SUNDAY JUNE 13TH – 6PM – MICROSOFT AND BETHESDA
This was the big one for a lot of gaming fans. E3 2021 was the first Xbox E3 conference since Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda. Fans barely got a chance to breathe before they were swept off their feet with 30 titles, 27 of which will be available on Xbox Game Pass. There was everything from a first look at Bethesda’s first new universe in 25 years, to more info on Halo Infinite. Let’s get into it!
STARFIELD HAS A TRAILER AND RELEASE DATE
Perhaps the announcement that got the most hype out of any reveal, we got a first look at Bethesda’s first new universe in 25 years. Revealed during Microsoft’s E3 2021 presentation, the new Starfield trailer provides some narrative content to the game. The shot trailer also gives us a glimpse of Starfield’s ultra-realistic space backdrop.
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIM IS GETTING TOP GUN DLC
Microsoft Flight Simulator has been officially announced for Xbox Series X/S, alongside a new Top Gun themed expansion. Pretty fly! It’s flying onto consoles on the 27th of July 2021. It’s the first time the intensive game has ever been on console.
NEW IP FROM ARKANE
Redfall is a brand new open-world shooter with vampires from the creators of Dishonored. What more could you want? Here’s a synopsis for the brand new gothic-themed FPS
“The quaint island town of Redfall, Mass. is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the island off from the outside world. Trapped with a handful of survivors against a horde of creatures threatening to bleed the town dry, players will choose from a diverse roster of heroes and group up with others to create the perfect team of vampire slayers.
FORZA HORIZON 5
Forza Horizon 5 is on the way, and it’s set in Mexico! A new trailer shows off the beautiful world – exploring deserts, densely populated towns, and even a volcano.
HALO INFINITE IS OUT THIS YEAR
Halo Infinite news was THE thing that a lot of people wanted from E3 2021. Whilst we didn’t get an awful lot to go off, Microsoft confirmed it’s still on for the holiday season this year. Halo Infinite will arrive straight on Xbox Game Pass. Best of all, we got a glimpse at the multiplayer element, which will be free to download for the first time in the franchise.
BATTLEFIELD 2042 GAMEPLAY TRAILER
DICE has shown the world exactly what Battlefield 2042 will be like to play at E3 2021, and it’s looking good! We got a world first look at the gameplay, as well as a look at some intense weather effects.
This new Battlefield brings 128-player matches to the series for the first time along with some of the biggest maps ever seen in Battlefield. The biggest map is rumoured to be the same size as the Fortnite island from Season 1.
JACK SPARROW IS COMING TO SEA OF THIEVES
A Pirates of the Caribbean themed free expansion is coming to Sea of Thieves this June. It’s called Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and will have a cast of characters from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.
STALKER 2: HEART OF CHERNOBYL
Microsoft revealed new gameplay of its upcoming shooter, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. It’s set in the aftermath of a fictional second Chernobyl incident. Featuring Ray Tracing and targeting 4K 60fps on Xbox Series X consoles, it’s safe to say we’re looking forward to it!
BACK 4 BLOOD WILL BE ON XBOX GAME PASS AT LAUNCH
Turtle Rock Studios has shown off more of its Left 4 Dead spiritual successor, Back 4 Blood. If you loved Left 4 Dead, this isn’t one to miss! We took a look at the ‘Swarm’ trailer and saw a squad battling their way through various zombie-infested levels. Best of all, the studio says that this survival shooter will arrive on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
15 PLAYER LOBBIES IN AMONG US
Perhaps the biggest news of the evening is that you can now honk the horn on the Airship. Oh yeah, and 15 player lobbies are now a thing. It’s out now!
There’s also the tiny thing that the game will be coming to Xbox consoles this year. Although, if you haven’t played Among Us yet, what are you doing?
CONTRABAND
Contraband is a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan” from Avalanche Studios. We didn’t get a release date, but when that day comes it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass!
PSYCHONAUTS 2
Psychonauts is one of the best platform-adventure games out there, so a sequel is a big yes in my books! It’s releasing on August 25th 2021 and, you guessed it, it’ll be available Day One on Xbox Game Pass.
