E3 is literally just around the corner and the hype levels are higher than ever for what game announcements and reveals could rock the gaming community and break the internet. With Microsoft and Bethesda sharing the stage together for the first time, Nintendo having plenty of secrets and hopefully that Breath of the Wild 2 release date up their sleeve, and the possibility of huge franchises making a return, this E3 could easily be one for the history books. However, E3 isn’t the only big gaming event that’s coming throughout this summer.
Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest makes a return to deliver big announcements and is holding events all throughout the summer starting on June 10th. Netflix is hosting “Geekend Week ” from June 7th to the 11th – a weeklong event that will talk about their game related shows, like The Witcher and Umbrella Academy, and likely announce new series based on video games. So, it’s time to keep our eyes on any leaks, check on that rumor mill, read the tea leaves, hear everything through the grapevine, and trust way too deeply in our gut as we dish out some predictions for what’s to (possibly) come.
Now, normally with these top five lists, we rank each entry and limit things to five, but that isn’t the case here. With there being so many possibilities and rumors flying around lately, there’s no reason to rank or limit this list to five. There’s also nothing to say that any of this could happen, but these conferences are about the unexpected, so it’s always fun to dream big.
Bethesda fully reveals Starfield gameplay and announces it as an XBox exclusive
Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda changed everything for what we could expect from these two titans coming together and what better way to signify this powerful unity than having Bethesda’s first original RPG in over 25 years be an XBox exclusive. Originally announced at Bethesda’s 2018 E3 press conference, Starfield is the newest RPG from Bethesda set in space and has been eagerly anticipated by the entire gaming community. Since its announcement though, there’s just been radio silence and with Microsoft acquiring Bethesda through ZeniMax Media in the middle of Starfield’s development, there’s a great chance it’ll become the first big XBox exclusive through this unity.
XBox is in dire need of big, triple-A exclusives and them bringing Bethesda under their wing must come with some kind of big exclusive to make this acquisition feel instantly impactful and Starfield is the perfect game to signify that. With there being very little known about it and plenty of rumors circulating about it having a big presence at their joint E3 conference, the time is right for a deep dive into Starfield as it becomes the pivotal tide-turner in Microsoft’s arsenal and officially labeled as an XBox exclusive.
Mario Kart 9 is announced
Nintendo is always ready to reveal something new for its marquee character Mario and it’s time for Mario Kart to deliver a ninth mainline entry. Mario Kart 8 has been a cash cow for Nintendo since its release in 2014 and its re-release when the Switch came out. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen any remarkable support for it and with the announcement and release of the “Switch Pro” looming, having it released with a new Mario Kart could give it a big boost.
There’s also been so many new Mario games since that there’s plenty of new characters and courses to come. The potential for adding in some characters and courses based around Mario Odyssey or even Paper Mario or Super Mario Party is for sure there and could actually make this entry so much more special. A possible Mario Kart 9 has also been the subject of many rumors lately and fans have been demanding a sequel with Mario Kart 8’s recent anniversary. Mario Kart is one of the most beloved Mario spin-off franchises ever and announcing a new entry would definitely get Nintendo fans excited.
Psychonauts 2 gets Shadow Dropped
Announced back at the 2015 Game Awards, Double Fine and Tim Schaefer’s latest entry in the cult hit series, Psychonauts, has been through quite a development rollercoaster. From starting as a crowdfunded project to becoming a heavily promoted XBox game after Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in 2019, the only thing that hasn’t been a part of Psychonauts 2’s development is a solid release date. Frankly, it’s tough to say what the issues have been since every time a trailer drops for it, it virtually looks done and honestly looks like a lot of fun. However, Schaefer has talked about how they’re just putting the finishing touches on the game, and it looks like it’s super close to releasing – like really close.
Recently, Psychonauts 2 had a brief listing on the XBox store making fans speculate if that meant that the game’s release was imminent and, personally, I think it will happen at their conference on June 13th. Shadow Drops, meaning that a game is released without any sort of announcement or on the day that it is revealed, might be a rare and risky move, but it’s the perfect one for Psychonauts 2. With it being such a cult classic and having a dedicated fanbase, there’s nothing more they’d like to hear than the phrase “and you can play it right now” when the release date is officially announced. Microsoft is looking to take some big swings with its E3 conference this year and shadow dropping Psychonauts 2 is definitely that kind of power move they’re looking for.
