E3 2021 Day 2 Recap: All The Big Announcements Including Starfield, Guardians Of The Galaxy

E3 2021 is finally over, and so many trailers, first gameplay, and new reveals from different developers and publishers have come and went. With the event at its end, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Bethesda, Square-Enix, Capcom, and Bandai Namco have had their major press conferences and livestreams. While there have been other noteworthy shows, we wanted to focus on the larger titles and announcements that we heard at this year’s E3. In this roundup, you can catch up with everything that happened. GameSpot’s coverage of E3 2021 also includes some exclusives for Play For All 2021 stream, so be sure to check it out each day as more games from the show are revealed.

E3 2021: Day 1

Ubisoft Forward

This year’s Ubisoft Forward focused heavily on the recently revealed Rainbow Six Extraction, the co-op action-horror spin-off of the popular Siege game. Along with that, we saw a new look at Watch Dogs Legion’s Bloodline expansion that brings back Aiden Pearce, got a new look at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Siege of Paris DLC, and saw the reveal of the Mario + Rabbids sequel, Sparks of Hope. Closing out the show was the first look at the next game set in the universe of James Cameron’s Avatar, a new game from Ubisoft Massive called Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. If you want a more detailed look at each game, then check out our breakout roundup of the games from Ubisoft Forward 2021.

• Ubisoft Forward E3 2021 Announcements: Far Cry 6, Mario + Rabbids 2, Avatar

E3 2021: Day 2

Xbox + Bethesda Showcase 2021

Unfortunately, the Microsoft show got off to a particularly rough start with the unfortunate leak of Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, which looks to be the developer’s next leap forward for the open-world action-RPG genre. With that said, the larger slate of the show offered a wide array of reveals and updates on the library of games that Microsoft has for the Xbox consoles and PC. Along with the first look at Starfield, we also saw the reveal of The Outer Worlds 2, new Forza Horizon 5 gameplay, the next Sea of Thieves expansion that brings in Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and additional footage of Halo: Infinite’s multiplayer mode.

Closing out the show was the first look at Redfall, Arkane Austin’s next new IP that stars a group of super-powered vampire hunters. That’s only scratching the surface on the slate of the showcase, which also included first gameplay of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. Below, you can find the full breakdown of the Microsoft + Bethesda showcase.

• Xbox & Bethesda E3 Showcase Announcements: Starfield, Halo Infinite, Diablo 2

Square-Enix Showcase 2021

The latest Square-Enix showed that Marvel games were still a priority for the publisher, but the Final Fantasy series is still firing on all cylinders with new upcoming games. Kicking off the show was the reveal of Square Enix Montreal’s single-player focused Guardians of the Galaxy game, which we got a first look at before the show. Along with that, Platinum Games’ Babylon’s Fall also made its return with a new look at the game, which is now a live service that lets players join others online to clear dungeons and collect loot. Closing out the show was the reveal of Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger Of Paradise, a collaboration with Team Ninja and Square-Enix that brings back classic FF villain Garland. Check out our roundup below to see a full breakdown of the list of games we saw during the show.

• Square Enix E3 2021 Stream Announcements: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Final Fantasy Origin, Babylon’s Fall

E3 2021: Day 3

Capcom

The major event of note on June 14 was Capcom’s showcase. Over the last year, Capcom has been releasing their standalone livestream events showcasing their slate of games, marking their first dedicated E3 event. The stream began by giving us updates on the latest news for Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village, both of which will be receiving new post-launch content in the future. The majority of the stream focused on updates for the upcoming Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin and the remaster for The Great Ace Attorney, which marks its first release in the West. We also learned that the Resident Evil multiplayer spin-off, RE: Verse, launches sometime in July.

