Some days are just busy for the video game industry, though fans usually have plenty of advanced notice. Whether it's major new game releases all ending up on the same day, like was the case with Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons last year, or if it's something like E3 when numerous showcases are scheduled back-to-back, there are certain days that look to keep gamers busy.
May 27, 2021 is shaping up to be a surprisingly busy day for gamers, though there wasn't much advanced notice. Earlier this week, various video game companies announced a variety of presentations and showcases, all set to take place on Thursday, May 27. On top of these presentations, May 27 will also see a variety of new game releases, which is odd since new video games usually release on Tuesdays and Fridays instead of Thursdays.
Along with the presentations and new video game releases, PC gamers also have the next mystery Epic Games Store free game to look forward to as well. Needless to say, May 27 is surprisingly set to be one of the busiest days of the year for the video game industry, with a little something for everyone to look forward to. For those who want to make sure they don't miss out on anything, here's everything to look forward to on May 27.
Epic Games Store Mystery Game
The Epic Games Store has managed to draw fresh users to its service mainly through its impressive giveaways. The Epic Games Store has given out a number of high-profile games completely free of charge, including Grand Theft Auto 5, and more recently, NBA 2K21. Epic Games Store is teasing another mystery game, to be revealed on May 27, that users of the service will be able to add to their collection without paying a dime. What that game could be remains to be seen, but typically when the Epic Games Store is teasing a mystery game, it usually ends up being something rather high profile. All will be revealed when the Epic Games Store rotates NBA 2K21 out of its free game offerings at 8am PT on May 27.
Horizon Forbidden West
Taking a page out of Nintendo's playbook, Sony has been hosting its State of Play presentations for a couple of years now. Similarly to Nintendo Directs, State of Play events are meant to update PlayStation fans on upcoming PS4 and PS5 games. The next Sony State of Play event is scheduled to take place on May 27 at 2pm PT (with the countdown starting at 9am PT), and it will be about 20 minutes long. According to Sony, the event will include roughly 14 minutes of new Horizon Forbidden West gameplay footage, so the rest of the runtime may focus on different games. Alternatively, the State of Play may focus exclusively on Horizon Forbidden West and comprise of various announcements about the PlayStation exclusive game. Fans will just have to tune in at 2pm PT to find out more information.
Sonic the Hedgehog
The Sonic the Hedgehog event is scheduled to take place at 9am PT. The Sonic the Hedgehog event is meant to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary, and is expected to feature a number of Sonic the Hedgehog video game announcements. As it stands, there hasn't been news on a new main series Sonic the Hedgehog game for some time, so this event should be especially exciting for fans of Sega's mascot.
While the Sonic the Hedgehog event is expected to focus almost entirely on new video game projects, it's also possible that the event will touch on other Sonic the Hedgehog media as well. Netflix is working on a new Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon premiering in 2022, while a Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel is also in active development, also set to release in 2022. So while fans may be most excited about the potential for new Sonic the Hedgehog video game reveals, those who prefer Sonic's small and big screen adventures instead may want to make sure that they watch the Sonic Central event at 9am PT as well.
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes
9am PT is going to be the happening time for video game enthusiasts. Besides the start of the Horizon Forbidden West State of Play and the Sonic Central presentation, there's also the gameplay reveal for The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes to look forward to as well. Publisher Bandai Namco has confirmed that it will reveal new gameplay footage for The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes at 9am PT on May 27, which it first teased last week with a spooky teaser trailer. The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes will see the franchise make its proper debut on next-gen consoles, with players exploring a Sumerian temple in the Iraqi desert, so it will definitely be interesting to see more of the game come May 27.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 was first announced at E3 2018 with an impressive reveal trailer that left fans of the franchise hungry for more. Unfortunately, Dying Light 2 news has been relatively light since its E3 reveal, with information just recently ramping up. This past year, Dying Light 2 fans have been treated to some fresh gameplay footage and details about what they can expect from the game, despite rumors that development has been tumultuous behind the scenes (something that developer Techland has denied).
While it seems to have been a somewhat rocky road for Dying Light 2, it seems fans may be getting a big reveal on May 27. Techland hasn't specified exactly what it will be showing in regards to Dying Light 2 come May 27, but those interested should tune in to Techland's Twitch channel at 12pm PT. It's possible that the Dying Light 2 release date will finally be announced, but it's also just as likely that fans will get treated to some fresh gameplay footage instead. Whatever the case may be, Dying Light 2 fans don't have to wait too much longer to find out more.
New Game Releases
May 27, particularly 9am PT, is going to be big for new video game announcements. But there will be plenty of actual video game releases on May 27 as well. There aren't any games releasing on May 27 that are particularly high profile, but since video game releases rarely happen on Thursdays, it's still interesting that there will be plenty of new games to play on Thursday this week. For those wondering, here is a full list of all the video games set to release on May 27, along with their platforms:
- Earth Defense Force: World Brothers (PC/PS4/Switch)
- Fighting EX Layer: Another Dash (Switch)
- MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (Xbox One/Xbox Series X)
- Super Bomberman R Online (PC/PS4/Switch)
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground (PC/PS4/Switch/Xbox One)
E3 is Right Around the Corner
May 27 is definitely going to be a busy day for the video game industry, but it isn't the only busy day coming up. E3 2021 is set to kick off on June 12 and last until June 15, and if it's anything like previous iterations of the event, it will be full of video game reveals and major announcements. There are also rumors of a Pokemon Presents event taking place at some point in early June, though the recent reveal for the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus release dates may have put a kabosh on that.