Summer is finally upon us, and that means the usual raft of world premieres, new game announcements, trailers and more from the world's major game developers and publishers.
Between an all-digital E3 2021 and Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, it can be confusing working out which events are happening when.
This guide shows you everything that's going on, across the whole summer.
Saturday, June 5 - INDIE Live Expo
As the name suggests, the third INDIE Live Expo focuses on the many indie titles in the industry. Promising more than 300 games to be introduced, and will be broadcast in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
The show kicks off at 2am PDT / 5am EDT / 10am BST / 11am CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Saturday, June 5 - Guerrilla Collective Day 1
Launched to great success last year, the Guerrilla Collective digital festival returns on June 5. With the likes of Humble, tinyBuild, and Raw Fury involved, expect to find some real gems.
The show begins at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
June 7-11 - Netflix Geeked
Announced just a few days beforehand, Netflix Geeked aims to capitalise on the hype by showing off its upcoming content based on video game IP, as well as other genre entertainment.
It promises news, celebrity appearances, and more. Examples of what to expect might be details of The Witcher Season 2 and The Cuphead Show.
To close the week on June 11, Netflix are teaming up with Geoff Keighley for a special showcase.
The show begins each day at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST
The showcase starts on Friday June 11 at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Wednesday, June 9 - New Battlefield Reveal
A major upcoming title that has been plagued with leaks, EA will reveal the new Battlefield title on June 9. Rumoured to be set in the near future with a 'World War 3' imminent, there are also rumours of a battle royale mode given Criterion's involvement alongside developer DICE.
The reveal takes place at 7am PDT / 10am EDT / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST
- Watch on YouTube
Thursday, June 10 - Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live!
Geoff Keighley is back with another summer of world premieres, exclusive content, and possibly Josef Fares dropping some F-bombs. Okay, we can't attest to the last of those, but for sure you can expect big things as always.
The Kickoff Live! show will last two hours and promises over a dozen exclusive reveals, and there'll be a performance from American rock band Weezer.
Of course, that's not all from the Summer Game Fest - it will run throughout the summer with even more content.
The show begins at 11am PDT / 2pm EDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Friday, June 11 - IGN Expo
Dovetailing with Kickoff Live! this event from IGN forms part of their Summer of Gaming and will give us yet more reveals, gameplay and discussion of new games shown during Geoff Keighley's event.
The show begins at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT / 9pm BST / 10pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Friday, June 11 - Koch Primetime Gaming Stream
Focusing exclusively on titles from Koch Media's extensive portfolio, this event could give us information on a new TimeSplitters project following the reformation of Free Radical Design.
Nothing concrete is known about the contents of this show, other than a weird, ongoing trailer.
The show begins at 12pm PDT / 3pm EDT / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
Saturday, June 12 - Guerrilla Collective Day 2
More indie titles will be on show on the second day of the Guerrilla Collective event.
The show takes place at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
Saturday, June 12 - Wholesome Direct
All about indie games designed to make you feel good (instead of the usual death, war and conflict), the Wholesome Direct showcase promises 75 games' worth of reveals, footage, and some actual launches during the broadcast.
The show starts at 10am PDT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
Saturday, June 12-15 - E3 2021
Following last year's cancellation, E3 is back this year with an all-digital event. While it's still unclear just how that will work other than major publishers hosting their own streams, the ESA promises a 'reimagined and hyper-engaged digital experience' across app and online portal.
However, with the likes of Xbox, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Square Enix and Sega on board, expect a whole host of reveals. However, Sony and PlayStation are yet again notably absent.
The E3 pre-show broadcast will precede the day's events. Stay up to date on the official E3 Twitter account.
- E3 official Twitch channel
Saturday, June 12 - Ubisoft Forward
The first of the major publishers to drop, Ubisoft Forward will take place with a pre-show and main event format.
Updates to current titles will be shown first, such as Watch Dogs Legipn and Trackmania, while the main show will give us more on Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Parasite, Riders Republic, Far Cry 6 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Whether or not we get new Beyond Good & Evil 2 details is beyond us, though.
