E3 2021 is officially underway, but it looks a little different than in previous years. The gaming conference is online-only, running from June 12 to June 15, with publishers and developers hosting their own live streams as part of the event. Following the cancelation of E3 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it remained unclear whether E3 2021 would still go ahead in some form. A digital event was set to take place in 2020 but, due to a lack of support, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) decided to scrap the event altogether – with Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest taking center stage for gaming announcements instead. But this year is different and we've seen a few conferences already, with showcases from the likes Nintendo and Capcom still to come. With all these conferences, it can be hard to keep track of who is streaming when. So we've put together this handy guide to all the biggest gaming conferences happening in June and July, so you can keep track of each one. Read on for everything we know so far about E3 2021. Check out our list of the best games of E3 2021 (so far). Below, we've rounded up the biggest showcases that have happened so far and what was announced: Games Workshop's annual event, previously called Skulls for the Skull Throne, has been rebranded to Warhammer Skulls. This week-long Warhammer event was kicked off with a showcase live on June 3. The showcase included 14 big announcements including the reveal of Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters and updates for Total War: Warhammer 3 and Vermintide 2. You can watch the full showcase above. The Indie Live Expo took place on June 5 and is Japan's largest indie game festival. This showcase (obviously) focused on indie titles, with 300 games showcased over the stream's nearly six-hour running time. You can catch up on the full showcase above. The Guerrilla Collective is a digital games festival that primarily focuses on indie titles. This was the first of two Guerrilla Collective events, which seen a myriad of announcements on games including Omno, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Aeon Drive. This stream was followed by the Black Voices in Gaming stream, which showcased games created by Black developers and titles featuring a Black protagonist. EA DICE revealed the new Battlefield, called Battlefield 2042, with an official reveal trailer on June 9. Battlefield 2042 features huge maps, dynamic weather and three multiplayer modes. You can read all about it right here. Summer Game Fest kicked off on June 10 with the Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live showcase. The showcase was packed with announcements, trailers and reveals and, while not all of them were particularly awe-inspiring, there were some standouts. The biggest 'surprise' of the night was the reveal of a full-length Elden Ring trailer, which gave us our best look yet at the collaboration between George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware and a release date: January 21, 2022. Elden Ring looks to be the natural progression of the Dark Souls series, featuring FromSoftware's iconic melee combat while adding in a giant open world and horseback traversal. It will be available on last-gen consoles as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via a free upgrade. There was also the official announcement of the Borderland's spin-off, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which is a standalone title based around (you guessed it) Tiny Tina. This standalone title is releasing in early 2022 and has a star-studded cast that includes Andy Samburg and Will Arnett. Metal Slug Tactics followed up with a gorgeous anime trailer, taking the revered arcade shooter to a turn-based setting. Elsewhere, the newly announced Planet of Lana looked phenomenal, presenting a gorgeous world contrasted with monstrous creatures. We also got the news that a Death Stranding Director's Cut is coming to PS5, with a full reveal to take place "in just a few weeks". We also heard more about Call of Duty Warzone: Season 4, got a glimpse of Overwatch 2's redesigned characters and Giancarlo Esposito even popped by to taught about his role in Far Cry 6. Overall, while there wasn't the breadth of big announcements that we hoped for, the Elden Ring reveal more than made up for. The Koch Media conference was a bit dull but we knew that would potentially be the case when the company told fans not to expect Metro, Dead Island or Saints Row at its showcase. Instead, Koch announced a new publishing label: Prime Matter. One of the first games announced for Prime Matter is Payday 3, which will be developed in partnership with Starbreeze Studios. There aren't any further details for the game at this time except that Payday 3 is being aimed for a 2023 release window on consoles and PC. The IGN Expo featured further details on Gearbox's Tiny Tina's Wonderlands plus exclusive reveals of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, World War Z: Aftermath, AudioClash: Battle of the Bands, Core Keeper, Bramble: The Mountain King and more. The second day of Guerrilla Collective featured games including Among Us, Akatori, Aragami 2, BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Demon Turf, Ghostrunner and more. As expected, this year's Wholesome Direct was undeniably...well...wholesome. The hour-long showcase featured an update on Ooblets, the release date for Lakes and the announcement of a bunch of new games including Bird Problems, Recolit, Snacko, A Little to the Left and much more. Ubisoft's pre-show event featured updates on live