Microsoft confirms it won’t be on the E3 2023 show floor

Microsoft has confirmed that it won’t have a presence on the show floor at E3 this year.

The company has already announced that its digital ‘Games Showcase’ stream will take place on June 11, just two days before E3 opens its doors.

According to a statement issued to IGN, Microsoft will be co-streaming this presentation as part of E3.

It will not, however, be following this up with a physical booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where E3 will be held this year for the first time in four years.

“We can’t wait to host our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and will share more details later,” the company’s statement to IGN reads.

“We also look forward to co-streaming our event as part of E3 Digital and will not be on the E3 showfloor.”

It should be noted that Microsoft did not attend the show floor the last time there was a physical E3 event in 2019, or in 2018.

While the company hosted an E3 press conference that year, it didn’t have any booths at the LA Convention Centre, instead choosing to turn the Microsoft Theater (where it hosted its conference) into its own showroom.

According to an earlier IGN report, the Xbox firm could yet partner with E3’s organiser for a separate, dedicated event away from the LACC during E3 week.

So far, Ubisoft is the only major publisher to publicly commit to attending the physical E3 show. Nintendo has already confirmed that it will be skipping this year’s event.

Further reading

6

Nintendo confirms it will not attend E3 2023

The E3 show 'didn't fit' in Nintendo's plans for the year

However, in an update published last week, the show’s new organiser ReedPop claimed that unnamed “AAA companies, in addition to indie darlings and tech and hardware firms” have committed to “making their return” to the LA Convention Center.

“The full roster of exhibitors will be announced in the leadup to the expo, providing participating companies the opportunity to make their own individual announcements beforehand,” it said in a statement.

E3 2023’s “Digital Week” kicks off on Sunday, June 11, with outside digital events including The PC Gaming Show, Future Games Show, Guerilla Collective, and Black Voices in Gaming falling under this banner. Now, following Microsoft’s latest statement, the Xbox showcase can be added to this list.