E3 is still months away, usually taking place at California’s Los Angeles Convention Centre in June and attracting more than 50,000 industry and public delegates.
It is, of course, impossible to predict the state of the pandemic at that time given the many factors affecting the spread and severity of the novel coronavirus. However, as rapid spread of the Omicron variant pushes the rolling seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases in the US above 500,000 this week, accompanied by a surge in hospitalisations, event organisers are practicing caution and making early calls to scale down, postpone, or digitise upcoming events.
The latest announcement adds to a list of tentpole events being disrupted by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Organisers of the Grammy Awards and the Sundance Film Festival have adjusted their plans due to Covid-19 caution, while the top tech trade show CES has attracted some criticism for going ahead in-person in Las Vegas with...