Prepare yourself – things are going to be a little different this year. E3 2021 marks the return of the summer gaming showcase, after a year’s absence due the coronavirus pandemic. This isn’t a renewal of the status quo, however. E3 2021 is doing things very differently indeed. How differently? Below, we’ve collected all the information available on E3 2021 so far to prepare you for the upcoming reveals in June.
E3 2021 - a digital showcase
© E3
Due to health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, E3 2021 is going all-digital, with a free-to-view event that’ll be broadcast online for anyone to enjoy. It’s being produced in partnership with Paragon Creative Agency, 360 Live Media, and SmithBucklin.
In lieu of an actual show floor, E3 will have its own dedicated online portal and mobile app. Joining the online portal will allow you to create a unique profile and avatar to visit virtual booths and events. Lounges will be open for attendees to gather in before they stop by the stalls to check out VODs, articles, and more. Online forums are also promised to allow fans to discuss each announcement.
In addition to the online portal and watching broadcasts via the E3 Twitch and YouTube accounts, you can also catch the show on partners such as PC Gamer, IGN, GamesRadar, GameSpot, and Polygon.
E3 2021 schedule, times, and dates
E3 2021 will take place from June 12 - 15. Pre-E3 media days will take place from June 7 - 11. The full schedule has just been announced, and you can expect livestreams each day from a variety of developers. Panels will also be taking place, including an important one to discuss Black Representation in Gaming. Here is the full schedule for E3 2021, with times for each publisher and showcase added as they are provided:
Saturday June 12
- Guerilla Collective Showcase
- 8am PT/11am ET/4pm BST/5pm CEST
- Wholesome Direct
- 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST/7pm CEST
- Ubisoft
- Pre-show starts at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST/7pm CEST
- Show begins 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST/9pm CEST
- Devolver Digital Showcase
- 1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET/9:30pm BST/10:30pm CEST
- Gearbox
- 2pm PT/5pm ET/10pm BST/11pm CEST
- GamesBeat Session
- 2:45pm PT/5:45pm ET/10:45pm BST/11:45pm CEST
Sunday June 13
- 24 Entertainment's Naraka: Bladepoint
- 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET/5:30pm BST/6:30pm CEST
- Xbox & Bethesda Showcase
- 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST/7pm CEST
- Square Enix
- 12:15pm PT/3:15pm ET/8:15pm BST/9:15pm CEST
- Back 4 Blood Showcase (Warner Bros. Games)
- 2pm PT/5pm ET/11pm BST/midnight CEST
- The PC Gaming Show
- 2:30pm PT/5:30pm ET/10:30pm BST/11:30pm CEST
- Future Games Show
- 4pm PT/7pm ET/midnight BST/1am (+1 day) CEST
Monday June 14
- Verizon
- 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm BST/6pm CEST
- Intellivision
- 9:45am PT/12:45pm ET/5:45pm BST/ 6:45pm CEST
- Take-Two Interactive
- 10:15am PT/1:15pm ET/6:15pm BST/7:15pm CEST
- Mythical Games
- 11:10am PT/2:10pm ET/7:10pm BST/8:10pm CEST
- Indie Showcase
- 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST/9pm CEST
- Freedom Games
- 12:30pm PT/3:30pm ET/8:30pm BST/9:30pm CEST
- Venn
- 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm BST/10pm CEST
- Limited Run Games
- 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm BST/10pm CEST
- Capcom
- 2:30pm PT/5:30pmET/10:30pm BST/11:30pm CEST
- Razer
- 3pm PT/6pm ET/11pm BST/12pm CEST
Tuesday June 15
- Nintendo Direct (followed by Treehouse Live)
- 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm BST/6pm CEST
- Bandai Namco
- 2:25pm PT/5:25pm ET/10:25pm BST/11:25 CEST
- Yooreka Games
- 3:20pm PT/6:20pm ET/11:20pm BST/12:20am (+1 day) CEST
- GameSpot Play For All Showcase
- 3:35pm PT/6:35pm ET/11:35pm BST/12:35am (+1day) CEST
- Official E3 2021 Awards Show
- 4:45pm PT/7:45pm ET/12:35am (+1day) BST/1:35am (+1day) CEST
Confirmed companies at E3 2021
© E3
An expo isn’t an expo without gaming companies looking to strut their stuff. Below is the full list of confirmed companies at E3 2021, including major game developers like Nintendo and service providers like Verizon.
