Skip to main content

E3 2021: What livestreams you need to watch during the show

This Saturday, June 12, the ESA will host its first-ever all-digital E3. While we won’t get to see theaters full of excited fans, we’re still getting plenty of exciting presentations from the top names in gaming. The four-day event will feature new announcements from Nintendo, Microsoft, Square Enix, and much more.

The full schedule of events is a little intimidating. The ESA shared a handy day-by-day breakdown that includes 28 live presentations. In addition to the big companies, that includes keynotes from companies like Verizon, presentations from video game websites, and deep dives into specific titles. With so much to watch, E3 might seem intimidating this year. To alleviate some stress, here’s every can’t-miss livestream happening over the next few days.

Ubisoft Forward

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The first day of E3 might not be the exciting kickoff fans have come to expect. It’s the lightest day when it comes to scheduling, with only four events planned, including a pre-show. Still, there’s at least one important moment that day: Ubisoft’s Forward event. The publisher will host a big digital event complete with an hourlong pre-show. Ubisoft’s presentations are usually loaded with content, so we can expect a lot of games out of this.

What exactly will we see? The biggest game currently scheduled to appear is the recently announced Rainbow Six Extraction. That’ll likely be the central pillar of the show alongside upcoming games like Riders Republic and Far Cry 6. There’s plenty of mystery beyond that though. Will we see more Beyond Good & Evil 2? Is this the year we get a release date for Skull & Bones? There’s plenty that Ubisoft could expand on, so it’ll be an exciting kickoff.

Here’s how to watch Ubisoft Forward

Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

microsoft-and-bethesda-e3-showcase-will-air-on-june-13
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The show really picks up on Sunday with the biggest event of the entire expo. Microsoft and Bethesda will hold a 90-minute presentation detailing their upcoming slate of games. Microsoft previously hinted that a joint stream would happen back when it acquired Bethesda, so fans have been anticipating this for a long time. It’ll hopefully offer more clarity on what Bethesda games will be exclusive to Microsoft consoles moving forward.

This event is particularly exciting because Microsoft hasn’t confirmed much about what games will appear. We can assume Halo Infinite is going to appear based on the event’s promo art, but it’s anyone’s guess from there. Presumably, Bethesda’s software will be a big focus of the show. Fans expect to see some details on Starfield, which has quietly become one of the most anticipated games of the show. Other game possibilities include Fable, Psychonauts 2, and The Elder Scrolls 6, so this is a particularly loaded event.

Here’s how to watch the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

Square Enix Presents

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Directly following the Xbox show on Sunday, we’ll get a Square Enix Presents showcase. Considering how enjoyable the publisher’s last stream was, this should be a compact but exciting show. We know we’ll get another look at Life is Strange: True Colors here, as well as some new information on Marvel’s Avengers. Other than that, the PlatinumGames title Babylon’s Fall will be the big game to watch this time around.

The most mysterious part of this show is that Square will unveil an unannounced title from Eidos Montreal. The studio is primarily known for the Deus Ex franchise, but fans speculate that this is an entirely new project. There could be more surprises in store too. Recent rumors pointed to a new Dark Souls-inspired Final Fantasy game appearing during E3. Square hasn’t teased anything about the project itself, so there’s no guarantee it’ll show up, but that certainly adds some mystique.

Here’s how to watch Square Enix Presents

Capcom

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s been a really strong year for Capcom, and it’ll push that momentum further at E3 this year. The publisher will hold Monday’s biggest presentation. There’s a lot to get excited about as Capcom will give some new details on 2021 hits like Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Rise. Upcoming titles like Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will be on display as well.

While we don’t know if Capcom has any secrets up its sleeve, there’s a lot of potential here. After all, the company is responsible for franchises like Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Street Fighter, and more. There’s a good chance to we see at least one genuine surprise here in between the expected titles.

Here’s how to watch Capcom’s E3 stream

Nintendo Direct & Treehouse Live

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo is always a huge part of E3, even when it’s not physically there. The company’s Direct presentations are arguably the biggest water cooler moments of the show, for better or worse. Sometimes they feature E3’s most exciting announcements, like Breath of the Wild 2 or Metroid Prime 4, while other times they underdeliver.

It’s impossible to know where this year’s show will land, especially when expectations are already too high. We’re sure to see games like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Pokemon Legends Arceus during the show. But naturally, Breath of the Wild is the question on everyone’s mind. Will we finally see another glimpse at the next Zelda adventure this year? The odds are 50-50 at this point, so fans can’t miss a second of this 40-minute presentation.

Here’s how to watch Nintendo’s E3 Direct

Bandai Namco

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Two words: Elden Ring. Sure, Bandai Namco is a major publisher with plenty of games it could show during its E3 presentation, but there’s really only one reason fans are anticipating this. Elden Ring has become a meme over the years as it’s dodged event after event without showing so much as a new screenshot. This year, it made a surprise appearance at Summer Game Fest with a new gameplay trailer and a January 21 release date. We expect to see a more in-depth glimpse at the action RPG during Bandai Namco’s show.

