E3 2018 - EA, Xbox and Bethesda Reveals

E3 is upon us once more, and like vultures choosing only the juiciest morsels from still warm bodies, we're here to ignore the glitz, hype and often bizarre showmanship in an effort to deliver the best reveals and announcements so far. First up: Xbox, Bethesda and EA.

Xbox

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Forza Horizon 4 - Xbox One, PC

The latest from Playground Games is exclusive to Xbox One and Windows 10, will be set in the UK and brings with it dynamic seasons as well as a shared online world. It looks brilliant and will be of interest to anyone who owns a Microsoft machine and likes driving games. Get your keys ready to start the car up on October 2nd, 2018.

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The Division 2

Once again, Microsoft and Ubisoft have joined together to bring fans a sequel to the vastly popular The Division. Set in Washington D.C, The Division 2 calls all active Division agents to make one last stand because "if D.C falls, America falls". The beta sign ups are already open but the game isn't due to release until March 15, 2019.

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Xbox One, PC, PS4

We knew already that on September 14th, 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider would drop but now we have our first look at the gameplay. As expected we have a rollicking action adventure game coming our way with Lara Croft as the titular Tomb Raider, doing all of the things including, yes, raiding tombs.

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - PC, Xbox One, PS4

The latest game to be developed by From Software with direction from Hidetaki Miyazaki, this action-RPG sees us in a world inhabited by samurai and monsters. This appears to be the evolution of the Soulsborne games and is due in 2019, published worldwide by Activision. This has the potential to be all kinds of amazing.

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Kingdom Hearts 3 - XBox One, PS4

Venturing into colder climates, the next installment in the Kingdom Hearts franchise is going to be heading to Arendelle, home to the Ice Queen, Elsa, to "Andy's bedroom" from Toy Story, and Monstropolis from Monsters Inc. as well as other places Disney fans will know and love. It is currently penned for release on January 29, 2019.

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Dying Light 2 - PC, Xbox One, PS4

Techland have taken on writer Chris Avellone to come up with a compelling story to the open world zombie survival sequel, which includes branching decision-making with permeating effects that could completely change the way any two people play the game. There's no release date, but expect scares, twists and lots of parkour when it drops.

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Battletoads - PC, Xbox One, PS4

Another surprise entry scheduled for 2019, the reboot of a series that lay dormant for a quarter of a century has a few details but almost nothing in the way of gameplay or screenshots. Still, we're sure more info about the amphibious trio will be forthcoming soon.

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Gears Tactics - PC

A turn-based strategy prequel to the first game, which is coming solely to PC. Very little information has been provided so far, but given the relative success of Halo Wars it seems that Microsoft are planning on expanding the lore of the Gears franchise out and hoping for a winner. You can get clicking in 2019.

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Halo Infinite - Xbox, PC

We know practically nothing about this chapter of Master Chief's story, other than it's once again being created by 343 Industries. But here's a pretty tech demo to whet your appetite:

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Just Cause 4 - PC, XBox One, PS4

Strap in and get your wingsuit ready, as Nico is once again taking to the sky in a blaze of fire and carnage. Explosions! Vehicles! Aircraft! Tornadoes! Lightning! December 4, 2018!

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Cyberpunk 2077 - PC, XBox One, PS4

This has got to be one of the most anticipated games of the conference! CD Projekt Red, creators of the Witcher series, have had the rights to the Cyberpunk universe for quite some time now but, while we've known that they were making Cyberpunk 2077, there hasn't been a trailer or anything visual about the game until now. There is still no news on a release date.

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Devil May Cry 5 - PC, Xbox One, PS4

It will have been ten years since the fourth game came out, but Nero and Dante look as cool as ever in this cross-format release. Expect it to reach our shores in Spring 2019.

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Gears of War 5 - Xbox One, PC

Kait from the fourth game is the protagonist in this Microsoft exclusive, which is also hitting PC at some point in 2019. There are lots of squelchy monsters and a full 4K world to battle them in, so all of the boxes are ticked here.

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Metro Exodus - PC, Xbox One, PS4

With the same release date of February 22nd, 2019, this latest instalment in the acclaimed series is on a collision course with Anthem. Exodus looks gorgeous, and has a distinctly S.T.A.L.K.E.R. feel now that you've left the claustrophobic confines of the underground. Two big releases on the same day could prove problematic for initial sales for both studios, however, so we're interested to see whether either of them blinks first and moves their launch.

