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We’ll be able to visit virtual E3 2021 booths via the app

Nintendo has a lot of exciting projects in the works.

Last year, E3 was unexpectedly cancelled due to COVID-19, but the Electronic Entertainment Expo is actually happening this year. Due to the state of the world, E3 2021 will simply be a virtual event that anyone can access rather than an in-person conference held in Los Angeles. Several game developers and tech companies have already confirmed that they will be attending and showing off their new offerings. Of course, as Nintendo fans, we are super excited to learn more about what the Japanese video game company has in store. There will definitely be announcements for new Nintendo Switch games and who knows, we might even learn about some new Nintendo hardware.

When is E3 2021?

E3 2021 will run for four days starting Saturday, June 12 - Tuesday, June 15. Unlike previous years, this event will be completely virtual and anyone can tune in.

Which Game Publishers are attending E3 2021?

Several companies and game publishers have already confirmed that they will be attending the virtual E3 2021 event including:

  • Nintendo
  • Xbox
  • Square Enix
  • Bandai Namco
  • Capcom
  • XSEED Games
  • Bethesda Softworks
  • GungHo
  • Sega
  • Epic Games
  • Activision
  • THQ Nordic
  • NVIDIA
  • Ubisoft
  • Take-Two Interactive
  • Warner Bros. Games
  • Koch Media
  • HORI
  • Oculus from Facebook
  • Deep Silver
  • Limited Run Games
  • Amazon Game Studios

*Konami has stated that they will not be ready to present at E3 this year, but to stay tuned as there will be "some updates in the coming months".

How do I watch virtual E3 2021?

E3 will have both an official online portal and an app for viewers to watch conferences and streams by visiting "virtual booths". Each exhibitor can feature videos or written content for viewers to engage with. Additionally, folks can also watch E3 on YouTube, Twitch, and other major video platforms.

We don't know yet if the app ESA mentioned will be the same E3 App that currently exists or a new one. However, we do know that ESA intends for this app "to run parallel to the four-day broadcast, laying the foundation for interactive E3 elements to continue beyond this year's all-virtual show". (Via IGN)

Here's a link to the current official E3 App just in case. It has not yet been updated for E3 2021. However, it likely will be in the coming weeks as schedules and details are nailed down.

App access

E3 App

Free at App Store Free at Google Play

The place for E3 info

Check schedules, show info, participating companies, and more with the official E3 App. At the time of writing this, it has not been updated for E3 2021, but it likely will be in the following weeks.

How to Sign up for the E3 app

Registration for the E3 app will begin later in May and will open to the general public on June 12, the first day of E3.

Will it cost anything to watch E3?

You don't have to pay anything to watch E3 2021 as the ESA specifically states "E3 will be completely free for all attendees and there will not be a paywall."

Who is hosting E3 2021?

Greg Miller, Jacki Jing, and Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez will host the digital E3 2021 event.

  • Miller is the co-founder of Kinda Funny, an online entertainment outlet. He also has plenty of experience with video and podcasts that focus on nerd culture and gaming.
  • Jing is an Emmy-nominated TV journalist who has hosted a number of events from prominent media companies.
  • Goldenboy is a professional esport commentator who has hosted for popular games like Fortnite, Halo, and Overwatch.

Nintendo E3 2021: All news we expect to see

We already know that Nintendo is busy working on a few different projects. Here's everything we expect to see from Nintendo at E3 2021.

Nintendo Switch Pro

There have been plenty of rumors that a Switch Pro or Super Switch is in the making. Bloomberg even reported that Nintendo and Samsung are teaming up to manufacture OLED displays for a new Switch console. It's speculated that this Switch will have firmware that could support a 4K chip, giving it higher resolution than the current Switch.

Meanwhile, @SciresM, a dataminer on Twitter, recently explained that references to a new Switch model have been found in Switch firmware since the 10.0.0 update. It seems like something is definitely coming. Hopefully Nintendo gives us more information on it at E3. It would make sense as this would give people ample time to get excited for the new Switch before the holiday season hits.

