E3 2021 schedule: dates and times for Microsoft, Nintendo, and more

The most important week of the year for gaming is about to begin with preview events from Ubisoft, Microsoft, Nintendo, and more…

Most of the major publishers attending E3 2021, like Microsoft and Nintendo, have been gradually sharing dates and times for their presentations over the last few weeks. But now E3’s organiser, the ESA, has posted a full schedule for its own four-day event.

Aside from handily compiling all the times for the various presentations, it’s also confirmed a few other showcases that had yet to be formally announced, such as Capcom’s and Bandai Namco’s.

There has been some confusion regarding what exactly is considered part of E3 this year, since the Summer Game Fest is returning and running at the same time, so for the sake of simplicity this timetable will only cover the presentations officially associated with E3 2021.

Ubisoft – Saturday, June 12 @ 7pm BST

Ubisoft will be going first, with another of its Ubisoft Forward presentations. A pre-show will take place at 7pm to cover updates for already available games like Watch Dogs: Legion and For Honor, with the show properly starting at 8pm BST and promising updates for Far Cry 6 and the next Rainbow Six game (formerly known as Rainbow Six Quarantine).

Gearbox Entertainment – Saturday, June 12

The Borderlands studio is scheduled to hold a presentation of its own, likely to involve a rumoured Tiny Tina spin-off. However, at time of writing, neither the ESA nor Gearbox has provided an exact time. Considering Ubisoft’s is expected to run for about an hour, expect it to air some time after 9pm, but we’ll update the timetable once an official statement has been made.

Xbox & Bethesda – Sunday, June 13 @ 6pm BST

As a reminder, this will be a joint showcase by Microsoft and Bethesda, which is why many suspect Starfield will be making an appearance, alongside the all-but-guaranteed Halo Infinite. It will run to around an hour and a half, so expect things to wrap up by 7:30pm.

Square Enix – Sunday, June 13 @ 8:15pm BST

Thankfully, there’ll be time for a toilet break before the Square Enix Presents. This one’s notably shorter, clocking in at 40 minutes long, but is expected to cover a lot, including an update on Babylon’s Fall and a new Eidos-Montréal game, which is rumoured to be Guardians Of The Galaxy.

PC Gaming Show – Sunday, June 13

Sunday is far from wrapped up once Square Enix is finished. This year’s PC Gaming Show is scheduled to take place afterwards, but it is currently lacking a start time. We’ll update the timetable once it’s been confirmed, but it’ll likely be after 9pm but before midnight.

Warner Bros. – Sunday, June 13

Warner Bros. is expected to have a presentation of its own this E3 (it was meant to have its first one last year but that obviously didn’t happen) but, while it is attending, it has yet to provide an exact time. All we do know is that its multiplayer zombie shooter Back 4 Blood will definitely be present. Considering the other timings, it may not take place until the very early hours of Monday morning, so set some coffee aside.

Future Gaming Show – Monday, June 14 @ 12am BST

The Future Gaming Show is coming back for a second year and is said to feature announcements from multiple publishers, including Sega and Team17. It will also be hosted by renowned video game voice actors Troy Baker and Laura Bailey (Joel and Abby, respectively, from The Last Of Us Part 2).

Capcom – Monday, June 14

E3’s third day officially starts at 4pm BST and will feature multiple presentations, chief among them being Capcom’s. Again, Capcom itself has yet to confirm an exact time, but you can expect more Monster Hunter Rise updates and a reminder that The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is actually releasing in the West.

2K – Monday, June 14

2K is holding a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Panel Discussion throughout the day, but it’s also expected to have a preview presentation of its own. No doubt this will be where future 2K Games projects will be announced, some of which may have already leaked, such as what is described as an XCOM-like game with Marvel characters.

Nintendo – Tuesday, June 15 @ 5pm BST

The final day of E3 will kick off with a 40-minute-long Nintendo Direct. According to the big N itself, it will focus only on Nintendo Switch software launching in 2021 so don’t expect a Switch Pro reveal (assuming Nintendo doesn’t announce it before then, which it’s rumoured they will). It will be followed by roughly three hours of in-depth gameplay for several select games.

Bandai Namco – Tuesday, June 15

The last major event will be from Bandai Namco, but neither the publisher nor the ESA have shared any further details on its length or when it will take place. Expect to see more Tales Of Arise and maybe Elden Ring if you’re really lucky, although sources have previously said it will be completely absent.

That’s every major presentation scheduled for E3 2021, but feel free to check the official website for extra details. We’ll update this timetable as more official times and details are shared (if they’re shared).

Quick reminder: both Sony and EA are absent from E3 this year (again) but are expected to hold E3-like presentations anyway. Sony has yet to announce any sort of major State Of Play, so it might be a few months away, whereas EA is holding its EA Play Live showcase on July 22.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.

MORE : Will Sony be at E3 2021 and what PS5 games could they show?

MORE : E3 2021: Halo Infinite artwork may hint at multiplayer reveal

MORE : Square Enix Guardians Of The Galaxy reveal rumoured for E3 next month

Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.