For the first time in a long time, there won’t be an E3 to capture our attention, but that doesn’t mean the video game industry is taking the summer off. On the contrary, it seems the industry has decided to fill up three months’ worth of events with outlets, publishers, and other gaming groups coming together to carry on with the time-honored tradition of dropping big news and new game reveals in the summer. We at Escapist are even putting on our own show. Here’s the full rundown of what’s ahead in our “Not E3” digital event calendar.
June Date TBA
PlayStation 5 “The Future of Gaming” Presentation
Sony’s PlayStation 5 game showcase was once booked for June 4, but it’s been rescheduled for a later date. We expect to have a replacement date soon.
June 10
IGN Summer of Gaming Kickoff – time TBA
IGN is hosting its own weeks-long event schedule, but it all kicks off with exclusive reveals on June 8.
June 11
The Escapist Indie Showcase – 12 p.m. PT
Our very own indie game highlight reel begins on June 11 with more than 70 games featured in total. Stick with us through the 14th as we dive deeper on YouTube with some of the many exciting presenters we have lined up.
June 13
Guerrilla Collective – time TBA
This indie-driven showcase will feature dozens of presenters including Serenity Forge, The Molasses Flood, and many more. This event will continue through June 15.
PC Gaming Show – time TBA
Next up on a busy day is the annual PC Gaming Show, making a comeback even in the absence of E3 week.
Future Games Show – 2:00 p.m. PT
To close out the day, fans can watch for the Gamesradar-led digital show with more interviews, gameplay, and reveals.
June 16
UploadVR Showcase – 8:30 a.m. PT Pre-Show, 9:00 a.m. PT Main Event
Virtual reality fans can watch for this all-VR show to air on YouTube and IGN.
Steam Summer Game Festival – 10 a.m. PT
Just like in December, Steam will be hosting a batch of demos so players don’t have to settle for watching gameplay of all the season’s biggest games. The demo event runs through the 22nd, and it’s been said Xbox will be getting involved in a similar way, though more details are still to come.
June 18
EA Play Live 2020 – 4 p.m. PT
EA isn’t taking the summer off, and will broadcast an all-digital EA Play for the first time ever. We can expect plenty of EA Sports action, Apex Legends news, and probably some EA Originals reveals too.
June 23
New Game+ Expo – 8 a.m. PT
Predominantly Japanese studios are joining forces for the New Game+ Expo, including Sega, Atlus, Wayforward, and Arc System Works, among others.
June 25
Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire
In a strange year without E3, some huge games are getting the spotlight all to themselves. June 25 is the date to remember if you’re looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077 as CD Projekt Red will be hosting its own show ahead of the game’s September launch.
June 27
BitSummit Gaiden – time TBA
This two-day event is a celebration of indies from Japan. If that’s your thing, you’ll want to tune into the show online so you don’t miss any of the dozens of presenters they have scheduled.
July Date TBA
The green team hasn’t set a date for this show yet, but Phil Spencer and company promise a deep dive into all things first-party Xbox, with Halo Infinite leading the show. New game reveals will come as well, with rumors surrounding a next-gen sequel for Forza and a Fable reboot.
July 11
TennoCon – time TBA
BlizzCon was canceled, but TennoCon, the Warframe fan expo, is going all-digital to stay circled on calendars in 2020. Expect more news on the free-to-play loot shooter that continues to grow.
July 12
Ubisoft Forward – 12 p.m. PT
One of the year’s most anticipated shows, Ubisoft will once again return to the “stage” to reveal news on its biggest franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Rainbow Six. Plus, there’s a credible rumor of a new Far Cry.
August 27
Gamescom Opening Night Live – 11 a.m. PT
We didn’t even mention Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest, because it seems to come and go on its own terms, but one concrete date we can look forward to is the first night of an all-digital Gamescom this August.
We expect more events to fill in this calendar as we go, so be sure to check back as we update the calendar regularly.
September 12 – 20
PAX West and PAX Australia are combining to become PAX Online, a “free nine-day global celebration of gaming culture featuring news reveals from the industry’s biggest players, highly anticipated unreleased titles, exclusive hands-on demos, and panels on gaming’s hottest topics.” Running 24 hours a day online, it will additionally include game developer Q&A, esports tournaments, and charity fundraisers.
Published: Jun 7, 2020 03:04 pm