E3 2021 is coming up fast, and the ESA has finally sent out some information detailing what to expect from the “virtual experience” it’s cooking up this year. In short? It’s a website and app. I’m about to regale you with a big list of this year’s E3 features, as the ESA is presenting them, but make no mistake – if you’ve been on the internet for any length of time, this will all sound very familiar to you.
E3 runs June 12 through June 15, and those days will all feature traditional livestreams with “major publisher showcases, press conferences, industry panels, extended livestreams and special guest appearances”. For the E3-at-home experience that you’re used to, that will all be the same, and you’ll be able to catch those streams at places like Twitch and YouTube.
Those streams will also be available through E3’s online portal and app, the ESA describes as an “interactive experience”. There will be exhibitor booths with video and article content acting as a hub “within the portal for key announcements and game information” from each publisher. (Translation: all major participants will have a featured spot on the E3 website where you can see their announcements.)
We’ll also have lounges, which are “online gathering spots for all E3 attendees”, and forums, for “focused online discussion and sharing among attendees”. (Translation: there will be chat rooms and forums, so you can celebrate E3 like it’s 2001 again.)
There are also going to be leaderboards for collecting, uh, things during the show, and a customisable profile. (Translation: the ESA wants you to spend a lot of time on the app and website so that, in a few months, it can brag to the industry about how ‘engaged’ virtual E3 attendees are.)
The E3 2021 schedule includes plenty of non-E3 events this year too, and you can follow that link for a big breakdown of everything to expect in the coming months. There are upcoming PC games to be revealed, after all, no matter what form they get revealed in.