Japanese video game conglomerate Konami has announced that it will not have a presence at E3 2021 after having been initially announced as a digital attendee by the ESA. Konami is known for creating and publishing such iconic franchises as Metal Gear, Castlevania and Silent Hill, but its last major franchise releases outside of the PES series were the poorly received Metal Gear Survive in 2018 and Contra: Rogue Corps in 2019.
In early March, it was announced that E3 2021 would be held as an entirely digital event, having been canceled in 2020. While the event is traditionally held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again led to the live event’s cancellation. While E3 2020 was cancelled outright, this year the annual video game industry showcase will occur as a digital event streamed around the world. Thankfully, some of the industry’s biggest icons such as Xbox, Nintendo, Ubisoft and Square Enix announced their E3 2021 participation. The all-digital event will run from June 12 – 15, which gives plenty of time for additional developers and publishers to make plans to join.
Today, Konami announced in a tweet that it will not be showcasing anything at E3 2021 after all. This announcement comes as a surprise due to the company’s early commitment to the expo, and comes as disappointment to fans who were anticipating the announcement of a new Metal Gear or Silent Hill title. The publisher’s message explains that it will “not be ready to present” at this year’s expo despite currently having a “number of key projects” in development. Konami’s message emphasizes support and respect for the Entertainment Software Association and expresses hope that “2021 will be a great success.”
Earlier this year, rumors circulated suggesting that Konami had shut down its video game division, which were supported by the publisher’s low output of games in the last several year. Konami quickly denied these rumors, explaining that internal restructuring within the company had occurred rather than an actual dissolving of the video game division. While some fans hoped that this announcement would result in the announcement of a new project in the near future, Konami has still not announced any new titles recently, and it appears that silence is continuing through Summer 2021.
Given its increasing focus on pachinko, slots, and pachislot machines and shrinking evidence of game development investment, the publisher’s withdrawal from E3 2021 is not a good sign for future projects. As one of the first publishers that agreed to present at the event, one would think that Konami already had some titles ready to be revealed. While there will still be plenty of exciting studios present at this year’s expo, fans of Konami series like Metal Gear and Silent Hill are sure to be disappointed by the lack of news.
E3 2021 will be held digitally from June 12 to 15.
