E3 2021 is shaping up to be a completely different animal to any prior year, but with all the conferences and shows happening online it’s not too different for many of us staying at home. We’re only half way through the announcements so far but there’s been plenty of gaming meat to chew on, here’s all the announcements from the first few days of E3 2021, all in one place.
Starfield Release Date and Trailer
The biggest announcement so far, simply because we all doubted we’d get to see it, has to be the first proper trailer for Bethesda’s loveletter to space, Starfield. We finally got a little look at it, albeit in a CGI pre-rendered cutscene format, and it’s looking completely different from any of their more established series.
The trailer’s narration focuses on exploration with a detailed lift-off sequence that seems to imply something almost like a space simulator, though with no gameplay on show we’ll have to wait to find out more.
Not that we’ll have to wait too long, as the trailer also showed off the game’s release date: 11/11/22, or as we Elder Scrolls fans know it; 11 years after Skyrim’s launch date.
Elden Ring Trailer
Other than Starfield, we also got to see our first real glimpse of the From Software / Hidetaka Miyazaki / George R. R. Martin teamup, Elden Ring. It’s an open world game, horse included, with a combat style reminiscent of all the Souls-like games put into one mix.
The enemy design is particularly From Software-y, with a giant hand being probably the spookiest and creepiest monster on show.
Elden Ring will be released on January 21st, 2022.
Summer Game Fest
Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest brought a tonne of new announcements all with a summery vibe and Geoff’s inimitable style. Here’s what E3 2021’s Summer Game Fest brought us this year:
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
This fantasy with a twist spinoff from Borderlands will release in early 2022.
Metal Slug Tactics
Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma are back in an isometric turn-based retro tactics game set in the Metal Slug universe.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut
More content and some other updates are coming to Death Stranding for the PS5 release. Will they filter across to other versions? We’ll have to see.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
We’re heading back to the world’s deadliest park in Frontier’s Jurassic World Evolution 2. Look for the dinosaurs later in 2021, and also for Jeff Goldblum’s sublime voice.
Lost Ark
This Diablo-like MMO is coming to us in Autumn of 2021 after making waves in Korea and Japan. A beta’s also coming in summer, so keep ready for that.
Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4
We got to take a glimpse at everything that’ll be hitting Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone this season, with also some details of a returning map – Hijacked – and a new operator for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Among Us
A new hide and seek mode, new roles, and new cosmetics are all coming to Among Us. In addition, Map 5 is confirmed for some more suspicious action.
Salt and Sacrifice
The sequel to Salt and Sanctuary has a name, it’s called Salt and Sacrifice and will be releasing in 2022 with more of a focus on co-op multiplayer.
Solar Ash
The team behind Hyper Light Drifter are bringing us Solar Ash, coming later in 2021, with an absolutely stunning art direction.
Escape from Tarkov
The ultra-realistic FPS is getting a new map called Streets of Tarkov, taking warfare to a desolate cityscape for a new take on the tactical shooter.
Two Point Campus
Coming 2022 is Two Point Campus, a university-themed followup to Bullfrog-a-like Two Point Hospital.
SMITE + Stranger Things
Alright, who had Stranger Things coming to god-themed MOBA SMITE? Well if you did, well done, it’s happening on July the 13th.
The Anacrusis
This co-op retro-styled FPS comes from ex-Valve and Riot developers and looks to do for spaceships what Left 4 Dead did for zombies. Look for it around autumn of 2021.
Fast & Furious + Rocket League
It’s a match made in heaven, Rocket League and Fast & Furious are teaming up to bring you more car-themed chaos from June the 17th.
Bloodhunt
This battle royale game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe sees vampires take to the rooftops in a brutal battle for supremacy.
House of Ashes
The latest in the Dark Pictures Anthology, House of Ashes heads to an ancient ruin under the shifting sands. It’ll be coming on October the 22nd, 2021.
Tales of Arise
The latest in the Tales series showed off a brand new trailer and a release date of September the 10th, 2021.
Planet of Lana
This adorable exploration-based platformer features a blob cat and that’s all you need to know, frankly. Oh, and also it launches in 2022.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Capcom showed off a little more of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. With more focus on story and amiibo integration, there’s a lot to take in over this brief trailer.
Endless Dungeon
The next in the breathtakingly-inventive Endless series from Amplitude is Endless Dungeon, and we got to take a brief look at it.
Nier comes to Fall Guys
Nier Automata in Fall Guys? Why not! You can get your hands on this new skin for your bean on June the 18th.
Back 4 Blood
Turtle Rock Studios spiritual sequel to Left 4 Dead got a new trailer showing off some of the deadly foes you’ll be facing on October the 12th, 2021.
Tribes of Midgard
Giants are coming! Releasing on the 27th of July, this survival RPG will see you help your tribe take on the very gods themselves.
Evil Dead: The Game
Saber Interactive are hard at work on Evil Dead: The Game, a four player co-op horror-a-thon that’s set to launch in 2021.
