Summary
- The ESA, who previously organised E3, has announced a new gaming conference that’s set for April 2026.
- iicon will act as a meeting ground for “thought leaders” and there are a ton of big studios who have already confirmed attendance.
- Don’t expect iicon to be like E3, however, as it sounds a lot closer to GDC with keynotes and networking opportunities.
The ESA, best known for organising the much-missed and long-dead E3, has announced a new gaming conference for “thought leaders” called iicon that’s set to debut next year in April.
While the gaming industry certainly has no shortage of events and conferences (take it from a news writer who covers all of them), there is one big gaping hole in the lineup – E3. What was once the cream of the crop when it came to gaming announcements is now little more than a memory after being officially cancelled last year following difficulties getting it set up again.
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E3 was far from perfect, but it was still a bright spot in the gaming world that housed a ton of memorable moments. Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards have gone some way to filling the void over the past few years and it looks like they’ll keep having to do that, as the ESA’s next event doesn’t sound like it’ll be trying to replicate E3.
ESA Annonuces Iicon, A Gathering For “Thought Leaders And Innovators”
As reported by Windows Central, that showcase is the Interactive Innovation Conference, also known as iicon, and it’s currently planned to take place in Las Vegas between April 27 and April 30. The ESA says that the conference is aimed at “visionaries, thought leaders, and innovators” who aim to “harness the power of interactive entertainment”.
Vague goals in mind, there’s already a massive list of studios and publishers that are going to take part in iicon, including Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Take-Two Interactive, EA, Ubisoft, and more. With all of those big names in mind, you might think that iicon is the perfect chance to carry on E3’s legacy, but that doesn’t sound like it’s going to be the case.
We appreciate the ESA establishing iicon as a platform to deepen connections among executives and thought leaders from within gaming, and from a wide range of partner industries. Together, we will collaborate, invent and create – and together we will all grow. – Sarah Bond
The press release for iicon says that attendees will be included on an invite-only basis and that they’ll get to take part in workshops and keynotes with “elite networking opportunities”. Sadly, that makes it clear that this isn’t a big show for everyone, and is instead more like a business meeting for those working on games.
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