Microsoft has announced a shake-up to their normal E3 plans. This year, the company is foregoing their traditional booth at the center of E3 in exchange for taking over the Microsoft Theater, which is located just a few minutes walk away from the LACC where E3 is held.

The change comes on the heels of changes to E3 as a whole, including extended show hours and more fan access. According to Microsoft’s announcement, “The Microsoft Theater will be home to official E3 events like the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing on June 10, 2018 at 1PM PT, various Xbox FanFest activities, hands-on gameplay and demos for all E3 attendees and more.”

Among the key attractions at Microsoft’s new event will be the return of the Xbox FanFest activities. At past E3s, the Xbox FanFest has been limited to attendees 21 years of age and older and has had a hard cap of 500 attendees who had to get tickets early on, separate from their E3 passes. It’s one of the more exclusive events that happen over E3 week and is always a hot commodity if you can get in.

Aside from FanFest, there will also be plenty of demos and games to explore. Microsoft has always had one of the best hands-on experiences at E3 and we expect that to only improve now that they have more space than ever before.

Even though they’ll be focused on the events at the Microsoft Theater, there’ll still be a Microsoft presence at the center of the E3 festivities.

When all is said and done, this move from Microsoft is good for them and just about everyone else involved with E3. It helps diversify and grow the event for the long-term. 

Besides, Microsoft sure isn’t the first company to change the way they approached E3. EA and Nintendo have each taken a step back from the event in slightly different ways in the past couple years.

With the way we now get our news and information, E3 is far less important than it used to be. It has transformed more into a fan-centric event and has moved away from its origins as a press event. Ultimately, Microsoft’s move should bring more fan-service to the event and helps to move E3 further into the realm of festivals like ComicCon or SXSW.

The Xbox E3 2018 Briefing will be held in the Microsoft Theater on June 10, 2018 at 1PM PT.