The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2020 (E3 2020) would have been the 26th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry would have presented new and upcoming products.
The event, organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), was to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 9–11, 2020.
[1] The ESA stated that they planned to revise the format for E3 2020 to feature more interactivity for attendees as to reflect the changing audience for the show, and looking to make it a "fan, media and influencer festival".
[2][1] ESA stated the event would be "an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike".
[10] The ESA formally announced they had officially canceled the physical event on March 11, 2020, stating "Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation.
"[11] In addition to providing full refunds for participants, the ESA was looking into options for virtual presentations for exhibitors to use during the planned week as an alternative event.
[12] Microsoft announced after the cancellation of E3 2020 that it would host a digital event to cover information it had planned to provide at E3, including games and details on the fourth generation of Xbox consoles it launched in 2020.
[13] Starting in May 2020, Microsoft began running monthly events to reveal new games for the Xbox Series X and other hardware details.
[22] The showcase continued the narrative around the company's fictional chief synergy officer Nina Struthers from previous years wrapped around the various announcements.
Ubisoft ran a "Ubisoft Forward" digital event on July 12, 2020, announcing several upcoming titles, including:[24][25] Limited Run Games planned to run an online presentation for its upcoming games on June 8, 2020, but the event was delayed and ultimately canceled due to the George Floyd protests.
Several independent and larger publishers presented a series of announcement streams between June 13 and 15, hosted by Greg Miller, as part of the "Guerrilla Collective" in lieu of E3.