The first reports of an online E3 2021 came out last month, and it looks like that will be true after all.

According to VGC, documents published by the Board of Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Commission states that the E3 2021 live event has been cancelled and that the city is “working with the production team on broadcast options at LA Live/LACC”.

They’re also apparently working with the ESA on licenses for both 2022 and 2023.

The documents reveal that E3 2021 is planning for an awards show, a preview kickoff night, as well as two-hour keynotes delivered by major publishers/developers and industry partners. Last month, an ESA representative already said:

“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together.

We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon.”

However, it’s currently unclear if the ESA members (consisting of game developers and publishers) will even support plans for an E3 2021. After E3 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, major companies like Sony and Microsoft have already hosted their own events, while Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest and Opening Night Live were probably the biggest gaming events of 2020.

In light of these juggernauts, can even the likes of E3 return and survive, much less thrive? Is E3 even relevant anymore in this new era of gaming or is it a remnant of yesteryear? If E3 2021 does happen, it will be a test of how what was once the biggest gaming convention on the planet will be able to continue justifying its significance in this day and age.

It looks like we’ll have to wait and see what the gaming landscape will be like this year.