Beyond E3 2021: schedule of every summer gaming event
E3 isn't the only gaming event taking place in summer 2021. Others are setting themselves to showcase new games with their own partners and features.
Summer is a synonym for breaking news on games announcements and trailer releases. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the most known and followed event since most of the biggest developing and publishing companies partner to have a presence in it and disclose their new titles. Albeit, this isn't the only summer gaming event. This year, in 2021, E3 is back, yet there are other events besides the mentioned one that will reveal new content about upcoming games.
For users willing to discover more about upcoming gaming events, we will break down all those happening this summer around the world.
Guerrilla Colective 2
After the E3 cancelation in 2020, new events appeared and one of them was the Guerilla Collective where we had the chance to see many indie games and big names such as Baldur's Gate 3. It's defined as a "digital games festival to reveal fresh announcements, trailers, gameplay, and more, bringing together some of the hottest developers and publishers around the world!", and it's coming back with a double-day edition.
When: June 5th at 8 a.m. PT and June 12th at 8 a.m. PT
How to watch: on Twitch
Indie Live Expo
Over 300 indie games will be showcased in a Japanese event that is sponsored by companies like Microsoft, Sony, and Koch Media, among others. This provides a great opportunity to discover hidden gems that are out of the spotlight.
When: June 5th at 2 a.m. PT
How to watch: Twitch, YouTube, Bliblibli and Twitter
Battlefield 6 event reveal
Electronic Arts is revealing Battlefield 6 on June 9th. EA announced it via Twitter by posting a teaser. This caused a huge reaction in the community since it looked like the game will be set in the near future. The company is not attending E3 2021 but will have its own event in July where presumably more of Battlefield will be shown.
When: June 9th at 7 a.m. PT
How to watch: EA's social media accounts
Summer Game Fest
Considering E3 2020 cancelation, Geoff Keighley organized its own all-digital event: Summer Game Fest. It was formed by several events spread throughout the months of June and July. Titles such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, Star Wars Squadron and the impressive Unreal Engine 5 technical demo were showcased. This year, Summer Game Fest will kick off on June 10 with several events and live streams throughout June and feature partnerships with Xbox, PlayStation ,EA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Amazon Games, Capcom...
When: Kicks off on June 10th at 11 a.m. PT
How to watch: all the major livestream platforms - including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more
Koch Primetime
Koch Media is hosting its own digital event featuring a live stream one day before E3 2021. It has been somewhat of an ambiguous announcement since it was revealed by the Summer Game Fest Twitter account, where the date was mentioned while nothing regarding upcoming games was mentioned.
When: June 11 at 12 p.m. PT
How to watch: through Summer Game Fest channels
Wholesome Direct
More than 75 indie games are waiting to be discovered by fans in this event that is returning for the second year. It has a very specific focus, as the games promote chill vibes, which makes it a very unique event where action-paced AAA games are not the way-to-go for their developers.
When: June 12 at 10 a.m. PT
How to watch: through Guerrilla Collective Twitch channel
E3 2021
The quintessential gaming event of every summer is back and big publishers and developers are taking part in it. Microsoft with Xbox and Bethesda, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Square Enix, Capcom, and Konami are just some of the over 60 companies that will be attending to showcase what they have to offer.
When: From June 12 to June 15
How to watch: through its online portal, app, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook
Steam Next Fest
The classic Steam Game Festival has been renamed Steam Next Fest. A new opportunity, as stated by the official site to "explore and play hundreds of game demos, watch developer livestreams, and chat with the teams about their games in progress, coming soon to Steam."
When: from June 16th to June 22th
How to follow: on Steam
PAX Online
PAX East is going online this year, yet it is not failing to bring everything you once found at this convention to your home: "thought-provoking panels, exciting livestreams, new game demos, tournaments, and a community experience unlike any other". Its indie showcase promises to gather a compilation of the "best of the best" games of Steam after reviewing over a hundred titles.
When: from July 15th to July 18th
How to watch: Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook
EA Play Live
Electronic Arts is one of the companies that decided to skip E3 (again) and prepare its own digital event. This year they will do it one month after E3. However, they have a wide array of titles enough to attract users' interest. Battlefield 6, Madden 22, FIFA 22, The Sims 5 or new content on Apex Legends are some of the real possibilities that might be showcased at their stage among others. It's a must-see for any gamer.
When: from July 22th
How to watch: TBA
QuakeCon
Bethesda, despite having been acquired by Microsoft, will continue celebrating its QuakeCon in 2021. An event that celebrated franchises such as Doom or Quake and that is also coming back with a digital-only format.
When: from August 19th to August 21th
How to watch: TBA
Gamescom
The yearly event celebrated in Cologne, Germany, is also returning with a complete digital edition, leaving behind the hybrid format it followed in 2020 for safety reasons. Its opening night will feature Geoff Keighley and users ought to expect several games highlighted during the whole event as well as developers conferences and talks.
When: from August 25th to August 29th
How to watch: TBA
Sony's State of Play?
Sony held a State of Play on May 27 fully focused on Horizon Forbidden West and its gameplay reveal. PlayStation won't take part in E3 2021. They could have their own event at some point in the summer or after it to catch the user's attention with some new information regarding future exclusive games.