Our predictions and expectations for E3 2019

E3 2019 is almost upon our doorsteps and it’s sure to surprise us with some exciting reveals and footage. Whilst we can’t predict everything that will be revealed on the E3 stage, we can put on our detective hats and make a fairly educated guess as to what will be shown. Here’s our predictions and expectations for E3 2019.

For the full schedule of E3, you can head here.

Microsoft:
6am, June 10 (AEST)

A new Xbox console cometh

At this point it’s no secret that the next generation isn’t far away, and with Sony bowing out of E3, the stage is set for Microsoft to once again lead the pack with the proper reveal of their next console. PS5 is pegged for a 2020 release at this point, and with all eyes on Xbox, they have the opportunity to truly steal the show and reveal a console that could be out as soon as March next year. Nothing is guaranteed of course – they have already revealed their digital-only Xbox One S and there have been plenty of rumours about cloud-based gaming being the future. Our Australian internet may weep, but regardless, we’re all curious to see just what the future of Xbox consoles will hold. Will it be called the Xbox Two? I hope not.

Games, please give us some games

Xbox has had a drought when it comes to first-party releases, and Crackdown 3 didn’t exactly set the world on fire back in February. There are no firm dates for Xbox exclusives in the back half of 2019, but we know that they need to have a couple of big guns ready to fire, especially with the competition already showing their hand. Gears 5 is a likely lock for October, Halo Infinite is looming and we know another Forza is due – however, Xbox have promised 14 first party games will be shown at E3. Whether they make it on to the Xbox One or if they’ll be saved as launch titles for their new console is the real question.

Go on, Xbox. Surprise us.

We know that Xbox is capable of putting on a great show at E3, if last year is anything to go by. Nintendo has opted for its pre-recorded “Direct” for years now and Sony have taken their hat out of the ring when it comes to a big press conference (which, considering last years “focus on four games” seems like a smart move).  More than ever, eyes are on Xbox to surprise us with big announcements, release dates and exciting reveals.  Will we see a new game in the Fable universe finally? Will Cyberpunk 2077 once again be part of the show?  More concrete info on The Outer Worlds? A new Capcom game following the success of Resident Evil 2 (I’m looking at you, Dino Crisis)?  Don’t forget about the indies either… and what the hell is Rare up to at the moment? *cough cough* Perfect Dark *cough cough*.  Your move, Microsoft. – Luke

Bethesda:
10.30am, June 10 (AEST)

A revisit to fiery hell

With Bethesda,  most of their cards are already shown with Wolfenstein: Youngblood releasing in July. What does this mean Bethesda has left to show? One very likely feature of their showcase will be the anticipated Doom Eternal. With the game slated to release in 2019 with no release date yet, it’s likely we will finally receive a firm date for this title and some news surrounding it. A safe bet will see us revisiting Doom Guy and his fiery adventures in October – but will he show up in Smash Bros.?

An honorable return to Dishonored

Dishonored is another title we haven’t seen in a bit. The last we saw of the franchise was standalone Death of the Outsider in 2017.  Both 2 and this standalone DLC were a hit, and with where things were left off, why wouldn’t a new entry come? A new, full game entry in the series would be received with a warm welcome from fans, especially given its single-player focus that we’re sure they want to focus on while Elders Scrolls VI and Starfield loom ominously in the distance.

More horror, blood and scares, please!

Probably the most unlikely but awesome announcement of the bunch would be a third entry for The Evil Within franchise. The first two didn’t do particularly well commercially but were loved critically, creating a fun and interesting take on the horror genre. The second even expanded into a more open world game and explored so many more ideas. This game is begging for a sequel but with its failings, it seems unlikely. That being said, the game’s creator Shinji Mikami is heading to E3 for “work”, so surely we can expect something from the talented man? – Charlie

Devolver Digital:
12pm, June 10 (AEST)

When it comes to Devolver, one must expect the unexpected. Unfortunately,  the editors are saying “Expect the Unexpected” isn’t really a valid prediction, so I guess we are taking some stabs in the dark on this one.

Nina Struthers will rise again!

Generally, Devolver isn’t much for announcing games as much as expanding on the Devolver Cinematic Universe. As for the great Nina “Motherf**king” Struthers, she will rise again. In fact, she has already re-emerged from the cocoon of what us mere mortals call “death”. She has been sighted promoting Devolver weed-selling business tycoon game, Weedcraft Inc. No specifics have been released on any biomechanical enhancements.

Please give us the release dates we crave!

