The Electronic Entertainment Expo, short E3, is just around the corner: From June 16 to 18, major publishers will showcase where gaming is headed… but is there anything for us MMO fans? What will Ubisoft, Activision, Bethesda, EA, and Blizzard present?
Ubisoft: Sequels plus new franchise
The publisher Ubisoft announced in advance that three games will be presented or showcased in more detail at E3. These include, besides the sequels Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Watch Dogs 2, the NextGen MMO: The Division.
All three games contain role-playing elements. While I feel the Assassin’s Creed franchise has been heavily mined – comparisons with the Call of Duty series are loud – Watch Dogs 2 may have learned from the mistakes of the first part. However, whether the game can position itself as a competitor to GTA is unlikely.
The most interesting announcement for MMO players is The Division, a role-playing shooter set in a post-apocalyptic New York City. Ubisoft indicated there will be a first playable version of the game. Will it deliver on its promise? It should please PC players, as a real blockbuster in the shooter MMO genre is still missing. But there should finally be a rival for the console giant Destiny. As is well known, competition invigorates the business.
Is Activision unveiling the Destiny expansion?
Activision probably won’t show any new burner this year. Instead, as already mentioned, it will rely on the tried and true: Call of Duty. Rather uninteresting for role players. Nevertheless, Activision should not be written off this year, as rumors suggest that a announcement of a major Destiny expansion is coming. Although these are still rumors, if not now, when will the presentation with the name come? E3 offers a good platform for Activision to announce the expansion of the console MMO.
Well, there isn’t much more to expect for the MMO fan. In addition to Guitar Hero Live, something about Skylanders 2015 is likely to be presented. That’s right, it’s the game with the collectible figures.
Bethesda brings back the apocalypse
Many fans of the series jumped for joy a few days ago: Fallout 4 has been officially confirmed. Unfortunately, it is not a Fallout MMO, as some had expected or even wished. Whether there will be a multiplayer component is still unclear – perhaps Bethesda will reveal more at E3.
What will there be for The Elder Scrolls Online? Statistics on player numbers and sales could be conceivable. However, the focus will be on announcements for the immediate future. In recent months, there has been largely silence regarding the planned game content and the DLC. At E3, the information dams should break.
EA delights role players
EA will present three games related to role-playing. If Fallout fans jumped with joy, Mass Effect fans will surely have shed a tear or two of happiness. EA wants to present something new about the sci-fi role-playing game in line with E3.
Okay, Mirrors Edge is not necessarily known as a role-playing game, but it still offers some game elements that MMO players could enjoy. The predecessor was definitely a great game for a quick play. The first part of the action-adventure is now seven years old, so it’s time to work on a sequel.
What all MMO players are of course expecting from EA at E3 are more information about the biggest SWTOR expansion to date and gameplay videos for the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront. Coinciding with the release of the seventh Star Wars film, a reboot of the multiplayer shooter series Star Wars Battlefront will be made available. A look at our Star Wars Battlefront theme page reveals that a lot has already been announced. However, we are still waiting for meaningful gameplay scenes. This should finally happen at E3.
Is Blizzard unveiling a new WoW expansion?
This time, Blizzard has also secured its own place at E3. The rumor mill is boiling: New WoW expansion? Concrete release info for Overwatch? New heroes or game modes for HotS? Something again about Diablo 3?
It would indeed be possible to announce an expansion for World of Warcraft, even though this would be somewhat unusual outside of BlizzCon. A final release date for the Starcraft 2 expansion Legacy of the Void is also being discussed. Blizzard, as always, remains tight-lipped until the last minute.
What else is there?
Those were just a part of the announcements from the major publishers. However, much more will be seen at E3, such as a possible Dark Souls 3. The name “Dark Soul” makes casual players sweat, as it is one of the toughest role-playing series at the moment. Let’s see what the guys from From Software will present to us. And Square Enix will likely reveal the final details on Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward in a new producer letter.
After a long time, ArenaNet is represented again at E3. There is also a very good reason for that: The promotional drum for the upcoming Guild Wars 2 expansion named Heart of Thorns needs to be rolled out. Much has been said and written about the expansion. In the Closed Beta, I was able to take a first look at the Revenant class and the new world. Only about guild halls has been kept silent until the last moment. Now they want to show them. Moreover, some players are also expecting the announcement of a release date.
Did we forget anything? What presentations, announcements, or rumors interest you the most? Do you want to follow the announcements live? Then we recommend our E3 schedule.
