E3 2023 is on track to return to the Los Angeles Convention Center in June, bringing back one of the most iconic gaming events and conventions. As per a new report over at IGN, there's word that Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony won't be there and won't have a presence on the show floor.

Xbox has already announced that it will be bringing back its summer showcase event this year, but it sounds like this will take place separately from E3 2023 with no playable games at the show. Xbox seemed to be a sure thing for the event, and Nintendo too as it has traditionally had a show floor presence to go alongside its Nintendo Direct presentation. Sony has previously skipped E3 to do its own thing so that one's not a huge surprise.

E3 2023 organisers ReedPop (of PAX fame) provided the following statement to IGN, noting that it's been busy getting the setup ready and that contracts for exhibitors have only been sent out this month.

We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.

As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.

Perhaps it's a case of timing and publishers are being cautious in the current economic climate. Nintendo E3 2023 arrives shortly after the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and with no Switch successor announced it might not have all that much to show. There's also the digital (and global) Summer Gaming Fest returning in June 2023, which would no doubt be seen as an alternative option for developers and publishers versus going the show floor route.