2020