games such as For Honor, Trackmania, The Crew 2, Brawlhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion. But the main event from the publisher offered world premiere gameplay and trailers for Rainbow Six Extraction as well as further details on Far Cry 6. In addition, there was news on Riders Republic and a new Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC pack. But the big news was left for the end: Ubisoft showed off a trailer for a gorgeous new Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game, set in the world of James Cameron's Avatar movies. It was a relatively quiet showing from Gearbox, letting us see a little bit more from Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, revealing Homeworlds 3 is in the works and showcasing some Godfall DLC. But the most exciting part of the brief event was a behind the scenes look at the Borderlands movie during the conference - with director Eli Roth and star Kevin Hart talking to Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford about how production on the still-shooting film is going. The Xbox and Bethesda games showcase was packed to the brim with announcements, featured 30 new games (27 of which are coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one). The showcase brought us the news that Just Cause creators, Avalanche Studios, is working on a new open-world game called Contraband, and that Obsidian is developing Outer Worlds 2 - which will be an Xbox exclusive. In addition, Forza Horizon 5 was revealed, which will see us speeding our way around Mexico when it releases later this year. While Age of Empires 4 finally got an October release date. But that's not all, we also got the announcement of a new game from Arkane Austin, called Redfall. It’s an open-world co-op shooter coming in "Summer 2022" (so sometime between June and August) But the biggest news of the showcase was a release date for Starfield. We'll finally get our hands on the sprawling sci-fi RPG on on November 11, 2022 and we even got a look at it in action - spoiler: it looks pretty awesome. The Square Enix showcase was a bit disappointing, but we did get the announcement of a new Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy game, being developed by Eidos Montreal. In addition, it was announced that a new Hitman game is coming to mobile devices and that Final Fantasy 6 is finally getting the treatment it deserves. We also got a September release date for Life is Strange Remastered Collection and a closer look at Babylon's Fall. The Warner Bros. E3 2021 conference was pretty short and solely focused on Back 4 Blood, specifically Back 4 Blood's PVP Swarm mode. Back 4 Blood's Swarm mode will see teams of four taking turns playing as the Ridden and Cleaners. These are "best of three" matches, with points being gained for how long a team stays alive as the Cleaners - with the playable space shrinking as the match progressing and making survival even harder. There are a variety of Ridden to choose from, each with their own abilities, including the Retch,who spews acidic vomit, and the Tallboy, who can smash Cleaners like bugs. Our friends at PCGamer - once again - put on a fantastic PC Gaming Show, packed to the brim with 39 new trailers, game announcements, and interviews. The show featured some of the best upcoming PC games around including Lemnis Gate, Icarus, Silt and Dying Light 2. Make sure to check out our roundup of the best games of PC Gaming Show 2021. Once again, our friends at GamesRadar+ knocked it out of the park with the Future Games Show, which was packed with over 40 games across all major console and PC platforms, from publishers including SEGA, Private Division, Team17 and more. The show featured a world premiere trailer for dino-slaying action-adventure Instinction, a closer look at Jurassic World Evolution 2's species, a story trailer for Eldest Souls and gameplay footage of Sonic Colors Ultimate - plus much more. Below, we've rounded up all the confirmed dates and times for E3 2021's conferences. We will continue to update this article as more conference details are confirmed. Date and time: June 14 at 10:15am PT / 1:15pm ET / 6:15pm BST (or June 15 at 3:15am AEST) How to watch: Twitch What we're expecting: Take-Two interactive isn't holding a conference or showcase and is instead holding an interactive panel on "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" featuring Jim Huntley, Interactive Media & Games’ Professor and Head of Marketing for USC Games. We're not expecting any games to be showcased at this panel, so don't expect details on the enhancements and new features coming to GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, news about upcoming GTA Online updates or a GTA 6 announcement. TechRadar's Take: We were hoping Take-Two would host a showcase during E3 2021 to update us on GTA on PS5 and Xbox Series X and on some 2K sports titles. We were also hoping to find out more about BioShock 4 or those Marvel XCOM and Borderlands spin-off rumors. Unfortunately, it looks like we won't be hearing about any of these titles at E3 2021. Date and time: June 14 at 2:30 pm PT / 5:30 pm ET / 10:30 pm BST (or June 15 at 7:30am AEST) How to watch: Twitch What we're expecting: Capcom has confirmed that its showcase will feature Resident Evil Village, Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. We're expecting the Resident Evil Village news to be about the game's delayed ReVerse multiplayer mode, while we could see DLC for Monster Hunter Rise. It's likely news on the latter two titles will be updates on their development ahead of their releases in July. TechRadar's Take: We still