E3 is potentially the biggest event in gaming. It's the trade show where companies come to show off their most impressive games, consoles, and technological innovations. Just today there were rumors that both a new Batman and a Harry Potter game are going to be announced at E3 this year. However now it's looking like there's a good chance that E3 won't happen at all, because of the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The rumor was first reported by author and journalist Mike Futter. Mike posted to Twitter today, stating that "multiple sources" have told him that E3 is going to be canceled because of the outbreak. While he didn't name any of his sources, Mike is a well known figure in games journalism circles, and there's no reason to doubt the validity of his sources. If this rumor turns out to be true, E3 will be following other large events like TwitchCon in shutting its doors.
So far there has been no official statement from E3 on this story. Some sources say that the cancellation announcement will be coming tomorrow, but it's possible that the leaks could push the company to announce sooner. Of course until there is an official statement, at this point this is all speculation.
The coronavirus has been a major strain on the global economy, with the Dow seeing its biggest decline since 2008. The video games industry has been particularly hard hit. In Japan dozens of game companies have suffered their worst losses in 10 years, and American gaming companies are not much better off.Â
Just today Wizards of the Coast, makers of Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons, announced that it was having all of its employees work from home, and will be canceling all planned streams. Bungie, the studio behind Destiny, has taken similar precautions to avoid spreading the virus. It incredibly admirable that these companies are making serious efforts to protect their employees' health, but still, one has to wonder how long a major game studio can function when all of its workers are remote.
While the coronavirus is certainly scary, one can take solace in the fact that it's bringing out the best in some people. Pro League of Legends player Faker announced that he and his team will be raising money for organizations that are fighting the coronavirus. For gamers who want to be proactive, The University of Washington has created a video game to help fight coronavirus. This game could provide useful information leading to a vaccine for the virus.