It's five days to go until E3 2021 and it's looking like it'll be the biggest online gaming conference ever. If you haven't been keeping up, this year's ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’ is an all-digital event so we can all park ourselves on a couch and watch days of new gaming announcements from the comfort of our homes.
The official E3 week starts off on June 12 to June 15, but plenty of events have been announced before and after the show starts. Below you'll find the full E3 schedule as it's currently known. We've got the lowdown on every event that will happen during the big online gaming event and an inkling of what announcements you can expect from every video game publisher, developer, and platform.
When is E3 2021?
E3 2021 takes place from Saturday, June 12 to Tuesday, June 15. You'll be able to tune into several live video conferences and a four-day-long Livestream that will all be accessible to everyone for free. Beyond the official E3 events, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and Square Enix among other major video game publishers will be holding their own events throughout the week.
How to watch E3 2021?
In case you missed it, E3 didn’t happen in 2020 at all due to the physical show being canceled due to the pandemic last year. This year the gaming event is coming back as a live, online-only event. So you’ll be able to tune into livestreams of all the announcements from YouTube, Twitch, and, of course, on IGN as well.
The ESA has also redeveloped its website into an online portal while beefing up its smartphone app. Both will allow users to visit each exhibitor's 'virtual booth.' Additionally, users can watch streams with an interactive overlay that will include view polls, featured tweets, and other pop-up interactions. Don't forget to register for E3 2021 either, public registration opens up next week starting on Thursday, June 12th.
- IGN.com (homepage)
- IGN's Twitter
- IGN's Twitch Channel
- IGN's YouTube Channel
- IGN's iOS App
- IGN's Android App
- IGN's PlayStation 4 App
- IGN's Xbox One App
- Roku
- IGN App for Android TV
- IGN App for Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- IGN1 on Samsung TV Plus
- Pluto TV
- Plex Live TV
E3 2021 Schedule
With the recent release of the official E3 schedule, this is shaping up to be a truly humongous digital event. Here's a quick look at everything gaming event and show confirmed before, during, and even long after E3 2021.
Saturday, June 5th
Well before E3 2021 starts the Guerrilla Collective is hosting its first livestream on June 5th.
8:00 AM PT
- Guerrilla Collective Showcase
10:00 AM PT
- Guerrilla Collective – Black Voices in Gaming
Thursday, June 10th
A few days before E3 2021 even start Summer Games Fest is planning on holding its splashy Kick Off Live! event that will include an indie game showcase and even a musical performance.
10:30 AM PT
- IGN Kick Off Live! Preshow
11:00 AM PT
- Summer Games Fest – Kick Off Live!
Friday, June 11th
On Day 0 of E3 2021, tune into IGN on the website, YouTube, or app to catch the IGN Expo, our exclusive showcase of game announcements and gameplay premiers. Also if you're looking for a dose of non-gaming, entertainment news, Netflix Geeked Week will show you all the fantasy, sci-fi, animated, and generally geeky shows and movies Netflix is currently working on.
9:00 AM PT
- Netflix Geeked Week
1:00 PM PT
- Summer of Gaming – IGN Expo 2021
Saturday, June 12th
The first day of E3 2021 kicks off with the second Guerilla Collective Showcase, the Ubisoft Forward keynote, and announcements from Gearbox. Of course, we're sure to see more events announced and this schedule fills out as we get closer to the start of the event.
8:00 AM PT
- Guerrilla Collective Showcase
10:00 AM PT
- E3 Preshow
- Guerrilla Collective – Wholesome Direct
11:00 AM PT
- IGN Ubisoft Forward Preshow
12:00 PM PT
- Ubisoft Forward
TBD
- Gearbox Entertainment presentation
Sunday, June 13rd
Things for E3 2021 pick up with the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase followed by a special presentation from Square Enix. We'll also be able to watch the two game showcases from the Future media group with the PC Gaming Show and Future Games Show. Warner Bros. Games and 24 Entertainment will also have announcements to round out this packed day.
8:45 AM PT
- E3 Preshow
10:00 AM PT
- Xbox and Bethesda Showcase
12:15 PM PT
- Square Enix Presents
2:30 PM PT
- PC Gaming Show
4:00 PM PT
- Future Games Show
Monday, June 14th
The E3 bonanza continues with more announcements from Take-Two and Capcom. Mythical Games, Freedom Games, and Razer are also slated to make some announcements. Sadly, none of these companies, except Razer, have made the start times for their shows public yet.
