[Sony will skip E3 for the second year in a row. In a statement to Gamesindustry.biz, the Japanese gaming giant confirmed that it will not be attending E3 2020, despite the PS5's expected release by the end of the year.

"While we have great respect for the ESA organization, we do not feel that the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focusing on this year," a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson told Gamesindustry.biz.

This will be the second year in a row that Sony will skip E3, which is held every June in Los Angeles and typically showcases the most anticipated games of the year from multiple publishers.

The move is not entirely shocking. Sony has long been rumored to be holding a PS5 launch event in February 2020, and a recent 4chan post seems to add further weight to this speculation. The post in question claims that the PS5 hardware design, key software features, exclusive games, and a $499 price tag will be announced at the February 5 event, but there is no way to confirm if this information is accurate. Sony told Gamesindustry.biz,

Note that Sony first unveiled the PS4 at a special press event in February 2013, prior to its November 2013 launch, so there is some precedent for this timing.

The PS5 is expected to launch in the holiday season of 2020 and promises features such as 8K and 120Hz support, ray tracing, near instantaneous SSD load times, and a new controller with advanced haptics.

Sony's decision to skip E3 in a year of such major announcements is indicative of a change in strategy for the company. It also shows that E3 has shifted from year to year into a more fan-oriented event, and that the Electronic Software Association (the company that runs E3) has lost favor after leaking the personal information of more than 2,000 media representatives who attended last year's show.