E3 2021 is online and free: Companies, games, predictions and what to expect
After taking a year off, E3 is back for 2021 in a big way.
It's that time in the gaming calendar where fans around the globe are eagerly awaiting some hot news, with the annual E3 conference all set to deliver some hot announcements in the coming days from some of the biggest gaming companies around.
The E3 2021 schedule is now fully confirmed and set to kick off on Saturday 12th June, with major companies like Xbox, Bethesda, Nintendo and Ubisoft set to host presentations about their upcoming titles.
But if you've got questions about the show, you've come to the right place to get some answers. Read on to find out about this year's free, online version of E3 and which companies will be coming!
Is E3 2021 online?
E3 2021 will indeed take the shape of an online event, meaning there won't be a real-life convention for fans, press and industry professionals to cram into. The ESA has described this year's event as "a reimagined, all-virtual E3 2021 that will engage video game fans everywhere".
The ESA's president and CEO, Stanley Pierre-Louis, said in the announcement: "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 centre stage for video games."
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Is E3 2021 free?
We're pleased to report that you won't have to pay a penny to watch the action unfolding from this year's online E3 conference. There won't be any tickets to buy, with this being a totally free event.
The ESA pledged on its website that the team behind E3 "will be working with media partners globally to help amplify and make this content available to everyone for free." It does look like you will have to register on the E3 website in some way to watch it, though - although several of the studios will have their own links to watch including on their official YouTube channels.
E3 2021 companies: Which developers are at E3 2021?
We now know who will be at E3 for 2021 and here is the list!
- 24 Entertainment
- Bandai Namco
- Capcom
- Freedom Games
- Gearbox
- Intellivision
- Microsoft & Bethesda
- Mythical Games
- Nintendo
- PC Gaming Show
- Razer
- Square Enix
- Take-Two
- Ubisoft
- VENN
- Verizon
- Warner Bros
- Yooreka Studio
You'll notice that Sony is missing from that list, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise - the PlayStation brand has mainly stuck to its own State of Play live streams for the last couple of years. We do wish they would come back and join the fun though as it is not the same without them.
EA is also missing E3, but they have their own EA Play event coming not long after on July 22nd.
E3 2021 predictions: What games will be revealed at E3 2021?
One of the biggest games scheduled for the second half of 2021 is Halo: Infinite, which seems like a probable feature of the Xbox presentation. And since Xbox owns Bethesda, perhaps we'll learn more about Starfield at the same time.
Warner Bros Games has confirmed that its show is all about Back 4 Blood, so we probably won't get updates on Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Hogwarts Legacy or the next Mortal Kombat entry.
Fans have long been waiting for Nintendo to show a bit more of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Perhaps the lid will be lifted on that one at E3 - as well as that new Nintendo Switch Pro that we are all sure will be coming soon.
The inclusion of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has fans hoping that GTA 6 may finally be unveiled at E3 2021 - what is more likely is that we will see the next remaster of GTA 5 shown off in all its glory.
Capcom could come armed with news about the future of its iconic horror franchise, after Resident Evil Village's recent launch, or perhaps it will be Devil May Cry on the agenda there.
We're sure there will be some surprises too that none of us saw coming and we would not have it any other way - half the fun of E3 is getting a mind-blowing reveal or two and we hope that remains the case in 2021.
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