The pre-show begins at 11am PDT / 2pm EDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST
The main event begins at 12pm PDT / 3pm EDT / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Saturday, June 12 - Gearbox E3 Showcase
Little is known about this event from Borderlands publisher Gearbox Software, only that there will be a press conference. What we do know is that Gearbox will reveal a new title during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live, which will likely feature in this showcase too.
Could we see a trailer for the upcoming Borderlands movie, starring Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett and Jack Black?
The show begins at 2pm PDT / 5pm EDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Saturday, June 12 - Devolver Digital Press Conference
If, like me, you like your events utterly chaotic, then the Devolver Digital conference is unmissable. Led by Chief Synergy Officer Nina Struthers, expect the unexpected in an event that pokes as much fun at trade shows as it does promote their titles.
The show begins at 1:30pm PDT / 4:30pm EDT / 9:30pm BST / 10:30pm CEST.
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Sunday, June 13 - Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase
Sunday is perhaps the biggest day in terms of major shows, starting with Microsoft's offering. We can expect information on Halo Infinite and possibly Fable, and maybe even an Elder Scrolls VI reveal. The show will last around 90 minutes.
The show begins at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Sunday, June 13 - Square Enix Presents
Along with a brand-new IP from Eidos Montréal, Square Enix will likely bring some surprises with it when it hosts its summer show. There are rumours of a new Final Fantasy spinoff title - separate to its Final Fantasy XVI announcement.
Platinum Games' new offering, Babylon's Fall, will feature, alongside more on Life is Strange: True Colors and Marvel's Avengers.
The show begins at 12:15pm PDT / 3:15pm EDT / 8:15pm BST / 9:15pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Sunday, June 13 - Back 4 Blood PVP Showcase
The creators of Left 4 Dead are back with another zombie co-op shooter, which they will show off in a special showcase from Warner Bros.
The show begins at 2pm PDT / 5pm EDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
Monday, June 13 - PC Gaming Show & Future Games Show
This double-header from PC Gamer and GamesRadar promises to be massive, with 40 games featured in the Future Games Show alone.
Between huge titles such as Baldur's Gate 3 and Persona 4 Golden and a plethora of games from big and small studios alike, this two-and-a-half hour show will be one you should tune into, for sure.
The PC Gaming Show begins at 2:30pm PDT / 5:30pm EDT / 10:30pm BST / 11:30pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
The Future Games Show begins at 4pm PDT (Sunday) / 7pm EDT (Sunday) / 12am BST (Monday) / 1am CEST (Monday).
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Monday, June 14 - Take-Two Interactive, Capcom, Razer
A whole host of individual conferences and streams happen on the Monday.
TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE
Although a very low chance, could we see a big Grand Theft Auto 6 reveal from Take-Two? More likely is a lot of sports franchise updates, such as NBA 2K, WWE 2K, and PGA Tour 2K. Rumours abound of a Marvel-based XCOM, too.
The Take-Two show begins at 10:15am PDT / 1:15pm EDT / 6:15pm BST / 7:15pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
CAPCOM
From Capcom, could we get a new Resident Evil announcement, hot on the heels of the success of Resident Evil Village? Perhaps a new Street Fighter game, given SFV is well into its ?
Nobody has any idea, but we'll just have to tune in and find out.
The Capcom show begins at 2:30pm PDT / 5:30pm EDT / 10:30pm BST / 11:30pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
RAZER
Finally, peripheral manufacturer Razer has a history of coming up with some utterly bananas technology - the pandemic-friendly Project Hazel, the triple-screen laptop Project Valerie, or the smartphone-powered Project Linda laptop all spring to mind. However, we'll likely just see updated models of its existing gamer-focused hardware.
The show begins at 3pm PDT / 6pm EDT / 11pm BST / 12am CEST (Tuesday)
- Watch the Razer E3 Keynote on Twitch
- Watch the Razer E3 Keynote on YouTube
Monday, June 14 - Limited Run Games Showcase
Limited Run Games, the publisher of hyper-popular, hyper-limited physical editions of beloved games, will show off their plans with a special E3 show.
