E3 is back, baby! After a pandemic-fueled nightmare year for videogames (and, like, everything else) the event often dubbed “Gamer Christmas” is back. It’s all online still, but at least we aren’t staring fifty separate streams in the face. Turns out it’s possible to spread hype too thin. And speaking of hype, in our space E3 comes with E3 predictions.
Related: Nintendo Announces E3 2021 Direct Set For June 15
Morgan, Jesse and myself all have expectations for this year. But expectations are destined for disappointment, so you need a little realism too. So that said, it’s important to make some more realistic predictions on top of the more fun hopes and dreams. So from presentation streams to how E3 itself will go down, here are some of our most grounded predictions for what goes down starting on June 12, 2021.
Morgan
I predict at least one game will come out that releases alongside its surprise E3 announcement, likely something for Nintendo Switch. We’ll also see a few trailers for games releasing Holiday 2021, or that are aiming for that release window.
For example, I know there’s a Battlefield 6 reveal in June with the game targeting Holiday 2021, and we just saw extended footage of Horizon Forbidden West which will probably release around November (another prediction).
Microsoft will probably show more Halo Infinite with a focus on the updates and improvements, like those comparison screenshots that came out. I think we’ll see that in trailer form with some gameplay.
And then Bethesda might jump in and remind people that Starfield is a thing, a new Elder Scrolls game is still planned but not done, and then end with something out of left field like a Prey 2 announcement at the end of their showcase.
We got Rage 2, why not Prey 2? I’m just saying. Or they’ll have nothing at all to show and will settle for giving people a 5-second Fallout teaser about a game coming out 5+ years from now to assure fans that something is planned.
I also concur with Jesse on Breath of the Wild 2, the time is ripe for more info to come out about it. Speaking of Skyward Sword HD, we could get another trailer for the game and at the very end, a little hint of something for a Wind Waker HD release (at least I hope so, I adore Wind Waker).
And finally for me, as unlikely as it is, I predict we’ll get some Silent Hill news whether that’s a tease of a new game – or what I think is more likely, a remake/remaster along the lines of what Resident Evil and Final Fantasy have been doing.
Jesse
Predictions for E3 are always hard because I feel like even the most grounded predictions oddly still have a chance of never happening? If I had to put my thinking cap on and pull out my magnifying glass I’d stay it’s an extremely safe bet we will see at least one, if not both of the remaining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveals.
In 2019 Nintendo announced both Hero and Banjo during their E3 Direct, so we could see something similar here.
There’s been a lot of internet buzz around Bethesda’s new IP Starfield, and it’s about time they at least peel the curtain back on that one a little bit. We received a teaser for that like three years ago and nothing since.
I don’t think we will see Elden Ring, but the gamers always ask so I feel like I need to bring it up regardless. No Elden Ring, eat your vegetables gamers.
Finally, regardless of if it hits this year, I think Nintendo has to at least talk about Breath of the Wild 2. It’s the franchise’s 35th anniversary and it promised more information this year. E3 seems like the right time unless for some reason Nintendo is waiting until after the release of Skyward Sword HD in July.
Lucas
First of all I’m gonna toss a softball. That big leak/rumor from Square Enix is definitely true. A Final Fantasy soulslike, set in the first game’s world and developed at Koei Tecmo makes too much sense.
Next up, I’m betting we see a release date for Shin Megami Tensei V. Atlus made its release date for Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster, and it’s obvious that’s here as a way to ease Persona fans into the core series.
Capcom’s in an interesting spot. This year has already seen several big volleys, and yet it’s one of E3 2021’s bigger sponsors. There’s one more character announcement for Street Fighter V, and the last. It’s pretty obvious that’s gonna happen at E3 while Evo gets figured out. But that’s not enough for E3. I’m predicting a new fighting game from Capcom, that isn’t Street Fighter VI.
Ubisoft has been all over the Switch, especially with Assassin’s Creed ports. I’m predicting more, starting with an enhanced port of the original game… with subtitles.
Halo Infinite will keep its 2021 date, and a new trailer will include that goofy alien man-turned meme. This time he’ll be a super badass, almost hyperbolically so with an overcorrection that ends up causing even more memes.
I was expecting more home run swings, but most of our predictions are fairly conservative! I wonder why that might be. I mean, yeah. We’re doing more articles; thanks so much for playing along there. Stay tuned for more pre-E3 2021 content as we close out this week. That includes our weekly Prima Teama Livestreema this coming Friday. And as always, let us know what you think of our content cadence over at Prima Games’ Facebook and Twitter feeds!