Day of the Devs
As part of both Summer Game Fest and E3 2021 we got to see some smaller games take centre stage for a while as part of Day of the Devs. Here’s all the main announcements:
Axiom Verge 2
The sequel to metroidvania Axiom Verge is coming soon, with new melee attacks and the ability to skip bosses you get stuck on. Ah, bliss.
Toem
This adventure puzzle game sees you play as a photographer attempting to get a glimpse of the natural phenomenon ‘Toem’. Releasing later in summer, this black and white hand-drawn adventure looks absolutely beautiful.
Phantom Abyss
An asynchronous multiplayer game sees you delve into ruins to grab the gear before you die. However, if you do die, your ghost will show others the way – and how you died. Expect to play Phantom Abyss later in June.
Garden Story
Ever wanted to be a village guardian in grape form? Now you can in Garden Story, a fruit-and-veg filled RPG game coming later this summer.
Soup Pot
Make food slowly and with care in this chaotic but chilled cooking simulator, coming with ultra-realistic foodstuffs this summer.
A Musical Story
Inspired by 70s prog rock, this rhythm game shows off some absolutely beautiful style with its free-flowing riffs. Get your pick ready this summer.
Vokabulantis
A stop-motion platformer that’s incredibly ambitious and beautiful, there’s no release date just yet but we could watch that trailer all day.
Road 96
Hitchhike across a procedurally generated roadscape in Road 96, just make sure you don’t annoy your driver too much. Grab a ride later in summer 2021.
The Wandering Village
Build a village, town, or even city on a giant creature’s back in The Wandering Village, coming to Early Access later this year.
Unbeatable
Music is illegal in the world of Unbeatable so obviously, go make some music. Make decisions and your band will make brand new songs based on them, a free demo is available to grab right now.
Death’s Door
Nothing dies in Death’s Door but you’re going to stop that. As a small corvid grim reaper, it’s up to you to platform your way to a dark victory later this summer.
Behind the Frame
Looking more anime than most anime, Behind the Frame is a first-person puzzler with some narrative aspects that’s coming soon, but not soon enough.
Elec Head, Demolition Robots K.K, and Walk
Japanese indie-development supporter Asobu showed off three games in their section. Elec Head is a puzzle platformer with an electrified robot. Demolition Robots K.K. sees you in a giant robot breaking buildings, and Walk is a stunningly scary PS1-esque horror title.
Moonglow Bay
Set in a town where everyone apart from yourself is afraid to fish, you go fishing! This cute RPG has strong Stardew Valley vibes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Look for it later this year.
Loot River
Loot River is a 2D roguelike which sees you rearrange platformers in order to move about and trap enemies. It’s looking unique, and we can’t wait to see more.
Despolete
First-person and hand drawn, this Ecuadorian slice-of-life game reflects on the developers’ personal experiences with the beautiful game.
Last Stop
From the team behind Virginia, this supernatural adventure set in London is coming out on July the 22nd, and it’s as stylish as their previous work.
Ubisoft
The Ubsoft Forward event showed off everything the big team is working on, from Far Cry to Assassin’s Creed, we got a taste of it all.
Rainbow Six Extraction
The first gameplay of the survival FPS in the Rainbow Six universe was shown off, along with a release date of September the 16th, 2021.
Rocksmith+
Rocksmith is launching a subscription service allowing players to pay a regular fee to access the entire library of songs, instead of paying for each track as DLC. The beta for this service has already launched.
Riders Republic
We got to see a lot more of the 64 player race game along with the Riders Ridge hub, a place where you can hang out and customise your gear. Get your pedals ready for a September the 2nd release date.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft announced a second year of content for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, meaning our friend Eivor is off on many more adventures before they’re done.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
The surprise mashup of Mario and Rabbids has received a surprise sequel with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. This XCOM-a-like will be hitting us in 2022.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Coming in 2022, Massive Entertainment, the team behind The Division, unveiled Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Check out some of the Pandoran footage above in this first-person open-world action-adventure game.
Far Cry 6 Season Pass
Some familiar faces are returning as part of Far Cry 6’s Season Pass, including Vaas from Far Cry 3, Pagan Min from Far Cry 4, and Joseph Seed from Far Cry 5. What will this entail? We’ll have to wait and see.
Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline
Aiden Pearce is back in a newly announced expansion for Watch Dogs: Legion. Titled Bloodline it’ll release on July the 6th and include a hefty amount of new content for the London-based game.
Rainbow Six Siege
A new operator – Thunderbird – and cross-play and cross-progression were all detailed as part of the Ubisoft Forward event, with cross-play coming early 2022 and Thunderbird arriving around June the 14th.
Gearbox Software
Gearbox held their own event as part of E3 2021 with a few surprises thrown in. Here’s what they showed off during their show:
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
You can check this out far above as part of the Summer Game Fest, or here as part of Gearbox’s show. Either way, get your Tiny Tina fill right here!
Tribes of Midgard
During the Gearbox show we saw a little more of Tribes of Midgard which had been announced a few days prior, with developers delving a little more into how the game works.