8:00 AM PT
- E3 Preshow
3:00 PM PT
- Razer E3 Keynote
TBD
- Take-Two Interactive presentation
- Capcom presentation
- Mythical Games presentation
- Freedom Games presentation
- Verizon presentation
Tuesday, June 15
The last official day of E3 2021 ends with a bang with a Nintendo Direct and the E3 2021 Awards show. Bandai Namco, Yooreka Games, and GameSpot are also scheduled to hold events but no times have been announced yet.
8:00 AM PT
- E3 Preshow
9:00 AM PT
- Nintendo Direct
- Nintendo Treehouse: Live
TBD
- Bandai Namco presentation
- Yooreka Games Presentation
Wednesday, June 16th
Valve might be coming in a day late for E3 2021, but that's not stopping it from holding its own Steam Next Fest.
10:00 AM PT
- Steam Next Fest
What to Expect and E3 2021 Predictions
While we know quite a bit about who will be at E3 2021, exhibitors aren't always as forthcoming with what they have planned. It surely adds to the excitement and it's always fun to speculate about what we might see. Here's what to expect at E3, as well as some E3 2021 predictions.
Xbox and Bethesda
Microsoft isn't just holding an Xbox Showcase this year, but rather an Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase. With a double feature show name like that you can bet Bethesda will be integrated into the proceedings. Even before Microsoft acquired Bethesda, it was working on a host of games including Starfield, Elder Scrolls 6, and Indiana Jones. We may even see a demo of Deathloop, which is launching as a PS5 and PC game, even if it isn't an Xbox/PC exclusive.
Of the most anticipated Xbox games, Halo Infinite should get an official release date and see a new demo with improved visual fidelity. We also expect the latest Forza Motorsport game that was just teased in a trailer last year will get a stage demo this time around. The first Fable game made without Peter Molyneux behind the wheel will hopefully get a full showing too.
Microsoft also showed off plenty of indie games coming to the Xbox Series consoles at its last ID@Xbox event. We expect a few of these games, such as Nobody Saves the World and Astria Ascending, will get more stage time during Microsoft’s E3 conference.
Sony
Sony has been running its own State of Play events separate from the official E3 conference since 2019 and the company is showing no signs of changing that this year. We expect there will be a packed Playstation at E3 showing off new games like Lost Judgment. Earlier announced titles like Horizon Zero Dawn Forbidden West should also be getting their gameplay debuts as well. God of War Ragnarok sadly has been delayed into 2022, so it's doubtful we'll get to see any footage of the game whether it be a trailer or gameplay.
Nintendo
Of course, no E3 would be complete without a Nintendo Direct livesteam. You can tune into Nintendo at E3 on June 15, 2021, at 9 am PT/12 pm5 pm2 am ET/5 pm BST or 2 am EST on June 16th. Of all the platforms Nintendo has the biggest lineup of big titles to make good on including Metroid Prime 4, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Although Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn’t expected to release until 2022, we’re hoping to at least get a trailer of this new open-world Pokémon game.
E3 2021 could also be the perfect backdrop for Nintendo to finally introduce the Switch Pro. While it’s been long-rumored, reports of a new handheld console with a larger OLED screen have been heating up recently.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Forward is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 12 at 12 pm PDT / 3 pm EDT / 8 pm BST. Though it’s one of the earliest announced E3 2021 showcases, there’s still very little we know about it just yet. Expect to see gameplay footage of Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six: Quarantine. Although Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake just saw another round of delays and the game no longer has a ship date, that may change at this event. Our biggest hope is we finally get a look at some real gameplay from Skull and Bones and Beyond Good and Evil 2.
Square Enix
There's plenty of reasons to be excited about what Square Enix will possibly bring to the show. Square Enix at E3 could kick off with Forsaken, which looks like someone took Uncharted and Warframe, and then sprinkled a bit of magic dust on top of everything. We also fully expect to see at least two RPGs games between Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy Origin. Tomb Raider should also make some sort of appearance even if it's just in the form of an anime series. Square Enix Presents Summer 2021 is scheduled to go live on Sunday, June 13 at 12:15pm PT, 3:15pm ET, 8:15pm BST or June 14 at 5:15am AEST.
