E3 2020 has reportedly been cancelled

This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, has reportedly been cancelled, likely due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The major video game industry event is officially still scheduled for June 9 in Los Angeles, but there’s mounting evidence that it’s not happening, at least not in its standard format. 

Ars Technica cites multiple sources familiar with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)’s plans (ESA is the organizer of E3), which say the official cancellation is coming soon. 

Furthermore, game publisher Devolver Digital posted a message on Twitter Wednesday, urging attendees to cancel their trips.

The ESA would not confirm the news to Ars Technica. A notice on the official E3 site says the organization is monitoring and evaluating the situation related to the coronavirus outbreak “daily.”  

Bloomberg also reported the show is being cancelled, with an official announcement scheduled for 9:30 am PT on March 11.

E3 is a massive event for the video gaming industry, with many publishers announcing major new titles. Typical attendance for the event is more than 60,000 people. 

The news follows numerous cancellations of major tech events, including MWC, Facebook’s F8, Google I/O and SXSW. 

The coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, has so far killed more than 4,200 and infected more than 115,800 people. The outbreak has been worsening in the U.S. in recent weeks, with 423 total confirmed cases and 19 deaths.