When does E3 2021 kick off and how does it all work?


E3 2021 is finally almost here. Alongside plenty of excited buzz, we should get lots of new announcements and follow-ups to long-awaited games. With the likes of Xbox, Ubisoft and Bethesda, there is so much to look forward to.

Here's everything we know.

LATEST - Xbox and Bethesda to Hold Joint Conference

With Bethesda joining the Xbox umbrella, it's clear Microsoft have big plans for the future of the two of them.

Promising "World Premieres" and new Game Pass titles, this is sure to be a huge event. Tune in at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST on June 13th for all you need to know.

Where To Watch E3 2021

Recently, The ESA has confirmed the participating Social Media platforms and Streaming services that will be partnering with them to provide coverage of E3 2021 online.

As you might imagine, all the big hitters are there. Facebook Gaming, YouTube, Twitch, Reddit, Steam, TikTok... However, when you look at the full list in their Announcement News post, there are quite a few more.

Entertainment Weekly, Bkohtakte, Webedia, GameStar, Afreeca TV, and more are all aiming to provide worldwide coverage of the event to fans everywhere.

" Working with these leading companies ensures that this year’s all-digital E3 experience will reach audiences around the world,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “This will be the first time ever that E3 will be freely available across all of these major services, allowing us to reach video game fans from all corners of the globe.”

E3 2021 is going to be freely available across "all of these major services" and you have to feel like it was an inevitable change. You have to wonder if paid exclusivity was a viable model for much longer... Especially after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

E3 2021 Schedule

We know it isn't a complete picture so far, but here's the latest on the E3 2021 Presentation schedule.

  • June 5
  • 02:00 PT / 09:00 BST - INDIE Live Expo
  • 08:00 PT / 15:00 BST - Guerrilla Collective Day One
  • 10:00 PT / 17:00 BST - Black Voices In Gaming

June 10

  • 11:00 PT / 18:00 BST - Summer Game Fest

June 11

  • 12:00 PT / 19:00 BST - Koch Primetime Gaming Stream
  • 13:00 PT / 20:00 BST - IGN Expo

June 12

  • 10:00 PST / 17:00 BST - Wholesome Direct
  • 12:00 PST / 15:00 EST / 20:00 BST - Ubisoft Forward
  • UNKNOWN - Devolver Digital Showcase

June 13

  • 10:00 PST / 13:00 EST / 18:00 BST - Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase
  • UNKNOWN - The PC Gaming Show, from PC Gamer
  • UNKNOWN - The Future Games Show, from GamesRadar

June 16

  • 09:00 PST / 12:00 EST / 17:00 BST - Steam Next Fest

July 14

  • 13:00 PT / 20:00 BST - Limited Run Games Showcase

July 22

  • UNKNOWN - EA Play Live

E3 2021 is going to take place over several days, from June 12th to June 15th, so there's plenty of announcements still to come! We'll make sure we keep this updated as and when more information is revealed.

E3 2021 Start Date & Duration

We might not know a lot about how E3 2021 is going to play out right now, but we do know when it is going to play out.

ESA has confirmed that E3 2021 will be taking place almost exactly two years after E3 2019, on the second weekend of June. This means that E3 2021 will be taking place between June 12th and June 15th.

READ MORE: When Does The Next Nintendo Direct Start?

With the nature of the event and the ongoing disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, these dates could potentially change. However, we're not expecting it to be delayed going forwards.

Event Details

This is where things get a little fuzzy at the moment. We know that Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros and Koch Media are all backing the digital event from ESA. However, there are a few key absences.

EA and Sony are once again absent from the line up of backers; however, they're not alone. Square Enix, Activision Blizzard, Sega and Bandai Namco are yet to suggest they will be attending.

E3 2021 When Start Sony Aloy Horizon Forbidden West
click to enlarge
+ 2
NO SONY? - It looks like Sony might be absent from E3 again in 2021

These are all major gaming publishers who have seen their own success hosting their own digital presentations throughout 2020. It seems unlikely that any large publisher would want to return to the limitations of E3 after having such freedom.

E3 2021 When Start Phone Monitor
click to enlarge
+ 2
ONLINE ONLY - E3 2021 is going to be a fully digital event for the first time ever

What we do know though is that E3 2021 is going to be a free event to attend via an "exclusive online portal and supporting mobile app". You'll be able to keep up to date on whatever happens on almost any device. All you need to do is sign up here for more information on how this works when it is revealed.

Inclusivity is going to save E3 in a Post-Covid world and we'll make sure we keep you updated on any changes to when E3 2021 is taking place.

E3 2021 Hosts Revealed

The hosts for the E3 2021 event have been announced.E3 2021 will be hosted by Greg Miller, the co-founder of entertainment outlet Kinda Funny, Jacki Jing, an Emmy-nominated TV journalist who has worked with IGN, and Alex ‘Goldenboy’ Mendez, a professional esports commentator and also a commentator for NBC’s The Titan Games.

For more articles like this, take a look at our More page.