Update: Following the earlier cancellation of its in-person event in January, the ESA has notified its partners that a there will be no digital event this year. The news was initially reported by IGN after spotting a Tweet from Razer PR lead Will Powers that confirmed the digital event had been cancelled.

Earlier in the year when the in-person event was cancelled there was industry-wide speculation that a digital event would not take place either.

However, the ESA has confirmed to IGN that the event will return in 2023 with a "a reinvigorated showcase" and that this year's event has been cancelled to all the organisation to "focus its resources" on next year's show.

Just got an email... It's official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this...

— Will Powers NYC (@WillJPowers) March 31, 2022

Original story: After having been cancelled in 2020 and online-only in 2021, for the third year running E3 will not see a physical return in 2022, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has confirmed.

The reason cited is the ongoing pandemic and concerns surrounding the return to in-person events, particularily with regards to the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

In a statement to IGN, the ESA declared: "Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022."

"We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon."

This year's cancellation has been announced sooner than previous years. In 2020, the ESA cancelled the event in March as the pandemic loomed over the world, with the event being cancelled the following year due to continued concerns. In place of an in-person event, 2021 saw the event be held virtually, as was commonplace within the games industry at the time.

Whilst it is presumed that E3 will take place online again in June, as it did in 2021, this is yet to be confirmed.