Breath of the Wild 2

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is obviously one of the foremost games on Nintendo fans' minds. During a Nintendo Direct in February, Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series stated that development for the sequel was "proceeding smoothly and we should be able to bring you some more information this year." As such, it's very possible we'll learn more about Breath of the Wild 2 at E3.

We've got so many unanswered questions. It's very likely that the Breath of the Wild sequel could release later this year. If that's true, than we'll definitely get some more info about it sometime soon.

Sega / New Sonic the Hedgehog game / Persona games?

Obviously, Sega and Sonic aren't part of Nintendo, but they often do work together as we've seen with games like Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Recently in an interview Sega talked about a new Sonic project. It has been awhile since the last Sonic game released, so it wouldn't be unlikely to hear about a new Sonic title at E3 2021. In fact, I'm betting on it.

During this same interview, when asked whether the Persona series would aim for a worldwide release Sega stated:

"Simultaneous world-wide release on multiple platforms will be a tailwind for titles. Of course, we will adjsut to the title, but also want to be aware of the global expansion of Atlus Titles." Maybe this means the Persona games, which have historically been PlayStation console exclusives, might come to other gaming systems like the Switch. (Thank you @ryokutya2089 and Google Translate)

Perhaps this means the core Persona games, a series that has historically been a Playstation console exclusive, could come to other platforms like the Nintendo Switch. If true, we hope to hear about this at E3 2021.

Metroid Prime 4

The development of Metroid Prime 4 has been a saga all its own. The fourth installment was actually first announced at E3 2017, but then two years later Nintendo announced that they were unhappy with the game's progress and would "restart development from the beginning" with Retro Studios at the wheel. Since then Retro Studios has been busy hiring various people to work on the game, so at least we know something is happening.

We definitely want to learn more about Metroid Prime 4, but considering that developing a game from scratch takes a long time and COVID has caused several delays in the gaming world, we'll likely only get a teaser at E3 if we get anything at all.

Bayonetta 3

It's been seven long years since PlatinumGames released Bayonetta 2 and four years since Bayonetta 3 was first revealed at the Game Awards 2017. As such, we at iMore are all itching to hear more about this upcoming game.

However, fans of this sexy witch need to temper their expectations. After all, it was only in January that PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya told fans in a VGC interview "reset and forget about Bayonetta 3. Then when something finally does happen, it will be a nice surprise, won't it?" Still, a lot can happen within a few weeks. Hopefully We'll at least get a new teaser for Bayonetta 3 at E3.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn't scheduled to join the rest of the Pokémon games on Switch until 2022, but we can't help be excited about it. The Pokémon Company is trying something new by having this action RPG take place in ancient Sinnoh, where players are tasked with creating the first-ever Pokédex. Some of the gameplay looks to deviate from core Pokémon RPGs as well. Players can toss ancient Poké Balls at Pokémon in the overworld or sneak up on Pokémon to enter battle.

There's plenty of unknows surrounding the game and hopefully Nintendo will give us some more insights during E3.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

In February, we learned that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl would be coming to Nintendo Switch in late 2021. That being the case, you can bet these remakes will be appearing during Nintendo's Direct. Perhaps we'll learn more about any changes that were made from the original DS games.

Splatoon 3

We first learned about this upcoming game from a Nintendo Direct in February. Splatoon 3 isn't set to release until 2022, but we fully expect Nintendo to give us new details on multiplayer modes, arenas, and character customization options. From what we could tell in the video, it looks like the game is further along in its development, so hopefully there's more to share during Nintendo's portion of E3.

Nintendo Treehouse

Traditionally, folks from the Nintendo Treehouse have shown us exciting gameplay for upcoming Nintendo games. These previews often happen once a game is announced or more details for a game have been revealed. I'm really hoping we get to see some gameplay for Breath of the Wild 2, at least. Either way, we know it will be exciting to watch.

Can't wait for Nintendo E3 2021

We can't wait for mid-June to finally get here so we can learn about all of the exciting things Nintendo has in store for us. We'll be updating this page regularly so check back frequently!

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