don't know about Capcom's sci-fi adventure Pragmata, which was announced last year, so we're hoping for a better look at it at E3 2021. We're also hoping to see more of Dragon's Dogma 2 and Street Fighter 6. Ultra-exciting announcements are on the horizon and we’re unveiling them during the Razer E3 Keynote on June 14th 3PM PDT. If you think you know what we’ve got up our sleeves, make a guess here https://t.co/qLlRLrDFZQ and stand a chance to win a Razer Orochi V2. pic.twitter.com/CadiSESwWSJune 5, 2021 Date and time: June 14 at 3pm PT / 6pm ET / 11pm BST (or June 15 at 8am AEST) How to watch: Twitch, YouTube and Facebook What we're expecting: The company has said it will be announcing some new products and giving viewers chances to win Razer prizes. TechRadar's Take: We're excited to see what Razer has in store for us at E3 2021. We're sure there are going to be some mouth-watering (and wacky) products on show. Date and time: June 15 at 5pm BST / 9am PT / 12pm ET (or June 16 at 2am AEST) How to watch: Twitch What we're expecting: We know there won't be any hardware at Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct, with the publisher confirming its showcase will be focused exclusively on Nintendo Switch software. This conference is going to run for around 40 minutes, with a three-hour gameplay session happening afterward. TechRadar's Take: We're hoping Nintendo will use E3 to give us a release date (and more details) on Breath of the Wild 2, gameplay footage of Splatoon 3 and Bayonetta 3, and maybe a closer look at the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Date and time: June 15 at 10:25pm BST / 2:25pm PT / 5:25pm ET (or June 16 at 7:25am AEST) How to watch: Twitch What we're expecting: We’re also not sure what Bandai Namco will be showing, though Scarlet Nexus is a possibility ahead of its release. It’s safe to say Elden Ring fans will have everything crossed that the game might make an appearance, but nothing is certain. TechRadar's Take: While Bandai Namco is most likely to give us an update on Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus, whether we'll see Elden Ring remains to be seen. Since its reveal at E3 2019, we haven't heard much about the FromSoftware/George R.R. Martin collaboration - and fans are getting impatient. We're hoping we see even a glimpse of Elden Ring during Bandai Namco's conference on June 15 - the final day of E3 - what a closer that would be. Date and time: June 15 at 4:45pm PT / 7:45pm ET (or June 16 at 12:45am BST / 9:45am AEST) How to watch: Twitch, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube What we're expecting: The E3 2021 Awards show will be wrapping up E3 2021. Selecting from titles shown across the four-day show, “editors from IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer, GamesRadar, IGN China and GameBonfire will determine the winners for the Official E3 2021 Awards Show.” TechRadar's Take: The E3 Awards show highlights the most anticipated games from the event, but it's also set to be packed with announcements and reveals, so it's worth watching. Date and time: Kicks off on June 16 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or June 17 at 3am AEST) and lasts until June 22 How to watch: Steam's YouTube channel What we're expecting: Steam Next Fest (formerly Steam Game Festival) is a multi-day celebration of upcoming Steam games, featuring hundreds of demos. TechRadar's Take: While we're not expecting any big announcements at Steam Next Fest, it's worth keeping an eye on the demos made available during the festival. Save the date, #NaconConnect is back on July 6, 2021!With new gameplay, exciting announcements, special guests and epic collaborations. See you there! pic.twitter.com/m6E5mJRMArJune 2, 2021 Date and time: July 6 at 6pm BST/ 10am PT / 9pm ET (or July 7 at 11am AEST) How to watch: Nacon's Twitch and YouTube channels What we're expecting: French publisher Nacon has announced its own show, Nacon Connect, which promises “new gameplay, exciting announcements, special guests and epic collaborations”. TechRadar's Take: It’s possible we could see an update on Lord of the Rings: Gollum here, given that the game is co-published by Nacon and Daedalic Entertainment. Date and time: July 22 (time TBC) How to watch: TBC What we're expecting: Electronic Arts (EA) has confirmed that it will be skipping E3 and will instead hold its own summer games showcase, called EA Play Live. The event will be held on July 22, 2021. So far we know that Battlefield 2042's third multiplayer experience will be revealed at the event. More details are set to follow, but you can check out the event's website here. TechRadar's Take: For the last few years, EA has opted to hold its own event, but it's usually fallen around the same time as E3. It's surprising, then, that the company's event will take place over a month later than E3 2021, which runs from June 12 to June 15. In addition to Battlefield 2042 news, we're also expecting EA will share more on FIFA 22 and Madden 22. The E3 name stands for ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’, and it’s been running in some form since 1995. Hosted by the Entertainment Software Association, E3 is a three-day convention to celebrate and showcase all things gaming, usually to publicize upcoming games and consoles – with a smattering of panel discussions and keynotes alongside the excitement of the show floor. E3 2021 will be the 26th time the event is held, with the ESA cancelling E3 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But this year, rather than being held as an in-person event at the Los Angeles Convention Center (its home