Netflix’s Cuphead Show gets a trailer and a Fall release date
Netflix has been leading the charge in adapting video games into live-action, anime, and animated series with its adaptation of Cuphead likely being released after Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. Cuphead’s nostalgic cartoon art style and personality are perfect for giving Netflix unique new content. The only question is: why the hell haven’t we seen much of it and where is it? Well, we know that Studio MDHR isn’t exactly fast in developing their content given that we’re still waiting for the final piece of DLC for Cuphead. However, there’s some good authority that Netflix is going to highlight it during the Geeked Week.
Mark your calendars for #GeekedWeek! From June 7th to 11th, @NetflixGeeked will be LIVE with big news, exciting first looks, and more from the shows and films you love. pic.twitter.com/OX6udT7t13
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) May 24, 2021
The upcoming animated series is highlighted alongside other big gaming-related Netflix projects (as shown in the promotional art above) to be discussed. It’s clearly a big deal for Netflix so there’s definitely going to be a trailer for it and more than likely a release date that will slate it for the Fall shortly after RE: Infinite Darkness releases in July.
Netherrealm Studios’ new game is announced…it’s Injustice 3
Yes, the studio behind Mortal Kombat, has been at the head of rumors lately with many believing that they could be behind a new Marvel fighting game and with it possibly being a Marvel vs. DC fighting game. As epic as that would be, I’m just not a believer. Netherrealm has definitely been up to something given that they’re coming to a close on DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 and have been cryptically teasing their next project. Good old Ed Boon’s Twitter fingers have been making fans go crazy with speculation and although I’d love to be wrong, I just think that their next game will be Injustice 3.
Frankly, there’s just too many moving parts behind the scenes to get a Marvel vs. DC game to happen and them just doing another DC fighting game makes more sense given their history with Warner Bros. It would be such a weird shift for them to do a Marvel fighting game and Injustice already has a dedicated fanbase that gives it a greater chance at appearing at large fighting tournaments. It may not be as much of an earth-shattering announcement as a Marvel vs. DC fighting game, but honestly, anything new from Netherrealm delivers the hype and Injustice 3 would be no exception.
The final two Smash DLC characters get announced – one of them is from Ubisoft or Bethesda
It’s pretty safe to say that we’re at least getting one of the final two characters for Smash at the upcoming Nintendo Direct for E3, but who they exactly are is still a giant mystery. When looking at the slew of third-party studios represented in Smash’s immense roster, there are two big ones that are absent – Ubisoft and Bethesda. Both studios have had a closer relationship with Nintendo in recent years, so it’s only fair to assume that they could get one of their characters in the roster. Out of two, Bethesda is less likely, but the Doom Marine from the Doom series has been a highly rumored character for quite some time.
Ubisoft has had such a tight knit relationship with Nintendo lately that it’s tough to believe that they wouldn’t get a Smash rep. Rayman has been in the rumor mill for multiple iterations at this point and since the DLC hype train is coming to its end, it’s the perfect time for Rayman to join the roster. But I want to go a step further and go for something much more unexpected but not totally out of the realm of possibility – Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher. Since Ubisoft doesn’t seem interested in a new Splinter Cell game, it would be mind-blowing to see him be a part of Smash. He’s such a legacy character in gaming that fans would salivate over the idea of him going toe to toe with Snake and it would fit in with recent Smash announcements coming totally out of left field.
A new Bioshock game is revealed
After being completely absent from the last generation, the Bioshock series is ready to make a huge comeback. The next iteration officially went into development back in 2019 through newly developed studio Cloud Chambers Studios. We literally know nothing about the game, but the rumor mill has been absolutely endless for this game. There are rumors about it being a PlayStation exclusive – which would be mind-blowing. There are rumors about it being completely open world and returning to a water setting. Frankly, the possibilities are endless for what to expect with a new Bioshock game and that’s what makes it so exciting.
Personally, I’d love to see the series take on the roaring twenties gone wrong in a strange, unexpected setting and utilize more elements from the first two games. Bioshock is a franchise that means something both in setting and storytelling and as long as this new game maintains that legacy as it ventures off in its own direction, something special is surely brewing.
