E3 2020 Canceled: Nintendo Looking Into "Various Ways" To Connect With Fans

E3 2020 has been officially canceled due to ongoing concerns over large public gatherings being a transmission point for the coronavirus pandemic. Several publishers like Xbox and Ubisoft have issued statements supporting the ESA's decision and sometimes outlining future plans. Nintendo has now joined with its own statement, offering concern for those affected by the outbreak and hinting at its plans going forward without E3.

The full statement from a Nintendo spokesperson:

"Nintendo supports the ESA's decision to cancel this year's E3 to help protect the health and safety of everyone in our industry--our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners. We would like to express our concern and support for all those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak during this challenging time.

"We"ll continue to be flexible and redirect our efforts to other ways of keeping our fans up to date about our activities and products. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, large industry events may be untenable for the foreseeable future. But we are considering various ways to engage with our fans and will have more to share as the year continues."

Nintendo has not addressed if it will debut its E3 Nintendo Direct or host its lengthy Treehouse streams during the week formerly occupied by E3. The ESA has said that it is speaking with its partners about shifting to a digital event this year, but which companies will participate, and how, is still unclear. The ESA has been careful to note that this is a temporary measure, though, claiming that E3 will return in 2021. In the meantime, check out our look back at E3's biggest announcements over the years.