ESA promises another E3 reinvention after parting ways with Reedpop

The ESA has parted ways with PAX organizer Reedpop after the two failed to relaunch E3.

GamesIndustry.biz, which is owned by Reedpop, broke the news and said the ESA still hopes to host E3 in 2024 before completely reinventing the once-unmissable showcase for 2025. 

E3 2024, however, won't be taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center if it does go ahead.

The ESA brought Reedpop onboard last year in a bid to rejuvenate and reinvent E3 with the conference struggling for relevancy in a changing industry that has become more reliant on virtual events and showcases like Summer Game Fest.

Reedpop established a new E3 team, led by the company's global VP of gaming Kyle Marsden-Kish, and pledged to "build a world class event to serve the global gaming industry in new and broader ways."

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Those plans quickly unravelled, though, and within the space of a year E3 2023 was cancelled due to uncertainty surrounding whether major game companies would actually be throwing their weight behind the event.

"We did our best to reshape [the event], but in the end, companies make individual business and marketing decisions about what works. It's an evolving landscape and we want to ensure we are meeting those needs," said ESA president and CEO, Stanley Pierre-Louis, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in March.

Commenting on today's news, Pierre-Louis said the ESA's split from Reedpop was a "mutual decision" and thanked the company for its efforts.

"We appreciate ReedPop’s partnership over the past 14 months and support their ongoing efforts to bring industry and fans together through their various events," continued Pierre-Louis.

"While the reach of E3 remains unmatched in our industry, we are continuing to explore how we can evolve it to best serve the video game industry and are evaluating every aspect of the event, from format to location. We are committed to our role as a convenor for the industry and look forward to sharing news about E3 in the coming months.”