The lavish E3 games convention was declared officially closed in 2023. Attendance had been steadily decreasing since 2019, and following the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizers at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) hosted one final virtual-only event in 2021 before pulling the plug entirely.
Now, the ESA is shifting its focus towards a new, vaguely defined event named the Interactive Innovation Conference, or “iicon.” Major players in gaming like Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and others are already on board to participate.
However, ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis wants to emphasize one crucial point: “This is not the new E3,” he tells WIRED.
Scheduled for April 2026 in Las Vegas, iicon will not resemble a trade fair for game announcements, according to Pierre-Louis. It also won’t serve as a consumer event featuring gameplay demos or discussions on game development, as he notes there are already events that excel in those areas.
Instead, the ESA aims for iicon to connect various industries influenced by advancements in video gaming, encompassing sectors such as film, music, health care, and education.
“We take pride in our history of hosting E3 and the role it played in uniting our industry,” remarks Pierre-Louis. “But this is an entirely different event with a unique purpose and a distinct audience.”
The involvement of Hollywood studios seems fitting, given the successful collaboration between video games and film, highlighted by the Super Mario Bros. Movie that has reached impressive box office heights, and the acclaimed HBO series The Last of Us. The connection with the music industry is likewise intuitive, as artists like Travis Scott and Ariana Grande have hosted virtual concerts in Fortnite.
The relationship between video gaming and sectors like health care is less apparent. However, according to Pierre-Louis, the ties are closer than one might assume. “Surgeons are honing their skills through mixed-reality VR to improve their techniques,” he explains. “Conditions like ADHD and Alzheimer’s are increasingly being treated with video games, sometimes even through prescriptions.”
Details about speakers and panels at the forthcoming event have yet to be unveiled, but according to Pierre-Louis, the agenda will not mimic those of the shows that have emerged to fill E3’s void. “When you examine how interactive entertainment has been integrated into various fields,” he states, “it’s making a significant impact perhaps without widespread recognition or appreciation.”
The upcoming event will be “invite-only,” necessitating registration for interested attendees. This approach will accommodate prominent figures from multiple industries. “Since the conclusion of E3, we’ve missed the opportunity to gather everyone while also inviting the broader business community,” Pierre-Louis notes.
