E3 2019 has begun, and while the format has changed considerably for this generation, it is still the single biggest event for gaming announcements. Publishers like Ubisoft, Bethesda, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Square Enix have come to Los Angeles to reveal new information on their upcoming games. So far, Microsoft, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, and Devolver Digital have already made their announcements. We still have Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Square Enix to look forward to in the coming days.
Certain longtime attendees — Sony, in particular — will be skipping out on the festivities, but there is still plenty to watch. Here is the E3 2019 conference schedule, complete with the highlights for each show and what we expect to see. For the full list of titles we expect to see, check out our complete E3 2019 games list roundup.
Electronic Arts: June 8
As it has done for the last several years, Electronic Arts did not officially attend E3 2019, opting to host its own EA Play event June 8-9. EA also abandoned the traditional press conference format, choosing to have several streams dedicated to a handful of titles, both old and new.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order unsurprisingly stole the show for EA. Set after the events after Revenge of the Sith, Fallen Order looks like the most promising Star Wars game in quite some time. EA also introduced us to Wattson, the next legend to join the fight in Apex Legends.
Microsoft: June 9
Microsoft didn’t have to deal with direct competition from Sony at this year’s E3. Given the beating it has taken this generation, that certainly helped the Xbox brand. Along with revealing new details about the next Xbox, code-named Project Scarlett, we learned the new console will coincide with Halo Infinite‘s launch during the 2020 holiday season. Microsoft also further detailed xCloud, its upcoming game-streaming service.
You’ll want to check out our full roundup of the MicrosoftbBriefing, because the publisher really went all out. If showcasing 60 games wasn’t enough, Microsoft also brought Keanu Reeves on stage. Can you believe Keanu is in Cyberpunk 2077? It’s true. Also, we can’t wait to play Gears 5 when it launches September 10.
Bethesda: June 9
Bethesda had a peculiar showing at E3 2019. There were several highlights, including the reveal Tango Gameworks’ new action title Ghostwire Tokyo and Arkane Studios’ Deathloop. But a sizable chunk of the presentation focused on existing games, like The Elder Scrolls: Blades and Fallout 76.
Even though Bethesda’s show was somewhat of a slog, at least we also saw more of Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Doom Eternal. But sorry, no Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI this year.
Devolver Digital: June 9
As always, Devolver Digital hosted an off-the-wall, wonderful “press conference.” This time, the revered indie publisher parodied Nintendo by hosting a wild Devolver Direct. The performance (more of a skit than a traditional show) was light on games, but brimming with jokes. Devolver showed off an inventive new indie called Carrion, which places you in the role of the monster in a “reverse horror” game. You can also buy Devolver Bootleg, a collection of eight “ripoff” games published by Devolver. Act fast, because it’s 1 percent off until June 16.
The Upload E3VR Showcase: June 10 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
Virtual reality content doesn’t usually get the spotlight at E3 press conferences, and Upload VR has taken it upon itself to fix this by hosting the E3VR Showcase. The event will be prerecorded in a similar manner to a Nintendo Direct presentation and will be loaded with new game announcements and footage from developers around the world.
Upload VR promises big reveals during the presentation, and there should be something on display for Rift, Vive, Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR owners.
PC Gaming Show: June 10 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
For the fifth consecutive year, E3 will host the PC Gaming Show, a presentation on the latest game and hardware news for the platform. For the 2019 edition, the PC Gaming Show promises a mix of content from big-name franchises, as well as smaller independent titles that are so prevalent on PC. It will be available to stream live on Twitch.
Thus far, participants confirmed for the PC Gaming Show include Epic Games Store –which will be sponsoring the show — as well as Frontier Developments, Paradox Interactive, Chucklefish, Digital Extremes, and Funcom. Sean “Day9″ Plott will return to host, and participants will be announced as we near E3 2019. The PC Gaming Show always remains something of a wild card because of its collaborative nature, but expect at least a few of the partnered publishers to announce new titles.
Ubisoft: June 10 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET
Ubisoft routinely puts on one of the biggest E3 press conferences of the year, packing it full of gameplay trailers, as well as new game announcements. We have heard rumors that the next Assassin’s Creed game will star Vikings, but it isn’t planned for release in 2019, so we don’t anticipate it being at the show. Watch Dogs has been dormant since 2016 and a third game is reportedly set in London, so an announcement could be the perfect show-closer.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 development continues, but it will be absent from the show. Of course, no Ubisoft event would be complete without a Tom Clancy game, and though we anticipate more information on The Division 2 DLC and the upcoming Ghost Recon game, we’re still crossing our fingers that Ubisoft finally has some Splinter Cell news.
Square Enix: June 10 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET
Last year’s E3 press conference was one of the worst we’ve ever seen, so there is nowhere to go but up for the publisher this year. Luckily, we think there will be more promising games shown off during the 2019 presentation. Two years out from Nier: Automata’s release, it seems like an appropriate time to pull back the curtain on a sequel, and Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers Project should be progressing as well.
If we’re lucky, we’ll also get more information on PlatinumGames’ Babylon’s Fall, as well as Final Fantasy VII Remake. The latter game was announced several years ago and has undergone a studio change in the years since.
Nintendo: June 11 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
Nintendo has no shortage of games in development for Nintendo Switch, including Luigi’s Mansion 3, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon Sword and Shield. At its rapid-fire Nintendo Direct presentation during E3 2019, we expect to hear news on at least a few of these games, alongside new announcements.
What we will not see is any new hardware. Nintendo has already confirmed that its presentation will be software-only so, any news about a revised or cheaper Nintendo Switch system will have to wait for a different event.
Sony: MIA
For the first time in E3 history, Sony will not be holding its own E3 press conference. The company has taken to doing “State of Play” videos similar to Nintendo Direct presentations, which provide information on upcoming releases, but we don’t expect anything significant to come out of these videos if Sony has one planned. With the next PlayStation likely launching in 2020, we are certain Sony will be back for a press conference next year.
