E3, the largest and most highly anticipated gaming event of the year is only a few days away. The biggest names in the gaming industry are getting ready to showcase their most ambitious projects yet. All of the popular console makers will be in attendance (Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.) And they’re sure to show off their latest first-party titles and exclusive franchises. In addition, several third-party publishers and developers will also be making an appearance. They’ll be bringing with them some of the most ambitious titles in recent memory (we’re looking at you Starfield and Anthem.)
With all the new announcements, trailers, and live gameplay coming from the event, things can get a little crazy. So here’s a list of everything we’re expecting to see at this year’s E3 Expo, and when you can live-stream it.
Electronic Arts – Saturday, June 9 @ 2pm EST
This year, EA won’t be attending the E3 Expo in the traditional sense, it will instead host its own event a day earlier. At the EA Play 2018 event, the company is expected to showcase several sequels as well as a brand new IP. EA Sports is expected to get some stage time, showing off the latest updates in the major sports franchises. Popular titles that include Madden 19, FIFA 19, NHL 19, and NBA Live 19. In addition to these sports titles, EA is also expected to show off the next game in their Battlefield series, Battlefield V. Despite some fan controversy over the historical accuracy of the game, there is massive hype surrounding the series’ return to the classic WWII setting.
We also expect to see some more information on EA’s newest IP, Anthem. This highly anticipated, open-world RPG is being developed by the legendary BioWare studios. While we don’t know much about Anthem right now, rumors suggests that it may be similar in scope to another futuristic open-world RPG, Bungie’s Destiny.
Microsoft – Sunday, June 10 @ 4pm EST
This Sunday, attendees and live-stream viewers will be treated to the latest offerings from Microsoft’s gaming division. Highly anticipated titles such as Halo 6 and Gears of War 5 are on every Xbox fan’s mind. Gears of War in particular is rumored to have three separate games in the works. A new sequel in Gears of War 5, and two spin-offs, including the potential for a Battle Royale style game. Whether or not we see any of these Gears of War titles (or Halo 6 for that matter) is still a mystery. We’ll have to wait a few more days to find out.
There’s also some good news for those looking to buy an Xbox One, or upgrade to the latest model, the Xbox One X. Microsoft recently announced a huge sale on all Xbox One models in celebration of the E3 Expo. This also includes discounts on over 300 Xbox One games, such as Battlefield 1, Sea of Thieves, PUBG, and more. So if you’re looking to get into Xbox gaming, now might be the best time to do so.
Bethesda – Sunday, June 10 @ 9:30pm EST
Following the Microsoft conference, Bethesda will be the next to take the stage. We already know a little about what Bethesda plans to cover at this year’s E3 Expo. After the notorious Walmart Canada leak revealed several Bethesda games, such as Rage 2, the company took to the internet to confirm the reports. Aside from the spoiled Rage sequel, Bethesda is also expected to release more information about the newest addition to the Fallout series, Fallout: 76. While we don’t know much about this game, there are rumors it will be more different than it’s predecessors. Sources believe it could be an online survival game, akin to games like DayZ, instead of following the classic RPG formula which made the series so popular.
Square Enix – Monday, June 11 @ 1pm EST
This E3 Expo looks to be an exciting one for Square Enix. The Japanese publisher has many highly anticipated games coming out in the next year or two. From the critically acclaimed remake of Final Fantasy VII, to the next game in the Kingdom Hearts series, Kingdom Hearts III, there’s a lot to look forward to during this presentation. Other notable games that are sure to turn up during the Square Enix conference are Shadow of The Tomb Raider, Dragon Quest 11, and Just Cause 4 (which was recently leaked by Steam).
Ubisoft – Monday, June 11 @ 4pm EST
Ubisoft is expected to bring several titles to this year’s E3 Expo, including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Skull And Bones, and The Crew 2. While these are the most likely games to be featured by Ubisoft this year, rumors suggest that some other big name titles could make an appearance as well. The long overdue sequel to cult classic Beyond Good And Evil could make its first appearance following the Ubisoft teaser trailer, which announced the game a few weeks ago. While another Tom Clancy game, Splinter Cell, could be making its long awaited return as well. Maybe we’ll even get to see series protagonist Sam Fischer use a phone spy app to gather information on his latest targets.
Sony – Monday, June 11 @ 9pm EST
Sony has already come out and said that this year’s E3 showcase will focus mainly on four upcoming titles: Death Stranding, Ghosts of Tsushima, The Last of Us: Part II, and Spider-Man. While we’ve already received some information regarding Spider-Man and The Last of Us: Part II, the same cannot be said for Death Stranding and Ghosts of Tsushima. Despite the fact that Death Stranding has been in development for several years now, we’ve only seen a few theatrical trailers for the game—both of which were notoriously baffling. Likewise, we haven’t seen anything other than trailers for Ghosts of Tsushima either. Given this, we’re likely to at least see some gameplay for each of these titles during Sony’s press conference.
While Spider-Man has already been given a release date (Sept. 7), the release windows for the other three games remain a mystery. That being said, Death Stranding has been in development for a while, and The Last of Us: Part II was actually announced at last year’s E3, so there’s still a chance we get our hands on these games later on this year.
Nintendo – Tuesday, June 12 @ 12pm EST
Rounding out this year’s E3 Expo is Nintendo. Arguably the company’s most significant announcement has already been teased. First announced during the last major Nintendo Direct, a new game in the Super Smash Bros. franchise will be making its way onto the Switch. Nintendo has also announced that their next major Pokémon game, Pokémon: Let’s Go, will be coming to E3 as well. While not the “core” RPG game die-hard fans of the series have been waiting for, it will be interesting to see how the Switch handles a full Pokémon game.
Fortnite has also been rumored to be coming to the Switch sometime later this year. Ever since Fortnite was announced for smartphones, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the most popular game in the world found its way onto the Switch. While it normally takes video game companies a long time to port their games to other platforms, Epic Games has demonstrated that they can do it rather quickly. So don’t be surprised if we see some Fortnite gameplay on stage during Nintendo’s presentation.
Now that you know what to expect from this year’s E3 gaming expo, what are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comment section below.