The show begins at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT / 9pm BST / 10pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
Tuesday, June 15 - Nintendo Direct
Tuesday is another big one, as Nintendo will host a 40-minute show. Little is known about the content of this Direct, but it could feature Breath of the Wild 2. Other titles could be a new Metroid, or something new entirely.
However, all talk leading up to the event is focused on a potential upgraded Switch console. Whatever is revealed in the Direct, it's likely to tie in to any improved hardware.
Immediately following the Direct, a three-hour Nintendo Treehouse Live event will take place, featuring deeper dives on whatever is shown. Given its mammoth length, we could be in for a treat from Nintendo this year.
The show begins at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Tuesday, June 15 - Bandai Namco
There's only one title the vast majority of fans want to see from Bandai Namco at E3 2021 -- Elden Ring. The long, long-awaited title from Souls' developer FromSoftware and Game of Thrones scribe George R.R. Martin has sparked fervor among players, yet almost nothing has been revealed in the two years since its existence was revealed. However, there are whispers that this could be part of Geoff Keighley's Kickoff Live instead.
Naturally, there's going to be plenty of other titles as part of the docket, including Tales of Arise, so this one is worth watching.
The show begins at 2:25pm PDT / 5:25pm EDT / 10:25pm BST / 11:25pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Tuesday, June 15 - GameSpot
GameSpot will host the Play For All Showcase, an event dedicated to showcasing 20+ games that 'are charting the path for a brighter, more inclusive video game future'.
The show begins at 3:35pm PDT / 6:35pm EDT / 11:35pm BST / 12:35am CEST (Wednesday)
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Tuesday, June 15 - The Official E3 2021 Awards Show
Rounding off E3 week is a new event, the Official E3 2021 Awards Show. This event will highlight the best and most anticipated games of E3 across a range of categories.
Voted on by editors from the likes of IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer and more, the show will be hosted by Greg Miller, Jacki Jing, and Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez.
The show begins at 4:45pm PDT / 7:45pm EDT / 12:45am BST (Weds) / 1:45am CEST (Weds)
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
June 16-22 - Steam Next Fest
Rebranded from the Steam Game Festival, this event will highlight games coming to the Steam platform in the future.
The official website has teaser videos highlighting some of the games you'll see, across different genres, and as always with Steam there'll be a considerable number of demos you can access.
Wednesday, June 23 - Sonic Symphony Orchestra
Given it's the 30th anniversary of everyone's favourite blue Hedgehog, Sega have a raft of events planned. This free, live symphonic performance celebrates the music of the games, and features Crush 40 and DJ Tomoya Ohtani. A teaser will be unveiled during the Summer Game Fest.
Tuesday, July 6 - NACON Connect
The publisher will hold their own event, which will feature titles such as Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodsong, and more.
The show begins at 10am PDT / 2pm EDT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Thursday, July 17 - TennoCon
The event dedicated to Warframe kicks off on July 17. See the official website for full details, and expect new content reveals.
Thursday, July 17 - EA Play Live
Another of the major publishers to hold their own, standalone event, EA will likely reveal the new versions of yearly titles FIFA and Madden. We'll almost certainly see more of the new Battlefield following its earlier reveal, while we could see Dragon Age and Need for Speed titles.
- Watch on Twitch
- Watch on YouTube
Tuesday, August 24 - Gamescom Opening Night Live
Geoff Keighley will return for another spectacular opening night to Europe's biggest games show, one which will likely mirror the Kickoff Live event with reveals and announcements.
August 25-29 - Gamescom 2021
While it was planned that gamescom 2021 would be a hybrid digital-physical event, the ongoing pandemic has put paid to that.
Expect something similar to other events this summer, with access to demos, previews and more.
What about Sony PlayStation and Konami at E3 2021?
For the third year in a row, Sony won't take part in E3. Instead, they will likely hold one or a series of State of Play events, showing off first-party titles like the God of War sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, and Gran Turismo 7.
No details on when these take place have been revealed by Sony just yet, so we'll need to stay tuned for any announcements.
Meanwhile, Konami have also chosen to skip the event, citing 'timing' as a reason. The publisher has registered new trademarks for both Castlevania and Metal Gear, while rumours persist of a new Silent Hill.
