Last week, GDC was postponed amid growing concerns about the coronavirus, Covid-19. It’s one of a large number of events to have been pushed back or cancelled in the last month. The ESA, which organises E3, is also keeping an eye on the situation, but at the moment it’s moving ahead as planned.
E3 2020 isn’t until June, but with the respiratory virus continuing to spread, large international events with tens of thousands of people flying in from all over the world seem like increasingly less attractive prospects.
“Everyone is watching the situation very closely,” the ESA told Vice Games. “We will continue to be vigilant, as our first priority is the health, wellness and safety of all of our exhibitors and attendees. Given what we know at this time, we are moving ahead full speed with E3 2020 planning. Exhibit and registration sales are on track for an exciting show in June.”
While the organisers remain optimistic, ultimately it will be up to the developers, publishers and attendees. Before GDC was officially put on the back-burner, there had already been a lot of cancellations. Microsoft, EA, Epic Games, Facebook and many more pulled out, sealing the event’s fate.
An incomplete list of participating companies was posted in February, so keep an eye out for updates in the coming months.