E3 2018 is finally here — almost. Even though the actual show doesn’t start until Tuesday, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Nintendo, Bethesda, and basically every other big name in gaming will be taking the stage at some point in the next few days to kick off the conference with a slew of announcements.
New games? Fancy trailers? Actual gameplay footage? Maybe even release dates? All that and more awaits. Here’s when / where you can watch the biggest events and what you can expect from each.
Monday, June 11th
Square Enix
When: Monday, June 11th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET
What: Square Enix is showing up at E3 for the first time since 2015. We know that Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III will be getting some time in the limelight. But Square Enix also has a game based on Marvel’s popular Avengers franchise in the works. And what’s a better time to announce that than after the height of Infinity War hype? Plus, there are rumors of new entries in the Just Cause and Life Is Strange series. And maybe, just maybe, an update on the possibly mythical Final Fantasy VII Remake (or even Final Fantasy XVI).
Ubisoft
When: Monday, June 11th at 1PM PT / 4PM ET
What: Expect a more formal reveal of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (which was teased already), a first look at The Division sequel that Ubisoft previously announced, the AC: Black Flag-inspired Skull & Bones that Ubisoft announced last year, and hopefully, some more concrete gameplay and information on the long-awaited Beyond Good & Evil 2.
PC Gaming Show
When: Monday, June 11th at 3PM PT / 6PM ET
What: A grab bag of general PC gaming news, PC Gamer is promising “more unannounced games, unrevealed trailers, and new footage than any previous year.”
Sony (PlayStation)
When: Monday, June 11th at 6PM PT / 9PM ET
What: Sony’s been pretty clear about its E3 plans, promising appearances from Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II, along with news from other independent and third-party developers. (Expect Destiny 2’s new Forsaken expansion to pop up here as well.) But there could be surprises, too: God of War DLC? Horizon Zero Dawn sequel? Something new from Bloodborne developer FromSoftware? We’ll have to wait and see.
Tuesday, June 12th
Nintendo
When: Tuesday, June 12th at 9AM PT / 12PM ET
What: Smash Bros. for Switch. Pokémon for Switch. Fortnite for Switch. Metroid Prime 4 for Switch. Probably some other surprises for Switch. Maybe that Switch Fire Emblem game Nintendo keeps vaguely mentioning? Basically, expect Switch news.
Update June 11th, 10:00am: Archived ended keynotes.
Previous keynotes:
Saturday, June 9th
Electronic Arts
When: Saturday, June 9th at 11AM PT / 2PM ET
What: We’ve already got a pretty good idea of what to expect from EA. We’ll be getting some much deeper looks at Anthem and presumably more from the already announced Battlefield V. A wild card? Star Wars, which is coming off the poorly received Battlefront II loot box scandal from last fall. Oh, and sports. Definitely lots of sports.
Sunday, June 10th
Microsoft (Xbox)
When: Sunday, June 10th at 1PM PT / 4PM ET
What: Microsoft already has the hardware, with the Xbox One X winning out as the most powerful console on the market. This year at E3, expect to hear a whole lot about the games, and specifically Microsoft’s big three franchises: Halo 6, Forza Horizon 4, and a new Gears of War. Plus, assume that Crackdown 3 will show up.
Bethesda
When: Sunday, June 10th at 6:30PM PT / 9:30PM ET
What: Rage 2 and Fallout 76 are locks, having already been announced, but Bethesda has tons of franchises that could show up at E3. Fans are champing at the bit for any news on the Elder Scrolls 6, and it’s been a few years since the company brought back Doom. Plus, there are still rumors of Starfield, a sci-fi open-universe RPG that might appear, along with mutterings of a new mobile game a la Fallout Shelter
Devolver Digital
When: Sunday, June 10th at 8PM PT / 11PM ET
What: Honestly, no idea. Devolver Digital is already a wild card when it comes to E3 briefings, and the late hour and the company’s existing penchant for messing with folks when it comes to briefings means anything could happen.