Here's every digital event happening this year in place of E3
Here's every digital event happening this year in place of E3
By Heidi Nicholas, 27 May 2020
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The cancellation of E3, plus the ongoing global situation with COVID-19 restrictions, seem to have prompted a major shift in how publishers and developers are planning to share game news in the coming months. The number of game companies now announcing digital events continues to increase, with the latest development being the announcement of an online event to replace the cancelled BlizzCon2020. Those plans are still very much in the early stage, but meanwhile, we’ve run through every upcoming event which has been definitely confirmed in the wake of E3’s cancellation, with dates, times, and how to watch included where possible.
Ubisoft Forward
When is it?
July 12th, 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST.
What could be shown?
It’s an “E3-style showcase” promising news, game reveals, and more. Ubisoft hasn’t given any more details yet, but a few major titles could be featured. Back in 2019, Ubisoft delayed Gods & Monsters, as well as Watch Dogs: Legion and Rainbow Six Quarantine, until Q2 to Q3 in the financial year 2020/2021, and it’s possible we could see one or more of these three games released this year. Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot also confirmed all three will be optimised for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. With both next-gen consoles launching at the end of this year, the holiday period would be a great time for any of these games to be released. Ubisoft Forward would then be the perfect time to give more details on them, especially since we haven’t had any details on any of those three games since the announcement of their delay — although you can check our Gods & Monsters roundup for more information on Ubisoft’s open-world “storybook adventure”.
However, Ubisoft’s most recent financial report also hinted at a new title for one of their biggest franchises, leading to speculation of a new Far Cry or Prince of Persia, or perhaps a new Splinter Cell game.
Where can I watch?
We’ll update here once Ubisoft provides more info, but most likely you can watch on their YouTube channel.
Xbox 20/20
When is it?
Xbox 20/20 will take place every month, most likely as Inside Xbox episodes. Microsoft says all its events, including Xbox 20/20, will be digital-only until July 2021.
What could be shown?
The Xbox team says each instalment of Xbox 20/20 will “bring something different”. The first episode in May had a mixed reaction: fans had perhaps hoped to see something more, and Xbox's general manager of games marketing, Aaron Greenberg, has since commented that they might have set some “wrong expectations”. Nevertheless, 13 games were shown, and the Xbox team promises that July’s Xbox 20/20 will focus on the games coming from Xbox Game Studios. “A number of our studio teams are looking forward to sharing first looks at new gameplay, insights from development teams being optimised for Xbox Series X, and brand-new game announcements,” the announcement reads. We’ll be seeing some new announcements, then, and possibly a more in-depth look at Xbox Game Studios games such as Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Rare’s Everwild, and Obsidian’s Grounded.
Where can I watch?
Each time an episode begins, you can watch on Mixer, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
CD Projekt Red’s “Night City Wire” event
When is it?
June 11th. No precise time has yet been given, but we’ll update here once we know.
What could be shown?
CDPR hasn’t given any information about the event except for the name and the date, but this event will hopefully hold the Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive fans have been waiting for. Although CDPR has been sharing a few tidbits of information about the gangs of Night City, along with a reveal of the Cyberpunk 2077 limited edition bundle, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen anything more substantial about the game. Originally planned to launch in April and pushed back to September 17th 2020, it’s been around three months since the news that Cyberpunk 2077 will include around 75 “street stories”, and around nine months since the last gameplay stream. June’s Night City Wire would be a great place to share some more news about the game to keep fans going until September.
Where can I watch?
We’ll update here once CDPR gives more details on when and where this event will be held.
EA Play Live
When is it?
June 11th, at 4pm PT / 7pm ET / 00:00 BST
What could be shown?
EA hasn’t confirmed which games will be shown. The announcement reads: “EA Play Live 2020 is about connecting players around the world and bringing them closer to the game franchises they love.” Previous EA Play streams have shown off new additions to both major franchises and new indie games. With that in mind, we could see a new game for a franchise such as FIFA or NHL, or a new game entirely.
Where can I watch?
On EA.com.
Lastly, there’s the Summer Game Fest, which offers around “four months of events” and runs until August. The Summer Game Fest incorporates most of the digital events listed above, with additional events such as developer showcases and the Opening Night Live of Gamescom 2020. Although publishers such as Bethesda have already said they’re not holding their own digital showcase, they’re included in the “phase 1” lineup of Summer Game Fest, along with others such as Warner Bros. and Square Enix. Geoff Keighley reiterated that the phase one lineup doesn’t guarantee each publisher will hold a conference, and that they’ll “likely have different approaches this year to how they communicate news”.
That wraps up everything we know so far about planned digital events, but we’ll be sure to update here with new information on dates and times, plus any possible announcement of new digital events.
Industry News
Written by Heidi Nicholas
Hey, I'm Heidi! I've just finished studying a Masters in English Literature, but I've been obsessed with gaming since long before then. I began on the PS2 with Spyro, before graduating to the Xbox 360 and disappearing into Skyrim. I'm now a loyal RPG fan, but I still like to explore other genres — when I'm not playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey, or being lured back into Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Witcher 3!