In July 2022, it was confirmed that E3 2023 would mark a return to the in-person event. While the 2021 event was entirely online, ESA planned to return to an in-person event by 2022, though these plans were scrapped and the in-person event was cancelled in January 2022, and E3 2022 was cancelled altogether on March 31, 2022, including the digital event. The ESA had intended to hold an in person event in 2021 during its normal June dates, as stated to partners in April 2020, but had to alter their plans due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

Į3 2021 followed the cancelled E3 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and after the ESA could not work out a replacement event in time. Greg Miller, Jacki Jing, and Alex 'Goldenboy' Mendez served as hosts of the virtual events. Because of the online-only nature, the event had been rebranded for the year as the Electronic Entertainment Experience rather than the standard Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Virtual events included keynote sessions from major publishers broadcast from a live stage in Los Angeles, an awards show, and a preview night, as well as helping companies to hold online private meetings with media and businesses. The event, organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), ran as a virtual, online-only event with free access to all, from June 12–15, 2021. The Electronic Entertainment Experience 2021 ( E3 2021) was the 26th (and to date, currently the latest) E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products. 26th E3 event Electronic Entertainment Experience 2021

A township tale steam