E3 Reimagined: The ESA Launches a New Online Gaming Convention for Innovators
By The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), organizer of the formerly prestigious yet now irrelevant E3 event, is making a comeback with the Interactive Innovation Convention (iicon).
The convention is being promoted as an “essential gathering for innovators across various sectors,” but will reportedly focus on those navigating the realm of video games.
Scheduled for the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas, the event will take place from April 27 to April 30, 2026.
Major players to attend iicon
A range of prominent companies from the gaming industry have already confirmed their participation, including Amazon Games, Disney, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. Games.
The ESA asserts that iicon will bring together a wide array of industries that “intersect with interactive entertainment.”
“For many years, video games have led the way in technological and cultural advancements,” stated ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis. “With iicon, we aim to create a platform for visionaries across different sectors to unite, collaborate, and reimagine what is achievable through interactive entertainment.”
It seems like a significantly different approach from E3, which was primarily known for major hardware and game announcements along with memorable (and often humorous) executive presentations.
The ESA has confirmed that iicon will allow spectator participation on an invitation-only basis. You can find out more on the event’s official website.
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Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is a celebrated journalist and writer with over ten years of experience in the gaming industry. His work has been featured in major print and digital outlets such as Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, Global Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered significant industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has served on the judging panel for The Develop Star Awards multiple times and has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.