Game Announcements You Should Get Excited For at E3 2021

A little bit of prediction, a little bit of teaser-based assumption—this is a roundup of the most-anticipated game announcements expected at E3 2021. There are plenty of industry rumours, reports, and articles from the publishers and developers showcasing at the E3 digital event. We’ve put together some of the most likely game announcements and releases that gaming fans have been waiting for.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was one of Nintendo’s highest earners since its release in March 2017. It’s no surprise then that the sequel has been the source of speculation and excitement, especially with the trailer and details teased by Nintendo over the year.

The only trailer released so far by Nintendo is just 90 seconds long and suggests a zombie theme with Zelda and Link fighting against a dungeon-bound evil force. The developers have hopefully also taken on board the criticism Breath of the Wild received for its same-y level design. As they also wrapped up most of the Divine Beast story in the Hyrule Warriors prequel, it’s unlikely we’ll see much of that again.

Bayonetta 3

PlatinumGames developed this stunning classic, and Bayonetta 3 has been in development for years now. Easily one of Nintendo’s most anticipated releases for the E3 conference. Fans sadly haven’t seen many updates about this game. A teaser was released back in 2017 showing some potential gameplay, but since then, Nintendo has kept quiet on this title.

An interesting update, though, is that Bayonetta 3 will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Could this relate to a potential announcement about the rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro console? We hope so, but there’s some concern this won’t be one of the games that get a solid release date at E3.

PlatinumGames director Hideki Kamiya said in an interview that fans should “reset and forget” until the game is shown off again. So perhaps the Nintendo Direct showcase at E3 will be the perfect chance to reboot the launch of Bayonetta 3.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite is the Microsoft game on the tip of everyone’s tongue. When is it coming? Will it offer multiplayer? Will it be the last Halo game? It’s reportedly on Microsoft’s list of announcements. Don’t expect a deep dive, though.

Jeff Grubb, on the Game Mess show, confirmed that the E3 2021 feature of the game is not going to be a thorough reveal since creating assets for the conference would take precious time away from the development team – time they could be focusing on actually getting the game ready for launch. The showcase is more of a peace offering to the hardcore fans who have been waiting for this.

Starfield

With Bethesda jointly hosting with Xbox/Microsoft this year at E3, Starfield news should be high on their agenda. The joint event is technically separate from the E3 conference itself on June 13th, but no doubt Bethesda will be eager to take the opportunity to announce updates about their latest brainchild.

In Bethesda’s 2018 E3 presentation they featured a teaser trailer for Starfield and that’s all we’ve seen or heard about the game until now. The teaser showed a cresting sun over a desert planet’s atmosphere and a quintessential space station. With a gritty sci-fi theme, we’re hoping the E3 2021 showcase will divulge a little more technical detail about the game’s content.

Valheim – Hearth and Home Update

Valheim sold 6.8 million copies as of May 2021, and it’s expected to continue thriving once its Hearth and Home update is launched. This update has been highly anticipated and frankly much needed since Valheim first hit popularity.

Developers have commented that progress was going smoothly and that this past month has been “very productive”. Hopefully, this means Iron Gate will be ready to drop the update within the E3 event.

Forza Horizon 5

Xbox’s Forza Horizon spin-off from Forza Motorsport has been high on every console gamer’s wishlist since Forza Horizon 5’s first trailer dropped at E3 2020. With the next-gen tech seen in the Xbox X/S consoles, we can presume Xbox are taking their time with the title. It may well be a flagship game to showcase what the new hardware can do, which is especially intriguing with the rumours of a new map set in a desert in Mexico.

Xbox has a lot of titles to work through in their E3 2021 slot, so we have a feeling Forza Horizon 5 may not get as much screen time as Starfield or Age of Empires.

Battlefield 6

EA confirmed on Twitter that Battlefield 6—or Battlefield 2042 as reports suggest it may be called—would be revealed on June 9th, at 3 p.m. BST—convenient, right? This reveal will fall outside the E3 official conference dates, but it’s just nice to know with certainty that this long-teased instalment is coming at last.

Trailer footage for the game was also recently leaked, which could be the footage that will be featured in EA’s reveal on June 9th. Gameplay screenshots leaked this month, too, increasing the hype around this release. Any news on this game is exciting because Battlefield 6 reportedly has the biggest development team in the history of the Battlefield series, hinting at a more fleshed out experience.

BioShock 4

Cloud Chamber is working on a new Bioshock game, the fourth instalment in the series. Fans are very much in anticipation of any updates on the development of another game in this much-loved series. The E3 event will be a great opportunity for the developers to give out some teaser footage and give fans something to hold on to until a release date is announced in the future.