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Jump Force - TBC

Bandai Namco announced a 3v3 brawler incorporating elements of Death Note, One Piece, Dragon Ball and Naruto, and it looks utterly bonkers.

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Sea of Solitude - TBC

A new indie adventure from Jo-Mei Games, which has us very excited. The art style is reminiscent of the recent Rime and if Sea of Solitude is half as good as that, we'll be very happy. We'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 to get our hands on it, though.

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Jedi: Fallen Order - TBC

A new single-player Star Wars game? YES PLEASE. This one will be set between episodes III and IV...but that's about all we know. The release date is tentatively scheduled for Autumn 2019, but with nothing other than an announcement and the fact that Respawn Entertainment have been working on it for a while, patience we must have.

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A new Xbox console - TBC

We couldn't round off the Xbox segment without mentioning that a new Xbox console is in the works. According to Phil Spencer:

Our hardware team is deep into developing the next generation of Xbox consoles, where we will once again deliver on our commitment to set the benchmark for console gaming.

Will this be the last "proper" console before a future of streaming games? Will the new Xbox outclass the PS5? We have no information whatsoever and won't expect to for at least another year.

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Bethesda

Wolfenstein: Youngblood - TBA

After the success of The New Colossus, it was inevitable that we'd return to Blazkowicz's world. What we didn't expect was a co-op game featuring his twin daughters as the protagonists. Colour us excited for a 2019 release.

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Doom Eternal - TBA

Another reveal which showcased a crumbling hellscape, the sequel to DOOM's triumphant reboot looks like it's upping the threat level significantly. It'll be out in 2019, but we'll learn more during QuakeCon when it hits Dallas in August.

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Fallout 76 - TBA

Fallout 76 may have divided fans with its online-only framework, and there will be base-building galore which may irk others even further. However, until we get to actually play it and travel around a world four times bigger than the last entry in the series, we have no idea what to expect. That will change soon, as the release date is set for November 14, 2018.

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Starfield - TBA

The first new IP for a quarter of a century from Bethesda, and it looks...spacey. Starfield will be a single-player RPG but otherwise we know very little. Here's some nice lens flare, though:

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The Elder Scrolls VI - TBA

The sixth entry in the Elder Scrolls series has been uncovered, and what we know is...there will be some mountains in it. The epitome of a teaser, but it's nice to know Bethesda are working on it.

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EA

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Anthem - PC, Xbox One, PS4

With Muse's Resistance pounding in the background, BioWare's new sci-fi IP certainly looks spectacular. However, the co-op gameplay might not scratch the itch gamers have following the rather disappointing last entry in the Mass Effect series, and the lack of romance options, PVP (at least, at launch) and the requirement to be online to play may infuriate some. That said, at least we have a release date: February 22nd, 2019.

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Battlefield V - PC, Xbox One, PS4

A mere four months away, EA DICE's latest instalment in the long-running series will be hitting PC, Xbox One and PS4 on October 19th, 2018. Expect single-player, multiplayer, and of course battle royale modes.

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Madden 19 - PC, Xbox One, PS4

August 10th, 2018 is the date for Terrell Owens to make his way back onto the field, along with the Real Player Motion tech utilised in FIFA 18. The big news for PC fans is that this series will be heading to their rigs too, for the first time since 2007.

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NBA Live 19 - Xbox One, PS4

Less than a year after its predecessor was released, EA is returning to the court on September 7th, 2018 to shoot more hoops. This one's for consoles only, though.

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FIFA 19 - Xbox One, PS4

Another entry in EA's reliably predictable schedule of sports releases, this one's for all you soccerball fans. There's no news on Ultimate Team yet, but the story mode is coming back and EA scored a coup in obtaining the Champions League licence from PES, so this is likely to be a strong entry.

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Command & Conquer: Rivals - Mobile

We're still waiting for a new Command & Conquer game on PC, but this mobile offering is 1v1 only which might fill a gap in the interim, even if the actual gameplay looks laughable in comparison to the trailer footage. Apparently, it stars Walter White. Get downloading on August 10th, 2018.

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It's a strong opening for Microsoft, who desperately needed to claw back ground from Sony's PlayStation juggernaut. Yet Sony's conference is still to come so the battle is still very much alive. Which games are you most looking forward to playing? Let us know in the comments!