E3 2021 is online and free: Dates, companies and what to expect

While we did have various events last year to make yup for E3, they were quite scattered and we did miss the solid week of gaming news and while the likes of EA are having theirs later - and are not officially part of E3 - we still have a solid few days of game announcements, trailer reveals and gameplay details to look forward to.

For all you need to know about what the virtual E3 will look like for 2021, check out the information below.

When is E3 2021?

The ESA announced on its official website that it's "game on" for E3 in 2021, even going so far as to confirm the event's dates. So we now know that E3 2021 will begin on 12th June 2021 and run until 15th June 2021.

And the E3 2021 schedule has been revealed in full, so we now know when to expect those all-important announcements from our favourite studios.

Is E3 2021 online?

E3 2021 will indeed take the shape of an online event, meaning there won't be a real-life convention for fans, press and industry professionals to cram into. The ESA has described this year's event as "a reimagined, all-virtual E3 2021 that will engage video game fans everywhere".

The ESA's president and CEO, Stanley Pierre-Louis, said in the announcement: "We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable centre stage for video games."

Is E3 2021 free?

We're pleased to report that you won't have to pay a penny to watch the action unfolding from this year's online E3 conference. There won't be any tickets to buy, with this being a totally free event.

The ESA pledged on its website that the team behind E3 "will be working with media partners globally to help amplify and make this content available to everyone for free." It does look like you will have to register on the E3 website in some way to watch it, though - although several of the studios will have their own links to watch including on their official YouTube channels.

Which companies are at E3 2021?

We now know who will be at e£ for 2021 and here is the list!

• Ubisoft
• Gearbox
• Microsoft & Bethesda
• Square Enix
• Warner Bros/Back4Blood
• PC Gaming Show
• Take-Two
• Capcom
• Nintendo
• Bandai Namco

You'll notice that Sony is missing from that list, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise – the PlayStation brand has mainly stuck to its own State of Play live streams for the last couple of years - we do wish they would come back and join the fun though as it is not the same without them.

EA is also missing E3, but they have their own EA Play event coming not long after on July 22nd.

What games will be revealed at E3 2021?

One of the biggest games scheduled for the second half of 2021 is Halo: Infinite, which seems like a probable feature of the Xbox presentation. And since Xbox owns Bethesda, perhaps we'll learn more about Starfield at the same time.

And with Warner Bros Games confirmed to appear, it seems likely that we'll get updates on Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, and perhaps the next Mortal Kombat entry.

Fans have long been waiting for Nintendo to show a bit more of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Perhaps the lid will be lifted on that one at E3 - as well as that new Nintendo Switch Pro that we are all sure will be coming soon.

The inclusion of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has fans hoping that GTA 6 may finally be unveiled at E3 2021 - what is more likely is that we will see the next remaster of GTA 5 shown off in all its glory.

We're sure there will be some surprises too that none of us saw coming and we would not have it any other way - half the fun of E3 is getting a mind-blowing reveal or two and we hope that remains the case in 2021.

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