UK indie game show WASD is sadly no more

UK indie-focused game expo WASD has now been officially cancelled, as its organiser enters liquidation.

The news is, sadly, no surprise to the industry or to fans, who had noticed the brand’s website go offline earlier this year.

“Increasing costs and less demand for stand space means running events is just not viable for us anymore,” WASD co-founder David Lilley told BBC News today. “[I want] to take this oppurtunity to thank everyone who has supported us along the way.”

WASD began life in 2022 as the spiritual successor to EGX Rezzed. It was run by largely the same team behind the scenes – now separate from current EGX owner Reedpop – while the main EGX event continued. (Eurogamer was previously also owned by Reedpop, until its sale this year.)

The past few years have been particularly difficult for gaming events, with longer-term issues such as fewer games and the rise of online betas and early access mixing with wider issues such as the video game industry’s downturn following a boom period during Covid lockdowns.

The past 18 months have been marked by countless video games industry layoffs, as corporations seek healthier margins by cutting wage bills.

This year’s EGX, the UK’s only remaining major video games event, notably ran as a mash-up with fellow Reedpop-owned expo MCM Comic-Con, meanwhile.

There’s hope for the video games industry in 2025, with a bumper release schedule that includes the launch of GTA 6 and Switch 2, but all of this feels like it has come too late for some. We’re sorry to see you go, WASD.