FALLOUT 76
There were a few updates about Fallout 76 from the Bethesda presentation. The first thing we saw was a new trailer for the upcoming update – ‘Steel Reign’ – which follows the Brotherhood of Steel storyline. The next thing was a revelation that players could explore The Pitt from Fallout 3 in a new expedition coming next year.
Okay so it was only two things. But they were two big things, so hush!
DIABLO II: RESURRECTED RELEASE DATE
Blizzard dropped the release date for the remastered Diablo 2 collection – Diablo II: Resurrected. This will have the Diablo 2 base game and the expansion Lord of Destruction. It’s releasing on September 23rd 2021.
ATOMIC HEART GETS A NEW TRAILER
We got a brand new trailer for the first-person shooter Atomic Heart. It was also revealed that it’s coming to Xbox Game Pass on Day One and can be played via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
THE ASCENT IS COMING TO XBOX GAME PASS
We got a brand new trailer for the action-shooter RPG, which gave us a look at the corporate-run cyberpunk metropolis. We also got a release date – July 29th, 2021. It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass on Day One.
THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE
MMO? More like… MM-No.
Whilst this news might be disappointing to some, we DID hear that the game is getting a “Console Enhanced” version for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on June 15th 2021.
PARTY ANIMALS
What do you get if you mix adorable animals with a fierce competitive streak that burns brighter than the sun? Well, besides a lot of pent up rage, you get Party Animals! It’ll be a Day One Xbox Game Pass deal, so there’s no excuse not to try it out.
HADES
Okay, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that YES, I am only just getting round to playing Hades now. It was GameByte’s Indie Game of the Year when it released though and I know enough about us to know we’ve got good taste. If you’re in a similar boat to me and you haven’t played it yet, it’s coming to Xbox Game Pass on August 13th 2021.
FAR CRY 6
You might be thinking ‘wait, we got Far Cry info at the Ubisoft presentation!’. Yes we did. But the Microsoft and Bethesda had even more to show us, including some gameplay footage of Giancarlo Esposito being a meanie.
SOMERVILLE
We got a new trailer for the mysterious Somerville, a sci-fi action-adventure from indie studio Jumpship.
REPLACED
This is a brand new game from Sad Cat Studios and Coat Sink. We don’t know much about it, but it’s coming to Xbox consoles and Game Pass some time in 2022.
GROUNDED: SHROOM AND DOOM UPDATE
Mark June 30th 2021 in your calendars, Grounded fans! Obsidian Entertainment has shown off some more details on Grounded’s latest update, including giant spider, achievement support, and more.
AGE OF EMPIRE IV
We got a hard release date for the long-awaited Age of Empires 4, as well as a gameplay trailer. It’s coming out October 28th, 2021.
The trailer showed off huge armies on both sides of the battlefield. It was confirmed that Age of Empires 4 is coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch and will be an Xbox console exclusive.
EIYUDEN CHRONICLE
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a new RPG from the designers of Suikoden. It had a very successful Kickstarter, but there’s no info on a release date yet.
The bigger announcement was the reveal of a brand new 2.5D platformer called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. It’s a prequel to Hundred Heroes. It’s coming at some point in 2022.
YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON COMING TO GAME PASS
Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be treated to a massive 29 new games this year, including this classic! For a full list, check out our coverage here.
TWELVE MINUTES
We got a release date for the mysterious thriller Twelve Minutes. This is a game with an absolutely STACKED voice cast, including stars like James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Dafoe. It’s releasing on August 19th 2021.
THE OUTER WORLDS 2
With perhaps one of the funniest trailer deconstructions I’ve ever seen, The Outer Worlds announced the name of the sequel… The Outer Worlds 2.
A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM
We’re getting a sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence called A Plague Tale: Requiem. It looks like you’ll need a current-gen console to play it though – no last-gen consoles have been announced. It will come to Xbox Game Pass on launch day.
XBOX MINI FRIDGE
Ending the E3 2021 presentation on a high, Microsoft had us all reaching into our pockets with its announcement of the Xbox Mini Fridge. Yes, that’s right, a company has found a way to capitalise on a dying meme. If you’re desperate for an Xbox Series X mini-fridge of your very own, check yourself. It’s out this holiday season.