The Electronic Entertainment Expo has been the premier event since its start in 1995. (PRNewsfoto/A4Tech) The yearly Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, is almost upon us. In fact, there has been a steady stream of hype and news about the event coming in for the last week or so, with this weekend’s conferences promising some exciting reveals for anyone who loves video games. We’ve collected some of the pre-E3 announcements we’re excited for, as well as the schedule for the conferences we’ll be watching this weekend.  

Pre-E3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K8E3c_Rj50 Nicalis announced roguelike action role-playing game RemiLore on Twitter yesterday.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03sIxOsqCmc Meanwhile, Oculus has been heavy teasing Ready at Dawn’s Echo Combat, which is entering open beta later this month. Also continuously teased by Oculus is the VR spy thriller Defector.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHgIHdKYy1o PlayStation VR darling Moss VR has recently between released on Steam and Oculus Home ahead of any major E3 announcements. You can check out my review of the PlayStation VR version here:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr8fVT_Ds4Q Sony has been having a daily stream for their countdown to their Monday press conference, announcing Tetris Effect with an extremely effective teaser trailer.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VDpHSP0e_U4 Sony also revealed the release date for long-teased narrative driven adventure Days Gone for February 22, 2019.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=7EMAtlY4R-E Developer DONTNOD, known for hits like Life is Strange has been hard at work shortly after releasing Vampyr,  announcing  mystery thriller Twin Mirror just in time for the E3 hype.   https://twitter.com/KeepTalkingGame/status/1004460671474466816 Office favorite Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes has recently been announced for Xbox One, and more excitingly: the Nintendo Switch. That means you can gather people to help you defuse bombs just about anywhere.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=que6XjSNgLg Co-Op shooter Strange Brigade has been teasing some upcoming announcements for E3, and we’re very excited for what is essentially a spiritual successor to the great (and overlooked) Zombie Army Trilogy.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQX6qBiCu9E Fresh for E3 is Creative Assembly’s take on the Chinese historical conflict with Total War: THREE KINGDOMS,who had a pretty amazing gameplay trailer to whet our appetites.    

Presentations:

Saturday 6/9 - EA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw16v3oGXso   EA 1pm CST - Highly anticipated multiplayer shooter Anthem should be getting some time during EA’s conference as well as the already teased World War II-ish Battlefield V You can watch it on Twitch or Youtube.  

Sunday 6/10 - Xbox, Bethesda, Devolver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpkM3-A6ys   Microsoft’s - Xbox show.3pm CST -  We’re expecting to see some news about popular franchises Halo and Forza as well as a look at the recently delayed Crackdown 3.  You can watch this showcase on Youtube, Mixer or Twitch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H35wfQrpcwo Bethesda - 8:30pm EST - Bethesda’s presentation could be pretty exciting this year, as they seem to have a lot of projects going right now with Rage 2, and Fallout 76 recently teased, and a mysterious open universe roleplaying game called Starfield being rumored. I haven’t seen much news about Elder Scrolls or Doom, but we’re hoping they’ll make an appearance, too. You can watch Bethesda's presentation on Twitch or Youtube.   Devolver Digital 10 CST - Devolver has been making some cryptic hints over Twitter, as well as engaging in their usual shenanigans, but as far as what to expect out of them at E3? I have no idea. It’ll probably be cool, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HZPOir21x4    

Monday 6/11- Square Enix, Ubisoft, Sony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJprOON79Ig Square Enix  12pm CST- Square Enix is another company that seems to have a lot to announce in their upcoming conference. There was a Just Cause 4 leak that was quickly taken down, so we expect there to be some news (and possibly an preorder announcement). Meanwhile, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a no-brainer when it comes to floor time, and there’s even a new Life is Strange title that is rumored to be shown--we’ll just have to wait and see. You can watch the stream on Twitch or Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mx4fHKT_lw Ubisoft 3pm CST - Pirate game Skull & Bones should make an appearance at this year’s Ubisoft presentation, as well as the already-teased Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and The Division sequel. What we really want to see is some Beyond Good & Evil 2 gameplay. The hype is real. You can catch all the action on Twitch or Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1bwSjadAbM Sony 8pm CST - We’re hoping some focus on the new Spider-Man game as well as some new footage for Last of Us Part II. While we’ll probably be getting recaps of Tetris Effect and that Days Gone trailer, what we really want to see is some more Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima’s latest is coming together faster than anyone could have anticipated, and we can’t wait to see what mind-bending craziness is in store. You can watch this presentation on Twitch or Youtube  

Tuesday 6/12 - Nintendo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAc5-1viaUg Nintendo 11am CST - Of course, last but not least, Nintendo! They have saved their Nintendo Direct conference for the morning of the expo start, 11am CST. This is the one we're most excited about. We're hoping to see some news on Metroid Prime 4, and maybe some information on the teased Pokemon Switch games. Splatoon 2 looks to be a big part of what Nintendo has planned, too. Only time will tell--hell, maybe we’ll even see Fortnite for Switch revealed! You can catch the Nintendo conference on Twitch or Youtube.