After all of the leaks, announcements and live streams that took place this week, it’s hard to imagine that the video game studios have anything left for E3 2016.
I kid, of course, because starting this Sunday, gamers around the world are going to sit down in front of their TVs and computers in order to watch press conferences from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, EA, Bethesda and more.
SEE ALSO: Sony officially announces PlayStation 4K
We’ll have individual posts for each and every press conference live stream, but for now, here’s a schedule and what we expect to see from each briefing.
(Click for full-size. Schedule courtesy @Cheesemeister3k on Twitter.)
EA (Sunday at 4:00PM EDT)
EA is actually taking a break from the show floor this year, so its press conference might be even more jam-packed with reveals than usual. Battlefield 1 will almost certainly take center stage, with plenty of information left to reveal about the single-player campaign and the 64-player multiplayer.
We’re also going to see Titanfall 2 in action for the very first time and Mass Effect: Andromeda might finally get the attention it deserves. There should also be some news regarding the upcoming Bespin and Death Star expansions for Star Wars Battlefront, as well as obligatory FIFA, Madden and The Sims announcements.
Bethesda (Sunday at 10:00PM EDT)
Bethesda blew the lid off of E3 last year with its first ever press conference. It’s hard to imagine how the publisher will top a lineup that included Fallout 4, Doom and Dishonored 2, but I have a feeling it’ll find a way.
According to the latest rumors, Bethesda will unveil Prey 2, Wolfenstein 2, The Evil Within 2 and a remastered version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at its press conference this year. Add in a performance by Blink-182 (yes, really), and you’ve got yourself one of the most interesting shows of the week.
Microsoft (Monday at 12:30PM EDT)
There’s little doubt that Microsoft is going to bring the big guns to E3 2016. With the first conference of the day on Monday, Microsoft is expected to reveal a slimmer, more affordable Xbox One for 2016 and an upgraded Xbox One console with Oculus Rift support for later in 2017.
As if the hardware reveals weren’t enough, the company will also have plenty of exclusive games on hand, including Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Crackdown 3 and (please oh please) a new entry in the Forza Horizon series.
PC Gaming Show (Monday at 2:30PM EDT)
PC Gamer
has stressed that the PC Gaming Show is not meant to compete with the like of Sony and Microsoft. Rather, it’s a chance for developers like Bohemia Interactive, Studio Wildcard, TaleWorlds Entertainment, Torn Banner Studios and Tripwire Interactive to show their wares on a massive stage.
Plus, Oculus and Microsoft will be in attendance, so there might be some fun virtual reality stuff to see on Monday afternoon.
Ubisoft (Monday at 4:00PM EDT)
Although I’m sure there will be a few surprises in store for Ubisoft’s press conference, the company has already told us which games will be highlighting the event: Watch Dogs 2, South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Ghost Recon Wildlands, For Honor and Eagle Flight. There’s no Assassin’s Creed scheduled for 2016, but I have a feeling the franchise won’t be totally absent.
Sony (Monday at 9:00PM EDT)
On Friday morning, Sony did two things: confirm the existence of the PS4K, and announce the PS4K won’t be making an appearance at E3 2016.
So with that out of the way, it appears that games and VR will be the focus of the industry leader this year. We’ve seen the PlayStation VR in countless venues since its unveiling as Project Morpheus in early 2014, but with its release finally coming up in October, expect to see it in the spotlight during Sony’s briefing.
As for games, The Last Guardian and No Man’s Sky are two of the biggest PS4 exclusives (timed or otherwise) coming in 2016, so both should have extended showcases. We’re also going to see more from Horizon Zero Dawn (which was recently delayed to 2017) and Detroit: Become Human, the next game from Quantic Dream.
Nintendo (Tuesday at 12:00PM EDT)
Nintendo is in a weird place right now.
Much like Sony, Nintendo also isn’t showing off it’s new console, codenamed NX, at E3 this year. Unlike Sony, it also doesn’t really have many games in the works for its current console. So what exactly is Nintendo doing?
According to the company’s E3 landing page, the Tuesday live stream will kick off with new footage of the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, followed shortly after by an in-depth look at the next Legend of Zelda. Monster Hunter Generations, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Pokemon GO will also be feature on the stream throughout the week, so if you’re a fan of RPGs, you might want to tune in.
There you have it: the entirety of the E3 2016 press conference slate. Be sure to come back to BGR on Sunday to watch the first conference live streams and read about all the exciting announcements contained within.
