The season of E3 is upon us, and with multiple events coming from the biggest names in the gaming industry, such as Xbox and Bethesda, we thought it would be fun to make some predictions as to what could possibly be shown this June.
E3 is back, and while the shows that we’ve seen over the years at E3 can range from anywhere to boring and awkward to exciting and unbelievable, what always remains fun is the guessing game to be played before any of the big events start. In their usual fashion, Xbox has elected to be one of the first up to the plate, so we thought it would be fun to take some time and try to predict five elements that will be a part of the Xbox/Bethesda Showcase on June 13, at 1pm ET.
The show is set to be 90 minutes long and according to their announcement of the event on Twitter, it will include “Games, Games, Games”. So with that in mind, this list will just be different game predictions, things we could potentially see, and what we hope to see. There’s no particular order, as each of these games or announcements would all be equally exciting to see, though I of course have my own biases which is what this list will be based on. With that in mind, here are my top five predictions for the Xbox/Bethesda E3 event.
Psychonaut’s 2 Shadow Drop
Developer Double Fine’s continuation of the beloved Psychonauts franchise was one of the earlier titles slated for the Xbox Series X|S back even before we knew what the console would look like. It’s been in development for some time and it is also the one IP we have seen the most of and potentially looks the most ready to go. If Xbox were to shadow drop the release during E3 right after a five or so minute showcase of what’s to come, that could potentially come out as one of the most exciting elements from this year’s E3.
Halo Infinite Multiplayer/Release Date
Now it is absolutely assured that we will see something from Halo Infinite at this show, namely because of the promotional art for the event, but we still don’t know exactly what parts of Halo we’ll be seeing. The last time we saw Halo Infinite it didn’t turn out the way Microsoft would’ve liked, so this is exactly the time to bring it back onto gaming’s largest stage and showcase. Not only how much it has improved, but new elements we haven’t yet seen, like the multiplayer. It would also be an incredible sign of hope to see them slate the release date for this November, to coincide with the anniversary of the first game’s launch. E3 is the perfect time to properly date the game, and would be the shot in the arm the Halo community needs.
Starfield Announced for 2022, Exclusively On Xbox/PC
Starfield has been all the buzz when discussing Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax and Bethesda. It could very likely be the title to move Xbox Series consoles, so long as it is exclusive to the Xbox and PC, which I believe it to be. I don’t see a showcase in which Starfield is included and they don’t announce at least a release window along with clear confirmation that Starfield will only be available on Microsoft platforms. Exclusivity may always be an anti-consumer aspect of the gaming industry, but its one that is proven to work and necessary for driving players to your platform. Not to mention the fact that this was already, lets say ‘softly’ confirmed by Phil Spencer during the roundtable with Bethesda in March, so it’s more than likely happening. I’m calling it though that this time the words “Only on Xbox/PC” will be uttered from Phil’s lips after announcing a 2022 release window.
Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga Gameplay and 2022 Release Window Revealed
The first time we saw Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga was also the first time we saw the Xbox Series X, and since then we’ve seen practically nothing more about the highly anticipated Xbox exclusive. It’s doubtful that Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga will be slated for 2021, so I’m betting a 2022 release window will at least be shown here, with a release date to possibly be announced later on in the year, even as part of a Hellblade focused event. It would also be exciting to see our first snippets of gameplay of the game running on Xbox Series X, to see just how much this game will be pushing the new hardware to its limits.
Machine Games New Indiana Jones Game Title Revealed
Out of the rest of the list, this is the least likely to happen. But it is one that I also think very well could and would be an excellent option as a “one more thing” at the end of the show. Just even a small teaser, perhaps with what the rugged adventurer will look like, and the official title for the game. I’d rather see the likes of Halo and Starfield have their own dedicated time slots within the main 90 minutes, whereas this is still so early in its development that an official title, along with even just a second or two from what would most likely be a CGI trailer could be the perfect cherry on top for the showcase.
So there you have it! Our five predictions for the Xbox/Bethesda showcase. What do you think we got wrong? What do you think we got right? Let us know in the comments, and what you’re most excited about for this year’s E3!