Godfall
Gearbox announced that Godfall is definitely heading to PS4, in addition to the announcement of a new expansion titled Fire and Darkness. New endgame modes are also being added, hoping to spice up the latter part of the game.
Microsoft/Bethesda
The biggest show so far of the show was the Microsoft and Bethesda showcase, their first after the former bought the latter. Here’s what they had to show off as part of their double-whammy of gaming goodness:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 – Heart of Chernobyl
The long-awaited sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. showed off five minutes of intense horror/survival gameplay, and we even got a release date – April the 28th, 2022.
Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood, the aforementioned spiritual sequel to Left 4 Dead, is coming to Game Pass on October the 12th, 2021.
Contraband
Newly announced from Just Cause studio Avalanche, Contraband is a co-op open world heist game and is looking absolutely stylish as heck.
Sea of Thieves
Jack Sparrow is coming to Sea of Thieves in a free update on June the 22nd, adding new adventures, enemies, and of course the lovable scamp himself.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Today (13th of June, 2021), Yakuza: Like a Dragon has been added to Xbox Game Pass, meaning the entire Yakuza saga is available, well, pretty much everywhere.
Battlefield 2042
We got to see more of the global-warming themed action coming in the massively multiplayer shooter with three minutes of explosive gameplay.
12 Minutes
We finally got a release date for the time-loop interactive thriller, expect to get your hands on it for Xbox and PC on August the 19th, 2021.
Psychonauts 2
Speaking of release dates, we got to see when Psychonauts 2 is releasing – and it’s not far out! You’ll be able to dive into the crazy world of Psychonauts 2 on August the 25th.
Fallout 76 – Steel Reign
The Steel Reign update was announced for Fallout 76, coming later this June. Help the Brotherhood of Steel in their power struggle and decide the fate of the faction in this brand new update for the multiplayer post-apocalyptic role playing game.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Console Enhanced
A brand new version of the ever-updated MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online, is coming to next-generation consoles with updated graphics and features that bring it more in line with the PC version.
Party Animals
This physics-based animal fun-time game looks like it’ll be the brawler to end all brawlers, if what you’re looking for is fun and enough laughs to make you fall off the sofa. Party Animals is coming in 2022, and we can’t wait.
Hades
Hades, everyone’s favourite Greek god based roguelike, is coming to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass on August the 13th.
Somerville
This sci-fi adventure grounded in the tiny consequences of large-scale events sees you reconstruct your family, or try to, after a terrible event.
Halo Infinite
In a move that surprised many, including the writer of this piece, it looks like Halo Infinite is actually coming out later this year. Scheduled for a Holiday 2021 release, we also found out that the multiplayer will be free-to-play.
Diablo II Resurrected
Time to go back to Tristram in Diablo II Resurrected, which is launching on September the 23rd.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
If you want to see more rats than you can shake a rat’s tail at, then A Plague Tale: Requiem is the game for you. Coming 2022, this grim tale looks to be the perfect follow up to the previous ratty entry.
Slime Rancher 2
Time to catch more slimes as you build up another ranch, set out on adventures, and make your dreams come true on the Far, Far Range. Expect to see Slime Rancher 2 hit your hard drive in 2022.
Shredders
Hit those slopes this December in Shredders, a snowboarding game that looks to do for snowboarding what THPS did for skateboarding.
Atomic Heart
We saw a little more of Atomic Heart with a brief gameplay trailer, showing off this wild world and some of the bizarre technology we’ll be interacting with.
REPLACED
REPLACED was a new announcement, with a stunning art style that simply has to be seen in motion. This exploration/action/platformer is coming 2022 and looks set to be the focus of many gifs on social media.
Eiyuden Chronicle Rising + Hundred Heroes
Featuring traditional 6 player battle systems and all-new 2D art against 3D backgrounds, we’ll be getting our hands on these new JRPG games in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The Ascent
Dive into a cyberpunk world in The Ascent where your true enemies are powerful, large, and well-suited. Jack into the system on July the 29th.
Age of Empires IV
Take control of history in the brand-new entry in the Age of Empires series. Age of Empires IV will launch on October the 28th, 2021.
The Outer Worlds 2
It’s still a long way out, but The Outer Worlds 2 is in development and we got to see a little of the direction Obsidian are planning on taking with the next in this RPG series.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
It’s almost impossible to believe but it’s true, Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Xbox Series X|S on July the 27th, and you can check out some of the gameplay here.
Forza Horizon 5
Time to head into the driving seat in Forza Horizon 5, coming November the 9th. This time, we’re heading into Mexico with new game modes and even some adventures to experience.
Redfall
Redfall is the new game from Arkane, the team behind Dishonored, Prey, and Arx Fatalis. This co-op immersive sim sees you take on cults and vampires, and will launch during summer 2022.
And there you go, the first few days of E3 2021 all covered. What are you looking forward to most? Head over to our Community Forum and let us know.
