Here’s everything you need to keep tabs on for E3 2021 in Australia: the world-first online-only conference.
With Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest over and done with, the starting gun has been fired on the world’s first large-scale online games conference: E3 2021. It’s been two years since the last E3, and after 2020’s conference at the Los Angeles Convention Centre was canned in typical global pandemic style, fans were left unfulfilled and without their fix of gaming updates.
But fret no longer. E3 is back for 2021 and adopting a new, online, and contact-free format. It promises zero exclusivity and free, fully open-to-the-public games announcements. Gone are the days that you had to have press credentials to secure a spot on the door, because everything at E3 2021 will be available from your couch.
However, having the conference on the other side of the world does open up one significant issue for those of us on the underside of the earth: each of these press junkets will be held at really fucking early hours of the morning.
So set your alarms, grab a Monster Energy, and strap in for a couple of exciting days of gaming content. Please note all times are in AEST.
Sunday 13 June
1:00 AM: Guerilla Collective
Staring off the conference on a strong note is the second installation of the Guerilla Collective. Following in a similar vein to last year’s Collective, this is looking like the space to focus on if you’re passionate about the indie scene. With a spotlight on black voices in gaming, as well as the legendary Wholesome Direct indie roundup, Guerilla seems like the major envelope pushers of this year’s E3.
It’s hard to compete with the multi-million dollar triple-A studios, but grassroots movements like this definitely allow devs to take a shot. So we’d recommend you give it a peep, because we wouldn’t be surprised if some of these studios blow up over the next couple of years.
The Collective will be aired on their Twitch here.
5:00 AM: Ubisoft Forward
Ubisoft has already played one of its biggest cards by announcing a Far Cry 6 launch date, but this only gets us more excited for their conference. What else could they have in store?
They’ve confirmed that they’ll be giving us updates on some of their already existing titles (such as For Honour, Watch Dogs Legion, The Crew 2, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla) but have also confirmed that we can expect some new and exciting launches and gameplay reveals.
Let’s cross our fingers that we can see some Rainbow Six Extraction, some Far Cry 6 gunplay, and potentially get some more info on Riders Republic, the open-world MMO sports playground that they’ve been hinting at for ages now.
6:30 AM: Devolver Direct
As part of Keighley’s Summer Games Fest, Devolver has carved out a spot for themselves on the first day of the conference. Expect crazy lore, gore, and indies galore as Devolver shows off their upcoming lineup of experimental-as-anything titles. Some even believe that they’ve even teased the possibility of Hotline Miami 3.
Watch it on the Game Awards’ Twitch here.
7:00 AM: Gearbox Showcase
As has come to be expected from Gearbox, this is most likely going to be a Borderlands stream. Having announced their intentions to begin development on a spinoff focusing on the pyrotechnic powerhouse Tiny Tina, we wont be surprised if the stream primarily focuses on this.
But alongside that, there could also be some interesting news from Gearbox’s publishing front. It’d be nice to see some updates from Homeworld 3 after two years of complete silence since its 30-second trailer announcement in 2019, or maybe even some Tribes of Midgard, the Viking survival game that’s supposed to be releasing later this year.
8:00 AM: Upload VR
Get ready for some updates in the world of VR, whether it be fresh titles, hardware, or developments in the world of immersive tech. Exciting stuff for sure.
Monday 14 June
2:30 AM: Naraka Bladepoint
This 10-minute slot dedicated especially to Naraka Bladepoint will show off just what this Japanese-inspired battle royale has in store. The game has been in open beta for a while now, and has been teased at a couple of other games expos, so we reckon that this slot will see Bladepoint finally get a release date.
Check it out on the E3 YouTube page here.
3:00 AM: Xbox and Bethesda
This is a really big show. On the one hand, we’re expecting to get some more insight into the number of Xbox exclusives that are currently going through the rumour mill (new Fable, State of Decay 3, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, or the Perfect Dark remake) and on the other hand, is whatever the fuck Bethesda wants to show.
We’re not really sure what they could even have on the cards for them – whether it be another 30-second Elder Scrolls 6 teaser, or a brand new title from iD or Arkane – all we know is that if the announcements are up to snuff, Sony might have some stiff competition.
And that there’ll probably be an Elder Scrolls Online update. There’s always an Elder Scrolls Online update.
5:15 AM: Square Enix
While Xbox and Bethesda is a big show, this one might be the biggest on E3 2021’s roster. Square Enix has been keeping some absolute heaters in the pocket for a while now, and we reckon it’s about time they show them off.
With a Final Fantasy XVI release date, more info on Platinum Games’ Babylon Fall, and a new title from Eidos Montreal (devs of the Deus Ex titles) all on the cards, we could be seeing some of the most interesting games revealed in this slot. On top of this, we could potentially expect updates on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part II, the new Life is Strange entry, and Frey, the new atmospheric open-world IP. This is definitely one of the streams to put on the priority list.
7:00 AM: Back 4 Blood
Co-op shooters have never really been as intriguing, nail-biting, or enjoyable as Left 4 Dead, and in this spiritual sequel from Turtle Rock, we’re hoping to see the new elements that they’re bringing to the table pull us back in.
There may be better gunplay, new characters, and we may be calling zombies ridden instead of infected, but as long as Back 4 Blood sticks to its guns, it’s a pretty safe bet. All we need are a couple of new maps that we haven’t already played 6,000 times on realism mode.
