In the calm before the storm, among smaller announcements, many leaks and announcements are preparing for E3 season in this week's video game news. Game Rant has compiled some of the biggest gaming news stories from this past week together into a concise post for fans and enthusiasts to stay up to date on the most important events in the industry per week. Highlighting the most relevant stories, this list is not inherently and totally objective, and will not contain every news story this week. Rather, this is intended for gaming fans who want a quick rundown on the largest/most impactful stories that occurred in the last week in games.
In this week's recap of gaming news, both the ESA and Geoff Keighley have announced the official schedules for E3 2021 and Summer Game Fest in the coming weeks. Several Take-Two Interactive leaks seem to hint at several new upcoming projects presumably meant to be unveiled at E3 this year. EA and DICE are preparing to unveil the next Battlefield title in a few days. After a Days Gone 2 pitch was reportedly cancelled, it seems Sony Bend Studio is moving on to something new for PS5. While Battlefield is making a return this fall, EA's racing franchise has some sad news. All that and more in this week's recap of games industry news.
E3 2021, Summer Game Fest Schedule
This upcoming week marks the beginning of E3 2021, Summer Game Fest, and all of the other publisher showcases for upcoming games this year. The ESA posted the official schedule for the E3 trade show, starting on Saturday, June 12. The official schedule is as follows:
Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET:
- Ubisoft Forward 2021 (11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET)
- Gearbox Entertainment press conference
- GameBeat session
- Devolver "Direct" (Devolver Digital, 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, June 13, 8:45 a.m. PT/11:45 a.m. ET:
- Xbox-Bethesda Games showcase (10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET)
- Square Enix Presents showcase (12:15 p.m. PT/3:15 p.m. ET)
- PC Gaming Show
- Future Games Show (4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET)
- Back 4 Blood showcase
- 24 Entertainment showcase
Monday, June 14, 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET:
- Indie developer announcements (TBD)
- Mythical Games showcase
- Freedom Games showcase
- Razer presentation
- Capcom presentation
- Take-Two Interactive presentation
Tuesday, June 15, 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET:
- Nintendo Direct and Treehouse Live (9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET)
- Bandai Namco presentation
- Yooreka Games showcase
- GameSpot showcase
Aside from the ESA, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest has also updated with a full schedule for the upcoming week. Several of the bigger conferences (Ubisoft Forward, Xbox-Bethesda Games Showcase) do carryover from the E3 timing, so those will not be included in the following schedule. Here are the rest of the conferences scheduled specifically for Summer Game Fest this year:
- Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live: Thursday, June 10, 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
- Koch Prime Time: Friday, June 11, 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
- Steam Next Fest: Wednesday, June 16, 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
- Sonic Symphony Orchestra: Wednesday, June 23, 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
- EA Play Live: Thursday, July 22, exact showtime TBA
There is the slightest chance that these schedules are updated before each respective series of events begins next week, but for now, these are the official schedules for both E3 2021 and Summer Game Fest.
Take-Two Interactive Projects Leak Ahead of E3
While E3 2021 has yet to begin, it seems a series of leaks from Take-Two Interactive were discovered prior to the publisher's planned presentation. According to a Reddit post, which was affirmed as real by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, details on four new projects were leaked to varying degrees of detail. NBA 2K22 will allegedly feature Dirk Nowitzki as a cover star, though his appearance may be specifically on a special edition of the game, but that's unclear for now.
Another project, "Codename Daffodil," is reportedly a Borderlands spin-off title that's based on fan-favorite character Tiny Tina. The game's final name could potentially be "Tiny Tina's Wonderlands," according to a Gearbox trademark filing from last year. Another leaked title is "Codename CODA," a turn-based strategy game that's described as "XCOM with Marvel heroes." Lastly, "Codename Volt" is some kind of vague action game that's in very early development, described as "Cthulhu meets Saints Row." It's unclear whether or not these titles will be confirmed prior to or during Take-Two Interactive's E3 presentation on June 14.
Next Battlefield Reveal Coming Later This Week
Despite also leaking ahead of time, the reveal for the next Battlefield title is coming this week. Scheduled for June 9, at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET, the next-gen Battlefield game that was confirmed early on in 2020 will be officially unveiled this Wednesday. Rumors consistently mentioned a return to form in the vein of Battlefield 3, but the teaser trailer seemingly infers that this next entry will return to a more modern setting.
Bend Studio Working On New PlayStation IP
After some tumultuous news regarding the PlayStation studio earlier in the year, Bend Studio is confirmed to be working on a new open-world IP for PS5. Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst confirmed a few details via PlayStation Blog about the studio's upcoming game, namely that it's based in a systemic open world. While some of the systems supposedly present in the new IP are similar to Days Gone, this next game is not based in the same franchise/universe.
Bend Studio saw some controversy earlier in the year after a Bloomberg report detailed a failed Days Gone 2 pitch, among other details regarding a possible Uncharted sequel and a The Last of Us remake reportedly in the works. Fans have since started a petition for Bend Studio to work on Days Gone 2, but for now it seems the studio is on to a new AAA project.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 Details and Release Date Leak
After a long wait and lack of information since the last reveal, a website leak for Shin Megami Tensei 5 has revealed new details for the JRPG. Sparse plot and gameplay details aside, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is supposedly planned to release on November 11, 2021. Atlus' website leak still stands by its simultaneous worldwide release announced last year, a first for the Shin Megami Tensei series.
Outside of the more specific information, some details on the website described the protagonist exploring the world of "Da'ath," facing against demons and gods in typical series fashion akin to Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne.
Several Need for Speed Games Have Been Delisted, Going Offline Soon
Recently, EA community manager Max Myrus confirmed that several classic Need for Speed games have been delisted, and are being taken offline in the near future. Need for Speed Carbon, Need for Speed Undercover, Need for Speed Shift, Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, and Need for Speed: The Run have all been removed from online storefronts, and will lose official online functionality and support by September 1, 2021.