Official E3 is cancelled for 2022, and it sure feels like it could be dead for real this time, but the E3 schedule lives on in spirit as major publishers host their own independent livestreams. Alongside them are group events like the Summer Game Fest and our own PC Gaming Show bringing even more announcements. There are still plenty of upcoming games this year to look forward to and we’ll be getting to see a lot of them this summer.
So far, the ‘E3 schedule’ for 2022 looks like it will be a lot more manageable than the last couple years. In 2020 and 2021 events were spread out, making it tough to keep track of when to tune into the games and publishers you were actually interested in week-by-week. So far for the 2022 schedule, early June is the time to watch. Publisher showcases may wind up getting distributed across the summer as they’re announced, though, and we’ll keep track of all the days and times you need to know right here.
Here’s the developing ‘E3’ schedule 2022 and Summer Game Fest schedule:
‘E3’ 2022 schedule: livestreams to watch
Xbox & Bethesda
Livestream: Sunday, June 12 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm BST on Twitch and YouTube
What to expect:
Now that Xbox Games and Bethesda are under the same Microsoft roof, they’ve also paired up for a summer showcase. Between the two, there are a lot of big games we’ll want to hear about. With its release date incoming, this is likely when we’ll get a genuine look at Starfield. From Microsoft, there are all sorts of other likely attendees: continued updates on Minecraft and Halo Infinite along with possible looks at Obsidian’s new RPG Avowed or maybe Fable 4.
PC Gaming Show
Livestream: Sunday, June 12, time TBA on Twitch and YouTube.
What to expect:
Oh, the PC Gaming Show? Yup, we’re coming back this summer too with another showcase of never-before-seen gameplay footage from upcoming games. As in past years, we’ll be making game reveals and talking with developers during the show too. You can expect a mix of big reveals from game series you know and smaller games that may be the next indie hit.
Future Games Show
Livestream: Sunday, June 12, time TBA on Twitch and YouTube.
What to expect:
Our friends at Gamesradar are also hosting the yearly Future Games Show on June 12, which will focus on games of all platforms unlike our PC-specific show. They will also be sharing first-reveal footage of games from big publishers alongside announcements from smaller developers.
Summer Game Fest
Livestream: TBA on Twitch and YouTube.
What to expect:
Geoff Keighley’s now yearly summer showcase event is making a return at an unannounced date and time. E3 isn’t officially happening this year, but a lot of the usual big publishers are confirmed to be partners for this year’s Game Fest. EA, for instance, is not hosting an EA Play event but will be at SGF. The likes of 2k, Activision, Capcom, Gearbox, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Riot, and more are all showing up in some capacity. This year may reset the tone for whether publishers are happy to send big announcements to SGF or prefer to hold things back for their own livestreams.
Unconfirmed showcases: What might happen?
Devolver Direct
Livestream: Unconfirmed
What to expect:
Devolver Digital’s yearly showcase livestream seems likely to happen again in 2022. Will we see Devolver’s fictional CEO Nina Struthers make a return? We don’t know, but the publisher certainly has a solid handful of games coming out this year that it will want to show off in some capacity. We may see more of reverse city builder Terra Nil or the roguelike Wizard With A Gun, and almost certainly announcements for yet unseen indie games.
Ubisoft Forward
Livestream: Unconfirmed
What to expect:
Ubisoft hasn’t yet announced an Ubisoft Forward event for this summer, but we should expect to hear about the publisher’s ongoing games and series in some fashion. It feels safe to expect mention of Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six: Siege, and maybe Far Cry. There are also definitely some unknowns it could be bringing to the table. Long in the works pirates game Skull & Bones could finally see the light of day after a recent leak, or perhaps much-delayed The Settlers, oh and there’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora too.
State of Play
Livestream: Unconfirmed
What to expect:
Sony broadcasts State of Play showcases multiple times a year now. There was a decently large showing in March 2022, which doesn’t preclude a summer showcase, but may mean we see it a bit later in the season instead of June. Sony shows can be tricky, as it’s not always immediately clear which games are total PlayStation exclusives and which are coming to PC. Sony threw us quite the curveball over the Demon’s Souls remake last year. With any luck, we’ll hear about more confirmed PC releases from Sony’s studios.
Nintendo Direct
Livestream: Unconfirmed
What to expect:
A date hasn’t been announced yet, but there’s sure to be a Nintendo Direct at some point during the summer. More often every year, Nintendo’s shows include announcements for upcoming ports and remasters that we know will make their way to PC.
Cancelled livestreams: What’s not happening?
EA Play 2022
Electronic Arts has confirmed that it isn’t coming through with a big central showcase this summer. “We love EA Play Live as it’s our way of connecting with our players and sharing what’s new with all of you,” it said. “However, this year things aren’t lining up to show you everything on one date. We have exciting things happening at our world-class studios and this year we’ll reveal much more about these projects when the time is right for each of them.”
