E3 2021: All The Biggest Announcements From The Show

E3 returned this year after skipping last year due to the global pandemic. Even though the industry as a whole was affected by challenges the pandemic introduced, that didn’t keep developers and publishers from making huge announcements during the show. Here’s a rundown of all the major announcements from E3 2021.

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Rainbow Six Extraction

After a year of silence following its 2019 announcement under a different name, Rainbow Six Extraction made its return to Ubisoft’s E3 stage with our first look at gameplay. Combining the tactical gameplay of Rainbow Six Siege with the survival stylings of something like Left 4 Dead, Rainbow Six Extraction looks like it’ll offer a fun co-op experience with friends when it releases this year on September 16.

Riders Republic

Extreme sports games generally stick to just one field, but Ubisoft’s Riders Republic is throwing a variety of different sports into the mix for you to enjoy. At this year’s E3, we got a September 2 release date for the game, as well as a look at some of the different game modes and ways in which we can play with our friends, and it looks like it’ll be a blast. Only a few months left before we can fly a wing-suit in a 50-person race or use a rocket powered bicycle to beat the competition.

Far Cry 6 Season Pass

Far Cry 6 will bring us to the island of Yara to start a revolution against antagonist Anton Castillo, but the game’s Season Pass is putting us in the shoes of villains from previous games. It’s an exciting prospect that’s sure to have fans intrigued as to what these experiences will hold.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Mario and the Rabbids are back in Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope, a new intergalactic journey that adds the Lumas from Super Mario Galaxy and a Rabbid version of Rosalina. The first game, Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle, was a surprise critical success when it released back in 2017, so expectations are high for the long-awaited sequel.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

It feels like forever since we first learned that Ubisoft was making a game based on James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, but at this year’s E3 Ubisoft Forward, the company finally revealed the project. Called Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the game has players exploring unseen regions of Pandora as a Na’vi in a first-person open-world game. It’s set to release next year exclusively on new-generation consoles, so we’ll probably be seeing more of the game later this year.

Starfield

Microsoft kicked off their E3 showcase by flexing their acquisition of Bethesda and revealing the first in-engine footage of Starfield. It didn’t show much, but it did reveal the game’s November 11, 2022 release date, a show of confidence from Microsoft that the game will be out soon, and a power move to get Xbox owners excited for next year. The company also confirmed that the game will be an Xbox exclusive.

Contraband

Avalanche Studios (creators of the Just Cause franchise) announced that they’re making a new IP exclusively for Xbox. Titled Contraband, we don’t know much about the game aside from the fact that it’ll be a co-op game set in an open world. It’ll be coming to Game Pass on day one.

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is getting a big update later this month that’s bringing Captain Jack Sparrow and other characters from Pirates of the Caribbean to the game. The update is free and will add a whole new storyline to the game that integrates the new characters for a story that doesn’t seem out of place in the Sea of Thieves world.

Psychonauts 2 release date

We’ve seen a lot of Psychonauts 2 already, but this year’s E3 gave us a release date for the game in addition to a brand new trailer. The game looks great and should be a mind-bending blast when it releases on August 25.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite didn’t have the best showing last year, but this year’s footage was the shot in the arm the game needed. The brief campaign footage we got teases a very personal story for Master Chief, and the multiplayer looks to be a great next step for the franchise when it comes out later this year.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Requiem was officially announced on the Xbox E3 stage and is set to be released next year. And when it does, it’ll be available on Game Pass from day one.

Outer Worlds 2

Obsidian Entertainment surprised everyone with the announcement of The Outer Worlds 2. While we didn’t get a release window or any in-game footage, we did get a very snarky and clever cinematic trailer.

Forza Horizon 5

Playground Games may not have brought Fable to this year’s E3, but they did come with Forza Horizon 5, the latest entry in their racing series. The new game takes the Horizon Festival to Mexico for some of the most stunning next-gen visuals we’ve seen to date. It’ll be released later this year on November 9.

Redfall

Microsoft ended their showcase the same way they started it: with a brand new IP from Bethesda. Arkane Studios revealed their new game Redfall, which pits players against a town of vampires. The cinematic trailer does a good job getting across the tone and the idea of what this game could be. It’s set to release next year, so perhaps we’ll see it later this year.

Game Pass

Of the 30 games shown during Microsoft’s event, 27 of them are coming to Game Pass as soon as they release. Some of the highlights include The Ascent, Replaced, Atomic Heart, Somerville, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Back 4 Blood, and12 Minutes.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Square Enix kicked off their E3 showcase with a lengthy look at Guardians of the Galaxy. Developed by Eidos Montréal, the game is a single-player, story driven game that tells a fresh, new story with the characters. It looks great and is set to release this year on October 26.

War for Wakanda release date

Black Panther’s coming to Marvel’s Avengers this August with the War for Wakanda expansion. We got a brief look at the free new content that’ll hopefully breathe some life into the game’s player base.

Babylon’s Fall

Babylon’s Fall returned this year with a new trailer that featured a lot of gameplay. The game is now being developed as a live service game and will be released on PC, PS4, and PS5. No release information has been given.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin

Team Ninja is bringing its action game skills to the Final Fantasy universe with Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. Mixing some of the gameplay from Nioh and the Job system from Final Fantasy, the game has a much darker and edgy tone than one would expect from Square’s flagship franchise. A temporary demo is available now on PS5 until June 24, and the game will release next year on all platforms except Switch.

Kazuya in Smash

Revealed at the start of Nintendo’s E3 Direct, Kazuya from Tekken will be joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. No release date was given, but we’ll be getting a deep dive presentation on June 28, so we can expect to find out then.

WarioWare: Get It Together!

WarioWare: Get It Together! is a brand new entry in the franchise and it looks just as fun as all the others. The series hasn’t been around in a while, so it’s return is very much appreciated. It comes out this year on September 10.

Mario Party Superstars

It’s a blast from the past in Mario Party Superstars! This collection of classic boards and mini-games is coming to Switch with online support this year on October 29.

Shin Megami Tensei V

This E3 was a great one for SMT fans. The newest entry, Shin Megami Tensei V received a brand new trailer that gave some story details and showed a lot of gameplay, as well as a November 12, 2021 release date.

Breath of the Wild sequel

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild made a brief appearance during Nintendo’s showcase. We still don’t have a name for the game, but we did get to see new gameplay elements such as settlements in the sky that we can explore and other new abilities Link has. Perhaps most exciting is the news that the game is aiming to release in 2022.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Advance Wars fans got a nice treat in the form of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp. It’s a remake of the first two games in the series and is set to come out this year on December 3.

Metroid Dread

There was no Metroid Prime 4 at E3 this year, but we did get the announcement of Metroid Dread, a brand new 2D entry in the series, and the first in 19 years. It’s set to release on October 8.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania

Super Monkey Ball returns in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. Announced during Nintendo’s show, this collection takes the first three games in the series and puts them in one remastered package that’s set to release this year on October 5.

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And that’s all the major announcements and reveals from E3 2021! Which was your favorite and what are you looking forward to the most? Let us know down in the comments section.