E3? Extra like E0! That’s the form of complete groaner you may anticipate to listen to at an E3 press convention—y’know, if the video games business’s traditionally largest advertising and marketing occasion was truly occurring in 2022.
Sure, for the second time in three years, the Leisure Software program Affiliation (ESA) has referred to as off its flagship occasion. In 2020, occasion organizers declined to host an E3, citing the covid-19 pandemic. Final 12 months, it returned, however as a purely digital charade. Rumors round E3 2022’s cancellation swirled as early as January, and the ESA formally referred to as off the occasion within the spring, saying it will return subsequent 12 months.
However the present(s) should go on. In reality, with out an E3 to suck up all of the oxygen within the room, the roadmap for online game buzz is trying quite a bit like 2020’s: a sequence of disparate conferences sprinkled all through the summer time. Yay? Anyway, right here’s the schedule of press conferences deliberate for summer time 2022, which we’ll replace accordingly as extra firms announce their not-E3 plans.
Summer time Sport Fest – Thursday, June 9; 2:00 p.m. ET
Not-E3 season kicks off with Summer time Sport Fest, a digital showcase whereby video games business hype man Geoff Keighley will get on stage to speak about “world exclusives!” and “world premieres!” in between a slew of trailers for video games we’ve seen earlier than. Just about each writer on the planet—from bigwigs like 2K and EA to barely less-big, uh, wigs like Annapurna—signed on board for final 12 months’s occasion. This 12 months’s companions are TBA, so it’s unclear what precisely to anticipate.
Guerrilla Collective – Saturday, June 11; 11:00 a.m. ET
Guerrilla Collective, now on its third 12 months, is a showcase targeted on indie video games. The previous two years have been fairly enjoyable, that includes video games from the likes of Neon Doctrine, Akupara, and different offbeat publishers. No motive to anticipate this 12 months will likely be any completely different. It’s instantly adopted by…
Healthful Direct – Saturday, June 11; 12:30 p.m. ET
If typical online game pressers are metallic concert events, Wholesome Direct is an all-acoustic open mic at your native espresso store. Quite than big-budget bombast, the occasion showcases lighter fare from sometimes unbiased builders. Final 12 months’s occasion featured a handful of smaller video games that hit it huge, together with the placid fishing sim Moonglow Bay and the emotional gut-punching puzzler Unpacking.
Future Video games Present – Saturday, June 11; 3:00 p.m. ET
Future Video games Present is an hour-long showcase placed on by GamesRadar+. The publication says it’ll highlight 40 video games, largely from mid-sized publishers like Team17 and Thunderful. In any case, when it comes to its game-to-time ratio, anticipate fairly the sizzle reel!
Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase – Sunday, June 12; 1:00 p.m. ET
Bethesda is now simply considered one of Xbox’s 8,170 first-party studios, but it surely’s the one one with top-billing for Microsoft’s not-E3 presser, the Xbox & Bethesda Video games Showcase. Microsoft’s two huge exclusives for 2022 have been video games printed by Bethesda: the spacefaring RPG Starfield, and the Arkane-developed vampire shooter Redfall. Each have been not too long ago delayed into the primary half of 2023. Bethesda hasn’t proven gameplay off for both. Hmm, I ponder what’s going into this press convention…
PC Gaming Present – Sunday, June 12; 3:00 p.m. ET
PC Gamer’s aptly named PC Gaming Present kicks off instantly after the Future marquee occasion. It’s billed as a double-header with the Future Video games Present, with promotional textual content saying it kicks off precisely 24 hours later.
Overwatch Showcase – Thursday, June 16; timing TBA
Blizzard will host a showcase for its “is that actually a sequel?” sequel to Overwatch. It’ll cowl particulars about what’s coming to Overwatch 2, together with the subsequent PvP beta.
THQ Nordic Showcase – Friday, August 12; timing TBA
Over the previous 12 months and alter, the Embracer Group has quietly grow to be a significant gaming writer. No phrase but on if Embracer will begin doing its personal splashy pressers to cowl all the things, however considered one of its subsidiaries, THQ Nordic, will host its personal late-summer occasion. It’ll highlight updates on present video games—the advert spot for the presser confirmed a glimpse of final 12 months’s extraordinarily common BioMutant—in addition to pull again the curtain on some new video games.
Gamescom Opening Evening Dwell – Thursday, August 25; timing TBA
So it begins, so it shall finish. Geoffstravaganza Summer time 2022 wraps up with Gamescom Opening Evening Dwell, which for some motive is scheduled for the second day of the Frankfurt-based gaming expo. Final 12 months, bulletins throughout Opening Evening Dwell nearly single-handedly teed up February 2022 as one of the vital packed months for blockbuster video games ever (RIP reviewers and guides writers). Please, Geoff, don’t do the identical factor once more this 12 months. I’m sorry for making enjoyable of your sneakers that one time!