Check it out on the E3 YouTube page here.
7:30 AM: PC Gaming Show
The PC gaming show is looking to be a supercharged event with announcements from Techland regarding Dying Light 2, retro powerhouse New Blood Interactive announcing a new title, updates on Hello Neighbour 2, Chivalry 2, and a brand new info drop for Sega and Amplitude studio’s generational 4X: Humankind.
We’re getting pretty hyped for these PC titles, and have high hopes for this showcase.
9:00 AM: Future Games Show
Hosted by The Last of Us icons and in-game BFFs Troy Baker and Laura Bailey, the Future Games Show from Gamesradar is looking to be a pretty fresh showcase of titles from SEGA, Team17, and Private Division, just to name a few. It’ll most likely be a pretty decent wrap up to an otherwise nuts morning.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
Tuesday 15 June
3:15 AM: Take Two
This show is a complete crapshoot, and we have no idea what to expect. Being the parent company of both Rockstar and 2K, Take Two’s presence at E3 is getting our brains loopy with prayers for info about GTA 6 or Bioshock 4.
These reveals could steal the entire show, but we’re most likely going to just end up seeing some updates for GTA 5’s online mode, or news about another flavourless basketball game. We’ve got fingers crossed, but we’re not hedging our bets just yet.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
4:10 AM: Mythical Games
One of the weirdest developer/publisher pit crews on the list, Mythical Games is the studio at the forefront of developing games around NFTs. Similar to Diablo 3’s real-money auction house, these games include playable vinyl figures that you can obtain through the game as an NFT – meaning that that skin is yours and yours alone.
You’d likely be able to transfer these to other players for a value that you saw fit, bringing blockchain into gaming in one of the most unique and individualised forms of character customisation we’ve ever seen. They’ve recently had a massive cash injection from investors, so it’ll be interesting to see what these guys have coming up on the horizon.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
5:00 AM Indie Showcase
Available on the E3 main channel, expect to see yet another indie update from some up-and-coming grassroots publishers.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
5:30 AM: Freedom Games
This is Freedom Games’ first-ever E3 conference, which looks to display their cute and unique approach to publishing. Whether they’re going to be updating on some of their already released titles, announcing release dates for the titles they have in early-access, or announcing brand new games, we’re yet to find out — but it’ll be a quaint show to tune in to all the same.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
7:30 AM: Capcom
This is yet another exciting show, with some big announcements on the cards for Capcom. We already know that we’re going to get more info on the Great Ace Attorney (the westernised version of two previously Japan-exclusive Phoenix Wright games), but are mostly looking forward to potential updates/DLC announcements for Resident Evil: Village and Monster Hunter Rise.
As well as this, it will be interesting to see if November 2020’s huge data leak that revealed Capcom’s intentions to work on Street Fighter 6 and a Dragon’s Dogma sequel comes true. Those would be some super cool games to get hype for.
8:00 AM: Razer
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan did not mince words when he stated that their E3 would show off “cutting-edge innovation and hardware that will support the best that PC gaming has to offer”.
Whether this be keyboards, headsets, mice, or gaming PCs themselves, it’ll be nonetheless interesting to see what Razer has to offer.
Wednesday 16 June
2:00 AM Nintendo
Whether you don’t sleep or wake up really early, this is the conference not to miss. Nintendo has had so many balls in the air for so long – whether it be Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3, Breath of the Wild 2, or the upgraded Nintendo Switch Pro to name a few – and it would really be great to finally hear something new about these rumours.
We’ve also got a new Smash character that’s likely to be announced (our money’s on Dante from Devil May Cry), new Pokémon games in the pipeline, and an update on Splatoon 3. Nintendo can sometimes severely underdeliver on their Directs, but tend to save the big guns for the larger trade shows, so here’s hoping that there’s more killer than filler this time around.
7:25 AM Bandai-Namco
With Elden Ring already having been announced at the Summer Games Fest, we might either be in for a more in-depth trailer reveal, or they might have already blown their wad before they entered the spotlight. Being one of the most anticipated games of the conference, it’ll be interesting to see if we get any more info on Elden Ring, but after nearly 18 months of silence, we’re not crossing our fingers.
Besides this, there are a couple of other titles on the cards, like a potential Ace Combat game, the new Dark Pictures installation, or maybe even info on the Gundam title that fans have been begging for – but really there’s not much else to expect. Let’s hope it blows us away.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
8:20 AM Yooreka Studio
After last year’s Streets of Rage 4 proved that the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre ain’t dead, Chinese indie publisher Yooreka studios has run with this publicity bubble and secured a slot for themselves in this year’s E3.
They’re likely to be showcasing some of their new games including Island of Deception, an Among Us-style social deduction game about stabbing your friends in the back, and updates for the bullet hell platformer Neon Abyss. Definitely a bit of a black swan of the conference, but it might definitely be an interesting watch.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
9:45 AM E3 Awards Show
To close out E3, there will be a summary of the past few days of news and reveals in classic E3 fashion. Expect some guest appearances, love for Elden Ring, and hype around the biggest show announcements as the week comes to a close.
Check it out on the YouTube E3 page here.
And there we have it, the concise Guide to the next few days of E3 conference announcements. Get ready to become friends with your phone alarm, because the early wake-ups will be punishing, but hopefully with some good payoff here and there.
We’ve provided links to the YouTube pages for each of the individual streams, so feel free to click on those when the time eventually comes to watch them.
