Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase, E3 2021: How to watch and what to expect

By Andrew Zucosky Updated June 13, 2021

E3 is here, and all of the big video game developers are unveiling their livestreams for the event. Microsoft will join companies like Nintendo and Square Enix in hosting a digital showcase highlighting its games. The 90-minute event is a joint Xbox and Bethesda stream detailing new games and content from Bethesda Softworks, Xbox Game Studios, and some third-party developers.

We can expect to see Starfield, Halo Infinite, and possibly an expansion to the library found in the Xbox Game Pass. Of course, completely new game announcements are expected as well, and perhaps even plans for the next line of Xbox Series consoles.

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When can I watch the Xbox Showcase?

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The E3 2021 Xbox Showcase broadcasts at 10 a.m. PT today. That’s similar timing to other showcases, which begin mid-morning on the West Coast and in the afternoon on the East Coast. It’s the perfect thing to watch while you drink a morning coffee or have a lunch break (which might just be more coffee).

Where can I watch the Xbox Showcase?

Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

The showcase can be viewed on Xbox’s YouTube channel and Twitch page, as well as Facebook and Twitter. So, regardless of your preferred platform, you will be able to watch the showcase this year.

What announcements will be made at the Xbox Showcase?

We can expect to see plenty of new game announcements, follow-ups on already announced games, and possibly something about the Xbox Game Pass. However, we don’t really have anything confirmed, so this is all speculation. We can make some safe guesses, though. Starfield and Halo Infinite feel like shoo-ins, as these games are the biggest games from Microsoft and Bethesda that are expected to come out this year.

We might also get more information about Psychonauts 2, which is set to release this year. It wouldn’t really be E3 if we didn’t get new Forza news. Elder Scrolls 6 is also a possibility, but it’s unlikely we’ll get any extensive information about it — expect another teaser, if anything.

Make sure to check out our E3 event guide, which breaks down all biggest livestreams worth watching during the show.

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Andrew has been playing video games since he was a small boy, and he finally got good at them like a week ago. He has been in…

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How many games featured in Xbox’s 2022 showcase actually launched within 12 months?

Players approach a vampire in Redfall that's floating outside a window.

At Microsoft's June 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the publisher made a lofty promise. It said that every game shown off would be released within a year of the showcase.

That's not exactly how things panned out, though. During a May 4 interview on Kinda Funny's XCast podcast, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer admitted that Xbox "didn't deliver" when that promise was mentioned. Though there are still a few weeks left for Xbox to make good on its promise, it seems unlikely that every game shown at its 2022 presentation will indeed launch as planned.

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With E3 2023 gone, other gaming events need to step up

Despite how inevitable the complete downfall of E3 felt over the past several years, E3 2023’s official cancellation still strings as it’s a significant loss for the game industry. For gamers, press, and developers, the show served multiple purposes that digital livestreams and scattered publisher-specific events don't currently replicate. In lieu of E3’s cancelation this year, and potentially forever, it’s time for other gaming events to step up and help push the video game industry forward.
Why we lost E3
I’m lucky enough to have the experience of attending three E3 shows across 2017, 2018, and 2019 and many publisher-run events focused on specific games or tighter game lineups. In its final years, E3 felt like the perfect middle ground to the gamer-focused PAX and industry-focused GDC, where people from all walks and sides of the video game industry could come together, see what’s coming in the future, and share their love for games.

It also felt more freeing than publisher-run events, as I discovered and experienced games of all sizes that I may not have otherwise and got to meet many people from every angle of the game industry. Apparently, the Entertainment Software Association struggled to convince enough people that this style of expo was important four years after the last physical event.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association president Stanley Pierre-Louis blamed E3 2023’s cancellation on the Covid-19 pandemic, “economic headwinds” due to the current recession that impacted marketing budgets, and the fact that “companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
The first two are understandable and have impacted a lot of physical events over the past couple of years. Still, the last reason speaks to a bit more worrying of a shift for those looking to network, get attention from the press, get a broader look at the industry’s future, or even pitch a game.
What we lose
Events are a great way for indies to get unexpected and much-needed attention from players and the press; look at the chance encounter that got one of our team’s freelancers hooked on Homeseek at PAX East. Now, indies will have to hope to gain attention at those more indie-focused events like PAX or be cherry-picked to be featured in a more prominent company’s showcasing. There’s also the networking and pitch factor to it.

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E3 2023 has officially been canceled by the ESA and ReedPop

The Entertainment Software Association and ReedPop confirmed that E3 2023 has been canceled following a report that broke the news. E3 2023 was supposed to take place between June 13 and June 16.
Earlier today, IGN reported that two of its sources received an email from the Entertainment Software Association saying that this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has been canceled because it "simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry." Soon after, a tweet from the official E3 account confirmed that "both the digital and physical events for E3 2023 are canceled."
https://twitter.com/E3/status/1641546610218811393
E3 was once a prominent annual video game industry trade show but has struggled to re-emerge since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. E3 did not take place in 2020 or 2022, and a digital-only attempt at the show in 2021 did not live up to expectations. The ESA was attempting to bring the show back this year with the help of PAX organizer ReedPop, and even approved press passes for the event already, but it appears the developers and publishers have lost faith in E3. Ubisoft pulled out of the show earlier this week after initially committing to be there, while Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Level Infinite confirmed they wouldn't be there in the following days.
While E3 2023 is not happening, there are going to be many other things for people to look forward to. Geoff Keighley will host a Summer Game Fest show on June 8, Microsoft is holding a Starfield direct and larger showcase on June 11, while Ubisoft will have a Ubisoft Forward Live event in Los Angeles on June 12.

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