Atlus
Atlus, the other beloved JRPG maker, isn't expected to hold a show of its own, but the video game developer does have a few exciting games in the works. Firstly, Shin Megami Tensei 5's release date was just leaked days ahead of the show. Add in the fact that it's been confimed to release on the Switch, and it seems like a total assurance we'll see it during Nintendo's E3 Direct livestream.
Summer of Gaming
IGN’s own Summer of Gaming event is, of course, returning this year and instead of running as a stand-in for E3, we’ll be partnering with the big gaming conference. Summer of Gaming is a summer-long event, so we'll have loads of content before and after E3 2021.
On June 10th, IGN is partnering with Geoff Keighley’s Kick Off Live! to deliver more information around the biggest announcements of the night. Following that on June 11th, we'll be hosting the IGN Expo, an exclusive showcase featuring new game reveals, first-ever gameplay footage, and other announcements you won't see elsewhere. While E3 is running from June 12 to June 15, you’ll be able to catch every stream on IGN and see more exclusive content as well.
Guerrilla Collective
Last year, the Guerrilla Collective was the place to be if you wanted to see a long showcase of indie games. This year they're back and bringing twice as much show with two showcases and livestreams on June 5th and June 12th. This indie game-focused showcase is put together by indie developers and mid-sized publishers, so we should see a collection of games typically skipped over by the larger keynotes.
Summer Game Fest
Not to be confused with IGN’s own Summer of Gaming, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest is a month-long gaming-focused event. It begins on June 10 with an inaugural "Kick Off Live!" show that will feature major announcements and an entire showcase of indie games hosted by iam8bit and Double Fine Productions called Day of the Devs. On the first day of Summer Games Fest, Weezer has also promised a debut of its new "stream safe game soundtrack song."
Summer Games Fest isn't just one show, one-day event, it will run through June. With an extensive partner list that includes Annapurna Interactive, Capcom, Devolver Digital, Electronic Arts, PlayStation, Square Enix, Tribeca Festival, and Xbox just to name a few, there shouldn't be any shortage of announcements from the Summer Games Fest.
The PC Gaming Show
The PC Gaming Show runs on June 13 at 2:30pm PT, 5:30pm ET, 10:30pm BST, or June 14 7:30am AEST. As you might have guessed from the name, it’s all about PC gaming. While the majority of E3 is focused on console games, this PC Gamer run show is the only one that really caters specifically to PC players. As such, the PC Gaming Show showcases a few more niche genres and games like flight and space simulators, strategy games, puzzle games, and survival games. Last year’s showcase most notably debuted Valheim and the PC port of Persona 4 Golden, so we expect some big surprises this year as well.
Future Games Show
Run by PC Gamer’s sister site GamesRadar, the Future Games Show promises to feature console, PC, and mobile games. The actual games usually featured during this show are a mix of AAA and indie games. Just last year, the Future Games Show revealed new footage for Ghostrunner, Neon Abyss, and Wasteland 3 just to name a few highlights. The Future Game Show will stream after the PC Gaming Show on Sunday, June 13th at 4:00pm PT, 7:00pm ET, 12:00am BST, or June 14 at 9:00am AEST.
E3 2021 Awards Show
The E3 2021 week is of course going to end with its Award Show. Although this event is mostly about awarding the best games of the show as selected by a wide range of experts in the industry, this broadcast also promises to be packed with exciting announcements and reveals, so be sure not to miss it.
Steam Next Fest
Valve has always done its own thing ever since it started selling games digitally and well its Steam Next Fest event is very different from the rest of E3. Held from June 16 to June 22, it won't even be an official part of the show but rather a celebration of upcoming June games. Livestreams and hundreds of demos will allow users to watch and play new games, as well as talk with developers about their works in progress.
EA
So far it looks like EA isn't planning on making a big show at E3 as the company has announced it will hold its EA Play Live Showcase on July 22nd. That said, EA probably won't be completely absent at E3 2021 as the company has also previously teased a Battlefield 6 reveal in June. We'll have to wait a bit longer to hopefully see what Dragon Age 4 or Skate 4 will look like. EA's recent acquisitions of Codemasters and Metalhead should also lead to new racing and baseball games from EA too, fingers crossed.
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Source: IGN.com E3 2021 Schedule: Every Event and Show Announced So Far