E3 2018: When and where to watch all the press conferences
Full details of all the major showcases from Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and more ahead of next week's expo
Lurking in the near distance like a hungry bear with a sales pitch, E3 is almost upon us. While it's unlikely we'll see any major hardware announcements, there's a lot on the table and it's already lining up to be a big year for games.
Microsoft needs to prove the Xbox is still relevant, while Sony is poised to drive the knife in even further. Nintendo meanwhile has a lot of momentum and goodwill from 2017, but now is the time to show it's still on a roll. We discussed all this and more on our recent E3 Expectations episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast.
With nine conferences/video streams this year, it's a lot to keep up with. We'll be posting individual stories where you can stream each conference, but in the meantime here's our handy guide on when and where to watch everything.
Electronic Arts
Saturday, June 9
11:00 PST / 14:00 EST / 19:00 BST / 04:00 AEST (Sunday)
Kicking off the press conference marathon is EA Play. Perhaps the most predictable of the lot, we can expect to see plenty of sports, some Battlefield V gameplay, and what BioWare has been up to with Anthem. There's not much room for surprises in there, but the publisher will likely be ready to show off a little of its next EA Original offering.
Microsoft
Sunday, June 10
13:00 PST / 14:00 EST / 21:00 BST / 06:00 AEST (Monday)
Xbox has confirmed it will taking a deeper diver on previously announced games, such as the long-awaited Crackdown 3, but also "trailers for our unannounced titles coming in 2018 and beyond".
Relying primarily on its back catalogue of blockbusters like Halo and Gears of War, the first-party offering from Xbox has been fairly lacklustre recently, but with the success of the Xbox One X, perhaps the platform holder is ready to show off something new.
Bethesda
Sunday, June 10
18:30 PST / 21:30 EST / 02:30 BST (Monday) / 11:30 AEST (Monday)
Bethesda has already given us a glimpse of its hand with the announcement of Fallout 76 and Rage 2, so we can expect to see both of those games in more detail.
With Skyrim now seven years behind us, a new Elder Scrolls installment seems as likely as anything from Bethesda's fresher but less successful IPs like Wolfenstein, Prey, and Doom.
Devolver Digital
Sunday, June 10
20:00 PST / 23:00 EST / 04:00 BST (Monday) / 13:00 AEST (Monday)
More of an unsubtle jab at the pomp of typical press conferences than an actual conference itself, Devolver's offering last year set the bar very high for surreal meta humor. Presumably we can expect something similar this year, only bigger and weirder.
Square Enix
Monday, June 11
10:00 PST / 13:00 EST / 18:00 BST / 03:00 AEST (Tuesday)
Returning after a few years without an E3 conference, Square Enix is offering up a "special video presentation" that will, most likely, taunt fans with more promises of Final Fantasy VII remake, and Kingdom Hearts III; if they're feeling generous, some release dates may even materialise - or maybe a glimpse of their Avengers project?
Either way, definitely except to see a lot from Shadow of the Tomb Raider and perhaps even a thick layer of new Final Fantasy XIV content.
You can watch it via Square Enix | Twitch | YouTube
Ubisoft
Monday, June 11
13:00 PST / 16:00 EST / 21:00 BST / 06:00 AEST (Tuesday)
It's set to be a big one for Ubisoft this year. Along with more on Beyond Good & Evil 2, the publisher is doubling down on its games-as-a-service content, showing off new stuff from Rainbow Six: Siege, For Honor, Skull and Bones, and The Division 2.
Additionally -- apparently having learnt nothing from the decision to take a year-long break between Assassin's Creed releases -- Ubisoft will almost certainly be showing off Assassin's Creed Odyssey in extensive detail.
PC Gaming Show
Monday, June 11
15:00 PST / 18:00 EST / 23:00 BST / 08:00 AEST (Tuesday)
PC Gamer returns to E3 this year with another PC Gaming Show promising content from publishers, indie developers, and hardware manufacturers.
You can watch it via PC Gaming Show | Twitch | YouTube
Sony
Monday, June 11
18:00 PST / 21:00 EST / 02:00 BST (Tuesday) / 11:00 AEST (Tuesday)
With an extensive catalogue of exclusive IPs -- both old and new -- Sony is in a strong position to steal the show. Along with a more in-depth look at The Last of Us II, we can likely expect some more concrete information on whatever mysterious project From Software has been working on now Dark Souls and Bloodborne have been neatly squared away.
Chances are Call of Duty will also make its appearance on the PlayStation stage, and it could even be where we get our first real look at Red Dead Redemption II.
You can watch it via PlayStation| Twitch | YouTube
Nintendo
Tuesday, June 12
09:00 PST / 12:00 EST / 17:00 BST / 02:00 AEST (Wednesday)
As ever, Nintendo is happily doing its own thing quietly in the corner. With the Switch release more than a year behind us, and Nintendo having offered up a steady stream of strong, first-party releases, things have started to peter out for the wonderchild of 2017.
While it's hard to know where exactly Nintendo is going with the Switch next, the publisher rarely fails to make a splash at E3. Even so, expect to see a lot more on Pokémon Let's Go and Super Smash Bros.
You can watch it via Nintendo | Twitch | YouTube
GamesIndustry.biz will be reporting on E3 2018 all week, both from the show itself and via our worldwide team. Follow all the latest news, interviews and analysis via our dedicated feed.