The annual E3 conference is usually an absolute staple in the gaming calendar, but the E3 2022 dates are yet to be confirmed and there seems to be some confusion about whether the event will even take place this year.
Once again, due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the E3 organisers from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have announced their intention to once again cancel the in-person part of E3 in 2022. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be an online equivalent, though.
In the two previous years of the pandemic, the ESA has tried two different methods: in 2020, E3 was cancelled altogether; but in 2021, an online version of the event was made available for free to anyone that wanted to tune in and see the latest announcements.
But what will E3 2022 have in store, if it does happen, and when is it likely to occur? Keep on reading for all the latest details and some guesswork on our part.
E3 2022 date: When is E3 this year?
The ESA has not confirmed it yet, but we would expect the E3 2022 dates to occur in the middle of June 2022 if the event does go ahead.
Last year, the online-only E3 2021 began on Saturday 12th June and lasted until Tuesday 15th June, so we would not be surprised in the slightest to see a similar cadence this year.
E3 2022 details: Is E3 2022 online and free?
So far, the only E3 2022 details we have are not particularly exciting ones. The ESA has confirmed that the real-life physical event has be cancelled for the third year in a row, but no details have been announced yet regarding what will happen instead.
The ESA said in a statement to IGN: “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022.”
Confirming that E3 as a brand will remain active, the ESA added: “We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”
When VentureBeat asked the ESA if this means there will be a virtual E3 instead, the organisers said they are “excited about the possibilities of an online event.”
That isn’t an outright confirmation that E3 2022 will look exactly like its free virtual equivalent from last year, but again, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how things end up. We’ll update this page when we learn more.
One thing we do know is that The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley will be providing his own E3 alternative, Summer Game Fest, for the third year in a row:
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) January 6, 2022
E3 2022 predictions: Which companies will appear at E3 2022?
Since the E3 2022 lineup of companies is a long way off from being revealed, it’s time to make some predictions for the developers that could appear and what games they might bring to show off.
Judging by what happened last year (see our E3 2021 recap if you need a refresher), it seems possible that Xbox, Nintendo, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Warner Bros, Gearbox and Take-Two Interactive could appear this year – they did last time, after all!
Sony was the biggest gaming company that did not appear at E3 2021, with the PS5 manufacturer opting to host its own online events throughout the year instead. Perhaps Sony will sit out this year, as well, unless the powers-that-be decide that E3 2022 is the perfect place to show off PSVR 2, Wolverine, Spider-Man 2, Horizon Call of the Mountain and God of War: Ragnarok.
Games expected to be coming out in the second half of 2022 include Saints Row, Starfield and presumably FIFA 23, so it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see any of those as E3 2022 (even though EA didn’t attend last year).
And in terms of games that don’t have release dates yet, let’s hope that E3 2022 includes the likes of Splatoon 3, Gotham Knights, Hogwarts Legacy, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, The Witcher 4, GTA 6, The Sims 5 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
That would be one hell of a lineup, wouldn’t it? We’ll keep on dreaming until we hear any official details on E3 2022, at which point we’ll update this page to keep you informed.
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