Bethesda confirms it won’t hold digital showcase in place of E3 2020

Bethesda Softworks has confirmed it will not be holding a digital showcase this year amidst the cancellation of E3 2020 due to Covid-19.

The year’s biggest gaming trade show was cancelled a couple of weeks ago due to the global pandemic, with organisers not wanting to risk an increased spread of infection despite the show not taking place until June. 

Since then, a number of other major shows such as Quakecon, EGX Rezzed and others have also been cancelled. It’s a rough time for organisers, but it’s a relief to know they’re putting the health of employees and attendees first. 

Bethesda, the creators of Fallout, Elder Scrolls and the upcoming Starfield, has said it will not be holding an annual showcase for the first time since 2014. Instead, it has said we will hear about its upcoming library through other means in the coming months. 

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

“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,” explained SVP of Global Marketing Pete Hines in a recent tweet. 

This comes just days after the cancellation of Quakecon 2020, which was set to be the iconic show’s 25th anniversary. However, much like the showcase Bethesda is working on other ways to bring its fans together going forward.

Other major companies such as Square Enix, Ubisoft and Microsoft have all said they plan to organise a digital alternative in place of press conferences this year, although it remains unclear if they will take place during the E3 2020 timeframe. But we can definitely expect major news and announcements from them.