Ah, but what of the games! Well, the biggest contender is more details for My Best Friend Pedro. Pedro was a smash hit online, before last year’s E3 brought it to a wider audience.  That very same Pedro is due out this month. See that right there is a bloody fantastic opportunity. Imagine Nina steps in and drops an “Oh it’s out right now, go on get!” announcement on us. That’s the dream, really.

There are a couple of other games that have been announced at previous E3 conferences but have no release date. Metal Wolf Chaos XD, an absolute hit at Devolver’s previous conference, has only 2019 as its release date. It stands to reason we may get something a little more specific at this year’s event. Less likely, we may get some details regarding Serious Sam 4, but with a vague TBA as its release information, don’t hold your breath.

Please Ms. Struthers, bring us new games!

Otherwise, the only thread we may have for Devolver is its only game that is 1) unreleased, 2) unannounced and 3) listed on Devolver’s site as an upcoming game. That would be EITR. An action RPG by Eneme Entertainment, previously known for Mother Russia Bleed, is being described by some as an “isometric Soulslike”. It’s a pretty badass little number, and definitely has a very epic vibe that will really slot into Devolver’s press conference.

It’s fair to say though, that Devolver will probably be introducing a few new games that we don’t even know about yet. There will probably be a few totally new projects on display, I personally can’t wait to see what they have in store. And of course, I relish the chance to see more of the avaricious and violent shenanigans of Ms. Struthers. In essence, I look forward to the expected the unexpected. – Sam

PC Gaming:
3am, June 11 (AEST)

Are things going to be Epic?

For better or for worse, there’s one guarantee from this year’s PC Gaming show. And that is a big presence from the Epic Games store. Expect news of releases coming to the Epic store, expect exclusives, and generally just expect a lot of showmanship about the controversial gaming distribution platform. Hell, we may even hear of new features that would help bring Epic in line with their competition. Why do we know this is on the way? It’s because the Epic Games store will be the major sponsor of the PC Gaming show this year. It doesn’t mean everything we’re going to be shown will be Epic-related, although it will certainly play a rather large role.

But what about the games?

There’s a few games that are almost certainly going to appear at this year’s PC Gaming show. Rebellion, the developers behind titles such as the Sniper Elite series and Strange Brigade are confirmed to be in attendance this year. In fact they are bringing 3 new games to the event including Evil Genius 2, a followup to the classic RTS from 2004. Another Rebellion game remains a complete mystery but will be revealed at the PC Gaming show. We also know Modus Games will be in attendance and it seems very likely that they’ll be showing off more of the already announced Trine 4. At last year’s E3 we saw a hauntingly beautiful game by the name of Sable. With Sable publisher Raw Fury confirmed at the PC Gaming show this year it’s pretty much a lock that we’ll see more of this intriguing game, perhaps a release date? Also expect to see a little bit of Aussie love with publishing label Fellow Traveller back for this year’s PC Gaming show. We know they have a bunch of games in the pipeline because we had a chat to them at PAX Australia last year, although its the futuristic narrative game Neo Cab I’m expecting to see the most.

In our wildest dreams?

It’s hard not to hold hope for a few game reveals that seem to be in the realm of possibility. Re-Logic, the creative team behind the incredibly popular survival game Terraria, will be at the PC Gaming show this year. Could they simply be showing off updates to Terraria or news of the game being ported to new platforms? Perhaps. Could it be something a lot more exciting like Terraria 2? Anything is possible. Fatshark will also be in attendance. This is a development studio who have released incredible games like War of the Roses and, more recently, Warhammer: Vermintide 2. It’s probably far too soon for a new Vermintide game, although any Vermintide news whatsoever will be music to my ears. Personally I’m hoping for a new War of the Roses game. With the recent success of Mordhau there’s clearly a market for these epic, medieval warfare games. Oh and Chucklefish will be at the PC Gaming show too. Stardew Valley 2? I mean I guess it’s possible. Although I certainly think we’re more likely to see details on the upcoming wizard school simulator, Spellbound! – Elliot

Ubisoft:
8am, June 11 (AEST)

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Ubisoft will focus on the upcoming successor to Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Following the familiar open-world, tactical shooter gameplay, Breakpoint is set on a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean called “Auroa”. It features Jon Bernthal of Marvel’s The Punisher and AMC’s The Walking Dead fame as the main antagonist. In traditional, goofy Ubisoft fashion, expect an over-acted demo of four “real” gamers planning a tactical assault on an enemy base. The game will look and play great, but probably lack a lot of content, direction, or exciting note-worthy features. As underrated as Wildlands is, don’t assume Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will shake up the battlefield.