since 2009), E3 2021 is an entirely digital event. E3 2021 will take the form of an all-digital event that will run from June 12 to June 15, 2021. The ESA has confirmed that the event will consist of live press conferences and a four-day-long video stream. Digital attendees will also be able to keep track of everything that's going on through the E3 app. Despite speculation that parts of the event would be behind a paywall, the ESA has confirmed that E3 2021 will be entirely free for attendees. Xbox, Nintendo, Capcom, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros., EA, Koch Media, Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Gearbox and Xseed Games are all confirmed to be making an appearance at E3 this year, however, Sony is noticeably absent from the ESA's list of commitments - instead, taking part in Summer Game Fest. One company that was scheduled to be present was Konami, which pulled out of the event "due to timing." The company announced via Twitter that: "We want to reassure our fans that we are in deep development on a number of key projects, so please stay tuned for some updates in the coming months." It’s an impressive show of support for E3 2021, with many speculating that the online-only event would be largely ignored by the biggest companies in the industry. Having Xbox and Nintendo in attendance is a boon to the ESA, whose event was seen by many as 'the Christmas of gaming announcements' has diminished in recent years. In a press release, ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said: "For more than two decades, E3 has been the premier venue to showcase the best that the video game industry has to offer, while uniting the world through games. We are evolving this year's E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games." Summer Game Fest was set up by The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley and made its debut in 2020 – filling in the gap left by E3 2020. Last year's Summer Game Fest was an online season of events bringing together 16 of the industry’s largest publishers, including Microsoft, Sony, Activision, Valve, Bethesda and Blizzard in a four-month cavalcade of news, trailers and game demos. From May until August, Summer Game Fest partnered with these publishers to release updates on game projects and announce new titles across social media platforms, as well as providing playable demos for attendees – Microsoft shared a staggering “between 75 and 100” game demos in total. This year's Summer Game Fest is apparently more "condensed", according to Keighley. The event still spans June and July, having kicked off on June 10 with a world premiere showcase, however, an end date hasn't been confirmed. This is the first year that we've seen E3 and Summer Game Fest taking place in the same timeframe, and it's been interesting to see which publishers have hosted conferences as part of E3 and which have chosen to do so at Summer Game Fest - and which have partaken in both. Given that E3 2020 was canceled, the last E3 to take place was E3 2019. Even without Sony on show, there was still plenty to make 2019 a great year for E3. We had that wonderful Keanu Reeves appearance, and the news he was appearing in Cyberpunk 2077 (as seen above), new specs for the Xbox Series X, and that brilliant BOTW 2 teaser. We also got a full unveiling of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and updates on Apex Legends Season 2 from EA, and the announcement that Dark Souls dev From Software and Game of Throne's George R R Martin were collaborating on the upcoming game Elden Ring. Square Enix had one of the better press events we've yet to see at E3 2019, packing in tons of new information on Marvel's Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake and the remastered version of Final Fantasy 8. It wasn't all good news, though, with Animal Crossing: Horizons getting delayed, and the long-awaited Dragon Age 4 not getting so much as a mention. Ubisoft also didn't show off a new Splinter Cell game (cowards!) or its much-delayed Beyond Good and Evil 2 – though it did find time for Just Dance 2020, and the announcement trailer for Gods and Monsters. Here's a full list of everything that was announced at E3 2019: Nintendo Microsoft Take-Two Interactive/2K Games Electronic Arts and EA Sports CD Projekt Red Konami Bethesda Square Enix Ubisoft Sega Bandai Namco Various
Key announcements so far
What we've seen so far
June 3
Warhammer Skulls Showcase - June 3
June 5
Indie Live Expo - June 5
Guerrilla Collective Day One - June 5
June 9
Battlefield 6 reveal - June 9
June 10
Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live! - June 10
June 11
Koch Primetime Gaming Stream - June 11
IGN Expo - June 11
June 12
Guerrilla Collective Day Two - June 12
Wholesome Direct - June 12
Ubisoft Forward - June 12
Gearbox Entertainment - June 12
June 13
Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase - June 13
Square Enix Presents - June 13
Warner Bros Games - June 13
PC Gaming Show - June 13
Future Games Show - June 13
E3 2021 schedule
June 14
Take-Two Interactive - June 14
Capcom - June 14
Razer - June 14
June 15
Nintendo Direct - June 15
Bandai Namco - June 15
E3 2021 Awards Show - June 15/16
June 16 - June 22
Steam Next Fest - June 16 to June 22
July 6
Nacon Connect - July 6
July 22
EA Play Live 2021 - July 22
What is E3 2021?
When is E3 2021 and how much will it cost?
Who is attending E3 2021?
E3 2021 vs Summer Games Fest
E3 2021: what happened at E3 2019
source https://www.techradar.com/news/e3-2021/
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
E3 2021 schedule, news, attendees and all the biggest games so far
