E3 2020 replacement schedule - How to catch the biggest game reveals of the year - Android

E3 is one of the most exciting times of the year for gamers, when the latest and greatest upcoming game announcements and previews are finally released into the wild. This year, however, concerns over the coronavirus outbreak caused the event’s cancellation back in March. The game goes on, however, with companies planning livestreams and video reveals to replace the canceled E3 2020 schedule.

The E3 conference schedule is usually difficult enough to follow, but the replacement streams are all over the place. To help you keep track of this year’s E3 announcements, we’ve put together a guide to the digital event so you don’t miss a single new game announcement or trailer.

What is E3?

Xbox

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is an annual trade show and conference for video games. It usually takes place at a conference center in Los Angeles in June, and 2020 is the first year in its 25-year history that the event has been cancelled.

In recent years, some game companies like Sony and EA have pulled out of E3, with the latter holding its own parallel event nearby. Anticipation for E3 2020 was especially high with the upcoming release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles this holiday season. ESA, the organizers of E3, also revised the layout of the event to make it more consumer friendly, and expanded the number of passes available to the public from 15,000 to 25,000.

Why was E3 canceled?

With COVID-19 outbreak endangering the health of exhibitors and attendees alike, the ESA announced the cancelation of E3 2020 on March 11, 2020. Earlier in the month officials in Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency, making it virtually impossible to organize the massive event. Even before other parts of the United States began issuing stay-at-home orders, the risk of so many people from around the world congregating in one convention center was also too big to ignore.

With the cancelation taking place a full three months before the event, no companies had yet announced any plans to pull out of the event. Organizers issued a full refund and promised to showcase E3 game announcements on the E3 website. Initially the ESA hoped to hold some E3 digital events, but ultimately opted to promote alternative external events on its official channels.

What is the E3 2020 schedule?

Although officially the E3 2020 schedule has been scrapped, that doesn’t mean that exciting E3 game announcements won’t happen! The initial event was scheduled for June 9-11, but some digital replacements are taking place as early as June 6. Check out the full E3 schedule below and scroll down for more details on each event. We’ve also included links to where you can learn more about where to watch E3 replacement events.

IGN’s Summer of Gaming

One of the best places to catch new games that were originally slated as E3 announcements is IGNs Summer of Gaming event. It kicks off June 5 and extends through to the end of the month. Expect new game reveals, trailers, and developer interviews at streamed events. It isn’t as expansive as the former E3 conference schedule, but you can check out the full schedule Summer of Gaming schedule here.

Guerrilla Collective

Guerrilla Collective is a new event this year, but it has an impressive lineup of pre-E3 announcements. These include a variety of indie games and exclusive details about Larian Studios’ highly anticipated RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. It takes place from June 6-8 and can be streamed for free on Twitch.

Indie Live Expo

For fans of indie games, the announcements start early at the Indie Live Expo. It will feature news and announcements for a variety of indie games from both the West and the East, with messages from legendary creators like ZUN (Touhou Project), Toby Fox (Undertale), and Kazuya Nino (from TYPE-MOON).

PC Gaming Show

Not much has been revealed about the 2020 edition of the PC Gaming Show, but if last year is any indication it should be filled with exciting announcements. In 2019 it kicked off just ahead of the official E3 schedule, but this year there should be even more game reveals since the official event has been canceled. It will be hosted by Day[9] and Frankie Ward on June 6, starting at 12PM PDT.

Future Games Show

GamesRadar’s Future Games Show might only be an hour long, but it’s sure to be filled with never-before-seen footage and game announcements. It will include console, mobile, and streaming game announcements, as well as developer interviews and more. The action starts June 6 at 2:30PM PDT.

Upload VR Showcase

Trade shows like E3 are great places to see emerging tech like VR, but with the official schedule thrown out the window the Upload VR Showcase is the next best thing. It will feature 20 VR games and experiences, so fans of VR should be sure to tune in on June 8.

The Escapist Indie Showcase

In the wake of E3’s cancelation, many sites are scrambling to fill the void by scheduling their own events. One such event is The Escapist Indie Showcase, which is set to reveal more than 70 games over four days, from June 11-14.

EA Play

EA Play always has taken place outside of the official E3 schedule since 2016, so in a way this year’s event timing isn’t a big change. Many of the details have been kept in the dark, but EA is well known for sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield titles, and more. In lieu of a physical event this year’s EA Play will be streamed live starting June 11 at 4PM PDT.

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