E3 2021: What’s On, When?
Want to tune into the digital event or just know when to expect the updates you’re keen to hear about? Here’s a full list of the events currently scheduled for E3 2021.
With just a short while between us and everything E3 has planned, it’s all the more exhilarating to be able to see what days each event will be on. The schedule released by E3 is mostly complete, with just a few question marks over the dates and times of some events. E3 2021 will be a digital-only event this year, and it’s set to be held from June 12 to June 15 2021. Despite this clear date range, some of the released events are due after these days, so the week of E3 is looking more like a month of E3!
Many events have been fully confirmed, and below we’ve included dates and where to watch them. Showcases like Xbox have been announced with plenty of anticipation. Sony hasn’t announced its attendance, but typically PlayStation offers its own event, EA Play, where their presentations are held. This usually takes place a few days ahead of E3, but this year EA Play is set to take place on July 22—good news for any EA fans.
The schedule isn’t exhaustive as there’s still time for E3 to announce changes or additions, but the event line-up doesn’t disappoint.
June 5
Guerrilla Collective
On June 5 the showcasing begins. Guerrilla Collective has partnered with Raw Fury, TinyBuild, Innersloth, and Good Shepherd, plus many more developers and publishers. With new announcements, gameplay reveals, and updates this is a great start to the E3 event.
Time: 4PM BST
Watch it on: Twitch
Black Voices in Gaming
This will be a much-anticipated Twitch stream highlighting the power of black voice within the gaming industry. Showcase games will be introduced from black developers, games with black protagonists and everything supporting black voices in gaming. Last year’s stream by the same name was a hit, so this year is sure to shine through the packed E3 schedule.
Time: 6PM BST
Watch it on: Twitch
June 10
Summer Game Fest
The Summer Game Fest occurs closer to the official starting date for E3, making it a likely popular choice for viewers and attendees. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest is exactly what it says on the tin. This a huge event hosted on June 10th, with news, announcements, and updates aplenty from more than 30 different game publishers. Some of these announcements are coming from the likes of PlayStation, Xbox, Activision, and Epic Games. If all that wasn’t enough, this event will also feature the band, Weezer, for a memorable performance.
Time: 6PM BST
Watch it on: YouTube
June 11
IGN Expo
IGN’s Summer of Gaming season kicks off with the IGN Expo and this marks IGN’s spot on the E3 2021 schedule. IGN has set itself up as a reliable source of new game reveals, and they’re set to give viewers new game announcements and gameplay that’s never been seen before.
Time: 9PM BST
Watch it on: YouTube, Twitch, and IGN’s social channels
June 12
Guerrilla Collective Showcase
Guerrilla Collective will again be showing up on June 12 for their second spot in the E3 showcase, to continue its stream packed full of gaming news and juicy announcements.
Time: 4PM BST
Watch it on: Twitch
Wholesome Direct
Wholesome Direct 2021 will be brought to E3 by Wholesome Games. This is set to be an exceptional selection of cute, wholesome, and cosy games to keep an eye out for in coming months. Over 75 games are slated to be announced by Wholesome Games, all of which should be suitably sweet for wholesome gamers.
Time: 6PM BST
Watch it on: YouTube
Ubisoft Forward
When E3 was cancelled last year due to the global pandemic, Ubisoft wasn’t able to attend the conference in person. Cleverly, Ubisoft created Ubisoft Forward, which was their way to showcase their announcements and upcoming releases digitally. As E3 2021 is being hosted digitally yet again, Ubisoft Forward is coming again, but this year we’re expecting updates on VR Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell developments, addressing Riders Republic rumours, and news on Far Cry 6. There may be even more, so tuning in to the Ubisoft Forward site is going to be a must.
Time: 8PM BST
Watch it on: Ubisoft is yet to confirm the official links, but we expect you’ll be able to tune in on its official Ubisoft Forward website, YouTube, and Twitch channels.
June 13
Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase
The big names in gaming are coming to viewers of E3 on June 13th. Probably one of the most anticipated events in the line-up, Microsoft (Xbox) and Bethesda will be treating viewers to a satisfying 90-minute presentation filled with what they describe as “everything you want to know about the epic gaming line-up coming out of this partnership, the incredible games coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases on Xbox Game Pass, and more”.
Time: 6PM BST
Watch it on: Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook
Future Games Show
The Future Games Show from GamesRadar is coming back for its second year at E3. They’ll be offering a platform to feature major releases and smaller projects.
Time: TBC
Watch it on: GamesRadar’s YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch channels.
PC Gaming Show
Right from its first showcase in 2015, the PC Gaming Show is set to reveal some intriguing details for Valheim, XCOM 2, PUBG, Bannerlord, Baldur’s Gate 3, Mount & Blade 2, and Borderlands 3.
Time: TBC
Watch it on: YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter
June 15
Nintendo E3 Showcase
Nintendo didn’t do an E3 showcase in 2020, but has confirmed there will be a Nintendo E3 2021 event on June 15. The formal 40-minute presentation will focus heavily on upcoming 2021 Nintendo Switch titles, with some falling into the 2022 release schedule.
Post-presentation, there’s going to be about three hours of Treehouse: Live deep dives bringing gameplay footage of the aforementioned 2021 titles. There’s potential for Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 gameplay footage, some Splatoon 3, and glimpses of the upcoming Pokemon titles—Pokemon Legends: Arceus and the Diamond and Pearl remakes. Could we even see the Nintendo Switch Pro make an appearance?
Time: 5PM BST
Watch it on: The Nintendo E3 website
July 22
EA Play Live
As we mentioned, EA Play is essentially Sony’s way of chiming in, without actually featuring in the E3 2021 conference itself. However, this showcase is supposed to be featuring Battlefield 6 announcement follow-ups, Mass Effect 5 or even some Dragon Age 4 or Sims related news if we’re lucky.
Time: TBC
Watch it on: TBC, but likely an EA Play independent website