- Bandai Namco
- Binge.com
- Capcom
- Devious Eye Entertainment
- Freedom Games
- Gearbox Entertainment
- Koch Media
- Konami
- Mythical Games
- Nintendo
- Razer
- Sega
- Square Enix
- Take-Two Interactive
- Turtle Beach
- Ubisoft
- Verizon
- Warner Bros. Games
- Xbox
- XSEED Games/Marvelous USA
- Yooreka Games
Hope you’re getting hungry cause we’ve got more chefs in the kitchen for this year’s #E32021! Our newest additions: SQUARE ENIX, SEGA, BANDAI NAMCO, XSEED Games/Marvelous USA, Gearbox Entertainment, Freedom Games, Devious Eye Entertainment, Turtle Beach, Verizon & Binge dot com! pic.twitter.com/DeIB6zFjTX
— E3 (@E3) May 6, 2021
The notable absences
The full list of E3 2021 attendees has yet to be confirmed, but there are already some major players that we know won’t be at the show. Electronic Arts hasn’t attended E3 for quite some time, and Sony looks to be continuing its absence since 2019. We’re still waiting to hear whether Activision Blizzard will be making any announcements during the expo.
The big shows at E3 2021
© Ubisoft
As noted previously, the E3 2021 schedule has only just been revealed. That said, companies are slowly starting to announce what they'll be showing during their slots at the show – and what not to expect at them. Here’s what we know of so far:
Ubisoft Forward
Saturday, June 12, 2021 – Starting 12pm PT (3pm ET, 8pm BST, 9pm CEST)
Expect to see Rainbow Six Quarantine gameplay (or whatever they rename the game to, as it will be changed), Riders Republic, as well as a better look at Far Cry 6's new island paradise Yara.
Square Enix
Sunday, June 13 – Starting 12:15pm PT (3:15pm ET, 8:15pm BST, 9:15 CEST)
Expect to see a brand new game from Eidos Montreal, more details on the Platinum Games collab Babylon's Fall, a deep dive on Life is Strange: True Colors, and more on the Black Panther Avengers expansion. The rest of the lineup is under wraps, but it wouldn't be out of the question to spot a bit more of the mysterious Project Athia (working title).
Take-Two Interactive
Monday, June 14 – Starting from 8am PT (11am ET, 4pm BST, 5pm CEST)
This will be a pretty big one, though some of the announcements will be split with the Gearbox showcase on Saturday, June 12, such as a new Borderlands spin-off game centered around Tiny Tina. Other 2K titles to look out for are another NBA game, naturally, but more excitingly Firaxis (makes of XCOM) will be revealing a Marvel-themed tactical strategy game according to multiple leaks so far. The leaks also detail Mafia studio Hangar13's brand new IP as something like "Cthulhu meets Saints Row", which fits with their announcement of an "open-world sci-fi title with supernatural elements" as the current project.
Capcom
Monday, June 14 – Starting from 2:30pm PT (5:30pmET, 10:30pm BST, 11:30pm CEST)
Capcom has confirmed that their showcase will cover The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Monster Hunter Rise, and Resident Evil Village. In the case of the latter two, this would be a great opportunity to announce some DLC plans to keep buyers entertained once they've wrapped up the main story.
Nintendo
Tuesday, June 15 – Starting 9am PT (12pm ET, 5pm BST)
There's a strong possibility this is the reveal of the new Switch Pro hardware upgrade, and we always live in hope of seeing more of Breath of the Wild 2 which was officially delayed earlier this year, in the last Nintendo Direct.
Koch Media
Friday, June 11 – 12pm PT (3pm ET, 8pm BST)
The parent company of Deep Silver will be airing their own stream before E3 kicks off proper, though the publisher is already tempering fan expectations based on this. Do not expect to see any news about Dead Island 2, Saints Row V, Metro or TimeSplitters during the stream. That doesn't leave a lot left to get excited about. You can tune in to see the event at weknowsomethingyoudontknow.com at noon PT on the Friday to find out exactly what it is that they know.
PC Gaming Show
Sunday, June 13 – 2:30pm PT (5:30pm ET, 10:30pm BST)
Check out the latest from a mish mash of publishers and developers on PC games, including a special announcement from Valve concerning the Steam store. Techland will be showing off more of Dyling Light 2 Stay Human (that's the new full name for the sequel btw) and there will be a major announcement from Sega and Amplitude about their next 4X strategy game, Humankind.
E3 2021 show hosts
The show must go on, and someone needs to lead it. Here are the confirmed show hosts for E3 2021.
- Greg Miller
- Jacki Jing
- Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
How to join E3 2021
If you're looking to get involved with E3 2021 as a fan (or press), you can sign up for information on the E3 Expo website. So far no further information has been shared, but it's likely that access details will be provided first to anyone registered.
That’s everything we know right now about E3 2021. We’ll do our best to keep these details updated as more shows are revealed and the schedule fills out in the run up to the event.
