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E3 2020: Which Games & Trailers To Expect (& Which Ones Are Skipping)
The Entertainment Software Association has announced the lineup of E3 2020 attendees, confirming the list of publishers coming to the conference and those skipping it. Despite a few big-name absences, there are still many games and trailers expected to be shown at E3 2020, as well as some exciting unknowns.
Since Microsoft is gearing up for the holiday 2020 launch of its Xbox Series X console, E3 2020 will be a major event for Xbox fans. Microsoft will likely show off plenty of games running on the new console, including new reveals and the long-awaited Halo Infinite. But E3 2020 won't be nearly as content-packed as console launch years of the past, since Sony is skipping E3 this year. The company will instead reveal its PS5 at some other event, leaving a big hole in the E3 2020 schedule.
All but one of the publishers attending have yet to announce their exact press conference times, but the ESA has confirmed which publishers will be exhibiting at E3 2020 in some form. Here are all the companies that will and won't be at E3 2020, along with the games fans can expect to see from them.
Microsoft Will Be At E3 2020
Microsoft's E3 Xbox showcase will undoubtedly be the show's biggest press conference. The company will most likely reveal full details about the Xbox Series X's specs, but the most exciting reveals will be about its other projects. Microsoft has announced its next-gen console is just called "Xbox," suggesting the Series X is only one of several console permutations on the way. Perhaps Microsoft will reveal these during E3, but it might also wait until later to avoid confusion.
What is more certain is that the company will show off plenty of Series X games, which will be cross-gen with Xbox One for a year. Chief among its upcoming titles is Halo Infinite, which will likely get a full gameplay reveal. Microsoft could also show off new footage from Ninja Theory's Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga, Rare's Everwild, and Obsidian's Grounded. Additionally, Microsoft now owns several development studios with no exclusives yet announced. This could mean new game teases from Double Fine, inXile Entertaiment, or Compulsion Games. A new Forza game is also likely.
There's been much talk of Microsoft's focus on cloud gaming, as well. Its Project xCloud service could play a large role in Xbox's strategy for the new generation, so expect reveals related to game streaming. The next generation may also involve some kind of evolution of Xbox Game Pass, possibly integrated with xCloud.
Sony WON'T Be At E3 2020
In 2020, Sony will skip E3 for the second year in a row. This is likely to have major effects on the E3 conference's future, as more and more publishers have been pivoting from traditional conferences to direct-to-fan streams. Sony said E3's "vision" did not align with its focus this year. Instead, it will reveal the PlayStation 5 at some other event, be it another conference like PAX or Gamescom or its own, separate showcase.
Many of Sony's big upcoming games are planned to launch on PS4: Final Fantasy 7 Remake, The Last of Us Part 2, and Ghost of Tsushima will all release before the PS5. These could see cross-gen ports, but Sony has been quiet so far about PS5-exclusive games. Bluepoint Games, which created the PS4's Shadow of the Colossus remaster, is said to be working on a next-gen game that will set a new graphical benchmark, but little else has been said about the PS5's lineup. Perhaps Sony's PS5 reveal will be accompanied by new game announcements, like a God of War or Horizon Zero Dawn sequel. Regardless, Sony's historically hard-hitting exclusive announcements won't take place at E3.
Nintendo Will Be At E3 2020
Unlike Sony, Nintendo will return for E3 2020. Nothing has been announced so far about its presence there, but it will likely follow its strategy in recent years, broadcasting a pre-recorded E3 Nintendo Direct presentation with new announcements, followed by an extended Nintendo Treehouse: Live show. Nintendo confirmed it has no plans for a Switch Pro in 2020, so fans shouldn't expect any new hardware announcements - especially in a year crowded with Sony and Microsoft's new consoles.
New games, on the other hand, are a sure bet. Rumors of new Metroid and Paper Mario games in 2020 suggest those announcements could come at E3, and Nintendo could also reveal more details about Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, or Metroid Prime 4. Other unannounced games could also make an appearance, like the theorized Super Mario Sunshine or Odyssey sequel.
Ubisoft Will Be At E3 2020
Publisher Ubisoft has traditionally held one of E3's biggest conferences alongside the console manufacturers, and it will probably do so again as part of its confirmed attendance. The company recently announced it's planning to release five triple-A games in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Three of these - Rainbow Six Quarantine, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Gods & Monsters - were delayed from release windows earlier in 2020, and the last two are rumored to be an Assassin's Creed game and Far Cry 6. It's also confirmed that the Division 2 team is working on an Avatar game based on James Cameron's movie universe, and the team that made Rainbow Six Siege is working on a new project.