Nintendo and Ubisoft REUNITE

That’s right! Following the success of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle in 2017, expect to see a new collaboration from the two giants. Leaks hint a new sports-action party game releasing for the Nintendo Switch. The exhilarating concept is called “Roller Champions” and looks like Roller Derby meets Rocket League. Compete against opponents in a race to score points or cause havoc with smashing results. Time will tell whether it will meet the competitive calibre of Rocket League. Speaking of “smashing”, new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC should hopefully include some Ubisoft icons. Rayman, Rabbids, or maybe even Trials Guy? All potentially fantastic additions.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 and Skull & Bones

Hoping to see much from these heavily anticipated titles is going to end in disappointment. Beyond Good and Evil 2 was officially announced at E3 2017, yet clearly been in development for much longer. There may be the possibility of a small teaser to keep fans thirsty for more. Skull & Bones recently received a massive delay and won’t be releasing until sometime in 2020. News dictates that production isn’t going too smoothly for these games. Most likely, Ubisoft and developers may be focusing on pushing them back to the next generation to maximise their potential and avoid another Watch Dogs situation. Only a couple more years, BG&E2 fans… at least there is more room for licensed games and Aisha Tyler now! – Omi

Square Enix:
11am, June 11th (AEST)

How Live is Live?

Last year’s Square Enix E3 Showcase ended up being a half-hour, prerecorded compilation of trailers, some of which they’d already released the day before, culminating in the reveal of The Quiet Man. This year’s show is titled Square Enix Live, implying there will be a live component of the presentation. With Sony bowing out of E3 this year, Square Enix needs to do a bit more heavy lifting to build hype for their games, so here’s hoping the “live” part goes some way towards that. Unless it ends with a trailer for The Quiet Man 2.

I Want to Play as Thor’s Husband

One of the few games confirmed to be in Square Enix’s presentation this year is Marvel’s Avengers, which may or may not be its final name. A leaked blurb for the game describes it to have both single-player and co-op gameplay, featuring customisable heroes in teams of four. It’d be great to know what exactly all that means, and how much of the game will be multiplayer focused. Is it more like Insomniac’s Spider-Man or is it a Destiny-em-up? It’s got both Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal at the helm, developers better known for their atmospheric single-player titles, so there’s a lot of fog to clear around this game next week.

Unattainable Fantasies but also some Attainable Fantasies

There will be at least two titles from the company’s biggest franchise on display this year. With Stormblood, the upcoming third expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, coming out in July, Square will probably take the opportunity to spruik all the new jobs, gameplay and story. This will be exciting for the people already playing it, and impenetrable nonsense to the people who aren’t. But the Final Fantasy VII Remake, if present, will easily be the most exciting thing on offer this year. The more info they reveal, the happier nostalgic fans will be. If the game is episodic, how much content is in each episode? How much has the battle system been revamped? Is the sequence where Cloud dresses in drag to sneak into a sex club still intact? If so, should it be? Lastly, Final Fantasy XV ended development earlier this year, and there is currently no news of the next main entry in the franchise. It is very unlikely that Final Fantasy XVI will be announced this year – but if it is, let’s hope we won’t have to wait too long for it to come out. – Pedro

Nintendo:
2am, June 12th (AEST)

New challenger approaching!

With the successful debut of Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in April,  E3 ought to be the perfect time to announce the next newcomer to the party fighter. There’s been PLENTY of speculation as to who else is coming, and it’ll be great to finally have an answer. Expect a flashy new trailer to show off the next fighter, and with any luck, we might get to see their stage too! I still haven’t given up hope for Banjo-Kazooie…

Debuts aplenty!

We’ve seen plenty of announcements throughout the year for upcoming titles, and it’s a very safe bet that we’ll get to see more of these games shown off. Luigi’s Mansion 3, Link’s Awakening Switch, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Pokémon Sword and Shield… and perhaps even the gameplay reveal of Animal Crossing Switch? On top of that, we’re sure to see some brand new Nindies, including the recent surprise that was Cadence of Hyrule!  Prepare to be spoiled for choice!

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe…

Lastly, Nintendo is almost definitely going to blow us away with an announcement that no-one will see coming. There has been rumours and speculation about a new Switch releasing, perhaps a version 2.0 of some kind, which certainly wouldn’t be surprising given the multiple versions of Nintendo’s previous handhelds. Beyond that, there’s bound to be some news that never broke due to how careful they’ve been with leaks, as seen with the Ultimate roster which no-one managed to correctly spoil. Personally, I’d like to see the debut of SNES games for their online service, but at this point, it could be anything; and that’s what makes it so exciting! – Ashley

—

What are you looking forward to most about E3 2019 and what are your wild predictions? Make sure to check back with us daily for all the latest news about the biggest conference of the year, taking place from June 10.