It’s almost that time of the year again, where gamers stand by for the big news to emerge from E3. As usual, the press conferences will range from mid afternoon to the early hours for us in the UK, but this year will see a number of changes to the schedule in terms of order and even appearance. To help you get sorted, we’ve not only set out the times of each conference and gathered links for where to watch them live, but given our take on what to expect.
Stay tuned to the site during E3 as I’ll be collating the big reveals and giving my reactions to each press conference!
Wednesday 8th June
4:30PM GMT / 8:30AM PST
Deus Ex Pre-E3 Showcase
Watch here: Twitch
After a rather disjointed press conference last year, Square Enix will be doing things differently this time by revealing news via Square Enix Presents (which you can watch over on YouTube / Twitch.) Only one franchise is getting its own showcase this year, and that’s Deus Ex. The upcoming Mankind Divided will be front and centre, but we’ll also be getting a first look at new projects based on the series. While there’s a high probability that it will be mobile-related like The Fall was, we could be surprised here so it’s tuning in
Thursday 9th June
6PM GMT / 10AM PST
Destiny Reveal Steam
Watch here: Twitch
Another game that’s jumping ahead of the publishers is Destiny, is set on revealing its next expansion. Considering how enthusiasm for The Taken King dissipated only a few months after its release, Bungie need to show that the fun factor and regular content updates will be there in the long run. Hopefully they will also indicate a fairer price this time around, too, because they won’t be able to argue bundling previous content for a second time.
Sunday 12th June
9PM GMT / 1PM PST
EA Press Conference
Watch here: EA Play | YouTubeRead our highlights
Going first out of all the big publishers is EA, who will be giving us our first taste of gameplay for Battlefield 1 and Mass Effect: Andromeda. That’s on top of this year’s line-up of EA Sports titles, and probably a cringe-worthy segment for The Sims 4. I’m not expecting anything hugely surprising from them, but an update from Visceral’s Star Wars game would be welcome.
Monday 13th June
3AM GMT / 7PM PST (Sun)
Bethesda Press Conference
Watch here: Twitch | YouTube
Read our highlights
After knocking it out of the park last year with their début conference, Bethesda stated that they would only return if they had something huge to announce. Well, here we are. Dishonored 2 will no doubt feature heavily, and there’s a chance we’ll get some Fallout 4 DLC news as well. The big question is what could the bombshell be? Dishonored 2 being released this year with a ridiculous collectors edition? TES 6 being announced? Either way, Bethesda have a mountain of expectation to climb this time around.
5:30PM GMT / 9:30AM PST
Microsoft Press Conference
Watch here: Twitch | Xbox.com | Youtube
Now this should be an interesting one. The rumours of new hardware and increased connectivity with PC systems mean Spencer and co. will be ready to announce something big this year. Gears 4 will be leading the charge in terms of games, although a reappearance from Crackdown and Scalebound are expected as well. Hopefully we’ll get some surprise announcements to keep Xbox One players busy over the next year.
9PM GMT / 1PM PST
PC Gaming Show
Watch here: Website | YouTube
Despite being a bit bland and uninspiring in its début, the PC Gaming Show returns this year. We know that Relic Entertainment will be showing off Dawn of War 3 and Boss Key will be bringing Lawbreakers along, but I expect VR titles will play a key part in this year’s line-up. As the only dedicated outlet for PC gaming, let’s hope there are some surprises thrown in between the AMD marketing.
9PM GMT / 1PM PST
Ubisoft Press Conference
Watch here: Twitch | YouTube
It’s going to be a crucial E3 for Ubisoft, who are not only fighting off a hostile takeover from Vivendi, but need to deliver games that can stand on their own in the long run (something both R6: Siege and The Division haven’t managed to do.) All eyes will be on Watch Dogs 2, which absolutely needs to step up from its divisive predecessor and replicate Assassin’s Creed 2’s success. Meanwhile, we’ll be seeing more from Ghost Recon: Wildlands and For Honor, and probably some Rabbids insanity because why not. At least Aisha Taylor returning as host will keep things running smoothly.
Tuesday 14th June
2AM GMT / 6PM PST (Tues)
Sony Press Conference
Watch here: Twitch | YouTube
The yearly tradition of watching Sony half-awake will continue in the early hours of Wednesday. PS VR will be in the spotlight ahead of its release later this year, but the PlayStation camp need to bring a killer line-up with them (especially if the new hardware rumours prove to be true.) Horizon: New Dawn, Hellblade, Detroit: Become Human and The Last Guardian need to put their best foot forward (with release dates, ideally) but the long-term schedule needs filling out too. Announcing Naughty Dog’s next project (and perhaps whatever Santa Monica Studio have been working on) would be a good way for Sony to keep their momentum.
5PM GMT / 9AM PST
Nintendo Treehouse Live
Watch here: Twitch
Always wanting to do things differently, Nintendo have opted to do a day-long live stream that will feature news and reveals. We already know that the new Legend of Zelda will be front and center, but it’s highly probably that we’ll learn what else is up their sleeve for the 3DS this year. Either way, don’t be expecting any NX news at all (even if they really could do with saying something on the matter.)
Stay tuned for our E3 wishlist later this week, but what are you looking forward to? Expecting big things from one of the platforms? Only got your eye on one game reveal? Completely uninspired by this year’s line-up? Let us know in the comments!