The Xbox + Bethesda games showcase is upon us and just hours away. As we inch closer to the event, what does it have in store for us and what do we know ahead of time?
We're going to be covering when it starts, where you can watch it, and what we hope to see.
UPDATED - Starfield Release Date Has Leaked
The Starfield trailer has leaked early onto the Washington Post website. At the end of the trailer a release date is given of 11 November, 2022. It is a confirmed Xbox exclusive also.
Leaks Suggest What Titles Will NOT Be At The Show
The showcase will begin at 6pm BST and is available to stream on YouTube, Twitch and E3's website. Both parties have done a fantastic job of keeping their show under wraps.
However, industry insider Jeff Grubb has explicitly given a list of titles we shouldn't expect to see today, that there's some huge names among them.
Some of these titles, like Hellblade 2 and Fable, were expected to be lynchpins of the showcase to hype up their upcoming release. Without these titles, we're left only with the likes of Halo: Infinite, Forza and Gears to rely on. An unfortunately familiar set of franchises to have to present once again.
When Do Things Start?
E3 2021 is about to start, but the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase isn't until Sunday. That doesn't mean there isn't anything to talk about, though.
The Showcase is due to begin at 10:00 PST / 13:00 EST / 18:00 BST on June 13th and we're expecting it to last around two hours, looking at the full schedule.
As you might imagine, this is one of the larger presentations at E3 2021, only matched by Nintendo's Direct and Treehouse Live. Ubisoft's UbiForward is also one to look forward to. However, everyone's expecting the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase to be the highlight of the event for a number of reasons.
Where Can You Watch The Showcase?
This is the important one. It's all well and good knowing when things are happening, but that doesn't help a lot if you don't know where to look.
Throughout E3 2021, The ESA is making the most of its Online Portal and mobile app to update everyone with everything that's going on. You can sign up for registration now and we're expecting things to properly start later today, June 11th. The Online Portal and App don't work as well as they should, though...
Thankfully, a couple of classics are back to save the day. As always, we're expecting Xbox's YouTube account to broadcast the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase stream and we've had confirmation that it will also be available on Xbox's Twitch account.
What Do We Want To See?
Is "everything" a good answer to this question? We didn't think so...
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is going to be packed with new and exciting content and there's almost too much to talk about.
We know that EA DICE's recently-announced Battlefield 2042 is going to be getting a bit more of a run out during the event, with a Gameplay Trailer expected, but what else could be shown?
Halo Infinite is the big one. Xbox's promotional images for the event exclusively use Halo imagery and there has to be a reason for that. An updated look at the game would put a lot of concerns to bed, in any case.
In addition to this, we'd like to see more about the future of the Gears of War franchise. It's been a little while since Gears 5 now and we're all eager to learn where JD and Kait are going next. There are also spin-off titles like Gears Tactics worth talking about too!
Furthermore, we think Bethesda is going to lead their sections of the Showcase with Starfield. We want to see more from Elder Scrolls 6, but at this stage, we know it would be wishful thinking.