• Capcom E3 2021 Showcase Announcements: Resident Evil Village DLC, Monster Hunter Stories 2, And More

Halo Infinite: Multiplayer Overview

Though Microsoft showed off some extensive new footage for Halo Infinite during their press conference on Day 2, June 13 also saw a new video focusing on the free-to-play multiplayer mode. This overview featured developer testimonials focusing on what’s to come with 343 Industries’ next game. While the complete Halo Infinite experience will be a standard release, the multiplayer mode will be a free download for all players on Xbox and PC, which is a first for the series. In addition, we got to see more of a detailed look at Spartan, weapon, and vehicle customization and unlocks in the video. This video also revealed details of the new battle pass, which will be a one-time purchase for active players–though players who want to purchase old content from expired passes will have to spend extra to buy-in.

• Halo Infinite’s First Multiplayer Footage Revealed Alongside Details On Beta, Bots, Maps, Modes, Microtransactions

E3 2021: Day 4

Nintendo

The extended Nintendo Direct showcased many games across many of the publisher’s most well-known franchises and revived a few brands. One of the biggest surprises from the show was that a remake of Advance Wars 1 and 2 are on the way, which will release later this year on December 3. Another revival was Metroid Dread, the long-awaited follow-up to 2001’s Metroid Fusion. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also revealed the latest fighter in the roster: Kazuya Mishima from the Tekken series. Closing out the direct was the newest trailer for the sequel to Breath of the Wild–which is still unnamed. It was a fun and exciting trailer that showcased a changed Hyrule, which is now populated by floating islands. Overall, the Nintendo Direct for E3 2021 was an impressive showing, and it looks like 2021 will be an interesting year for the portable console. Still, we’re wondering when we’ll hear more about the successor to the Nintendo Switch.

• Nintendo Direct E3 2021 Announcements: Breath Of The Wild 2, Metroid Dread, Advance Wars

Other Notable Announcements

Along with the other significant showcases, we’ve also seen various games from various streams like the Koch Media showcase, PC Gamer Show, the Wholesome Direct, and the constantly weird Devolver Digital Showcase. Here’s a quick rundown of the most noteworthy games from the other conferences of E3 2021.

Back 4 Blood

Coming from Turtle Rock Studios, the original developers of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is essentially the spiritual successor to the co-op zombie survival shooter. It looks to inspire those familiar feelings of dread when gunning through hallways filled with the undead while running from giant mutated monsters. Back 4 Blood is set for release this October, which means you’ll be able to experience the closest thing to Left 4 Dead 3 sooner than you think.

• Back 4 Blood Will Launch On Xbox Game Pass On October 12

Diablo 2: Resurrected

The much anticipated remaster for Diablo II is set for release this September, and before its launch, you’ll be able to jump into the next beta for the game in August. Following the reveal at the Microsoft showcase, Geoff Keighley had an extended interview with Diablo franchise lead Rod Ferguson where he talked more about the upcoming game. The remaster also marks the first time Diablo II will play on consoles, as the original stayed as a PC exclusive.

• Diablo 2 Resurrected Coming To Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC September 23

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus

The original Doki Doki Literature Club was a game about catching you off-guard for those who don’t know. On the surface, it looks like an average visual novel game. But, as it turned out, it was a deeply unsettling psychological horror game that subverted the cutesy image of the game to present some horrifying, fourth-wall-breaking moments. It was a surprise hit, and now the developers are revisiting with an upgraded re-release on PC and consoles.

• Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Announced For Consoles And PC

Elden Ring

While Elden Ring was revealed shortly before the beginning of E3 2021, it’s hard to deny that we aren’t still feeling the rush from the recent trailer shown during the Summer Games Fest event. It was a stunning trailer that gave us a detailed look at the game’s expansive world and its slick combat mechanics. We also learned that the game releases on January 22, 2022.

• Elden Ring Gameplay Trailer Reveals January 21 Release Date, Game Has Free New-Gen Upgrade

Trek To Yomi

One of the more surprising reveals from the Devolver Digital showcase was Trek To Yomi, a 2.5D action game that takes classic samurai action films. It’s being made by Flying Wild Hog, the devs behind Shadow Warrior 3, and it looks to be a visually stunning that showcases some slick action and platforming.

• Trek To Yomi Launches In 2022 For PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X|S

Check back with GameSpot as more updates from E3 2021 come in. We’ll be adding more games and rundowns for the later shows as they happen, including what’s new with Nintendo in 2021.

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