Those are just a few of the shows happening this year, but there’s plenty more on the horizon. Make sure to check out the full schedule and familiarize yourself with the digital portal that will house all the big announcements.

Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
With E3 2023 gone, other gaming events need to step up
A purple E3 logo floats in the air.

Despite how inevitable the complete downfall of E3 felt over the past several years, E3 2023’s official cancellation still strings as it’s a significant loss for the game industry. For gamers, press, and developers, the show served multiple purposes that digital livestreams and scattered publisher-specific events don't currently replicate. In lieu of E3’s cancelation this year, and potentially forever, it’s time for other gaming events to step up and help push the video game industry forward.
Why we lost E3
I’m lucky enough to have the experience of attending three E3 shows across 2017, 2018, and 2019 and many publisher-run events focused on specific games or tighter game lineups. In its final years, E3 felt like the perfect middle ground to the gamer-focused PAX and industry-focused GDC, where people from all walks and sides of the video game industry could come together, see what’s coming in the future, and share their love for games.

It also felt more freeing than publisher-run events, as I discovered and experienced games of all sizes that I may not have otherwise and got to meet many people from every angle of the game industry. Apparently, the Entertainment Software Association struggled to convince enough people that this style of expo was important four years after the last physical event.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association president Stanley Pierre-Louis blamed E3 2023’s cancellation on the Covid-19 pandemic, “economic headwinds” due to the current recession that impacted marketing budgets, and the fact that “companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
The first two are understandable and have impacted a lot of physical events over the past couple of years. Still, the last reason speaks to a bit more worrying of a shift for those looking to network, get attention from the press, get a broader look at the industry’s future, or even pitch a game.
What we lose
Events are a great way for indies to get unexpected and much-needed attention from players and the press; look at the chance encounter that got one of our team’s freelancers hooked on Homeseek at PAX East. Now, indies will have to hope to gain attention at those more indie-focused events like PAX or be cherry-picked to be featured in a more prominent company’s showcasing. There’s also the networking and pitch factor to it.

Read more
E3 2023 has officially been canceled by the ESA and ReedPop
E3 logo

The Entertainment Software Association and ReedPop confirmed that E3 2023 has been canceled following a report that broke the news. E3 2023 was supposed to take place between June 13 and June 16.
Earlier today, IGN reported that two of its sources received an email from the Entertainment Software Association saying that this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has been canceled because it "simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry." Soon after, a tweet from the official E3 account confirmed that "both the digital and physical events for E3 2023 are canceled."
https://twitter.com/E3/status/1641546610218811393
E3 was once a prominent annual video game industry trade show but has struggled to re-emerge since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. E3 did not take place in 2020 or 2022, and a digital-only attempt at the show in 2021 did not live up to expectations. The ESA was attempting to bring the show back this year with the help of PAX organizer ReedPop, and even approved press passes for the event already, but it appears the developers and publishers have lost faith in E3. Ubisoft pulled out of the show earlier this week after initially committing to be there, while Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Level Infinite confirmed they wouldn't be there in the following days.
While E3 2023 is not happening, there are going to be many other things for people to look forward to. Geoff Keighley will host a Summer Game Fest show on June 8, Microsoft is holding a Starfield direct and larger showcase on June 11, while Ubisoft will have a Ubisoft Forward Live event in Los Angeles on June 12.

Read more
Ubisoft will not attend E3 2023, but it will still host a summer live stream
Basim showing off his hidden blade in front of the Bagdad cityscape.

Ubisoft will no longer be attending E3 2023, even though it said it would participate in February. Instead, the game publisher behind Assassin's Creed and Far Cry plans to hold its own Ubisoft Forward Live event in Los Angeles this June.
Ubisoft confirmed its change in plans to Video Games Chronicle today, with a spokesperson saying that while Ubisoft "initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we've made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction." This is a change in messaging from just over a month ago when Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said, "If E3 happens, we will be there, and we will have a lot of things to show."
What caused this change of heart in Ubisoft is unclear. However, it seems like the company found that it could still successfully promote its game lineup without being attached to the Entertainment Software Association's event. We don't know much about the Ubisoft Forward Live event other than it'll take place on June 12 in Los Angeles, but Ubisoft tells VGC that "we look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon."
This puts E3 2023 in a weird overall spot, as we currently know more about the companies that won't be at the event -- like Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Nintendo -- than we do about the publishers that will actually be there. After being canceled in 2020 and 2022 and being digital-only in 2021, E3 2023 was supposed to be the annual gaming trade show's grand return. Right now, though, the relevance and viability of E3 2023 are questionable.
ReedPop has not yet commented on the fact that Ubisoft is no longer attending E3 2023. 

Read more