Bethesda has cancelled its E3 press conference altogether amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The news was confirmed on Twitter by the publisher’s senior vice president of communications, Pete Hines, who said: “Given the many challenges we’re facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months.”
E3’s physical offering, including its traditional press conferences, were cancelled in March, leading many publishers to announce digital replacements. Microsoft will hold a virtual E3 conference, for example, while Ubisoft and Square Enix are “exploring” similar options. Bethesda, though, is pulling out altogether.
Before E3 2020’s cancellation, Bethesda had said it planned to show off more of Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop at this year’s show. It was also widely expected to reveal more information on Starfield. It now seems we’ll need to wait a little longer to hear about those games.
It’s unclear if the move indicates a delay to any of Bethesda’s upcoming games, such as The Elder Scrolls VI. The company had previously said its “catalogue of live titles, including Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Elder Scrolls Blades, and others, will continue to operate as normal”, and that Doom Eternal‘s launch would not be affected by the virus – but it is yet to comment beyond those.
Given the many challenges we're facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months.
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) April 1, 2020
COVID-19 is having a number of effects on the games industry. From studios working remotely to publishers delaying games and others losing their jobs, the pandemic continues to directly and indirectly impact the world over. For more on how the industry is fighting the coronavirus, hit the link.