E3 2018 Predictions: Bethesda, Capcom, Rockstar Games, And More

With Sony's plans laid out and both Microsoft and Nintendo containing fairly obvious guesses, the largest question mark this year is what are third-party developers and publishers like Capcom and Ubisoft bringing to show off this year? There's still a few days to go before E3, so we're laying all our cards out for you to see, and say what projects think will (and won't) show this year as well as other announcements.

Bethesda

Fallout 76 Is Not A Traditional Fallout Game

Bethesda released a teaser for ... whatever Fallout 76 is a little while ago. Rumors have swirled, with Kotaku reporting that the game is not a classic single-player focused FPS-RPG hybrid that the series is famous for, but instead an online game, possibly an MMO or battle royale title. Given that the teaser itself, as well as its very title, focuses on a vault instead of the familiar sprawl of the Wasteland, we're pretty confident that whatever 76 turns out to be, it won't be quite the Fallout we know.

Probability: Sure bet

Starfield Finally Reaches Our Corner Of The Galaxy

Supposedly an interstellar answer to Bethesda's open-world formula, Starfield has been rumored for years but has never made a showing. Considering that Rage is all that Bethesda has revealed so far and that the next Elder Scrolls isn't even reportedly in development yet, it would make sense for the showstopper at this year to be a new IP.

Probability: 50/50

Prey DLC Revealed

We already know that Prey has DLC coming. What better place to reveal it than E3?

Probability: Sure bet

Capcom

Dante Returns!

After a (pretty good!) detour/reboot from Ninja Theory, it sounds like Capcom's version Dante might be gracing our consoles in the near future. A recent domain registration for DevilMayCry5.com suggests we'll be seeing our old pal soon.

Probability: 50/50

Resident Evil 2 Remake

The rerelease of Capcom's GameCube remake of Resident Evil made a lot of people happy. Looks like those folks might get a double-dipping soon. A remake for Resident Evil 2 was announced back in 2015 but has been silent since then. With no screenshots, trailers, or announcements to verify progress, it would be primetime to reveal the return to Raccoon City at E3.

Probability: Sure bet

Deep Down Resurfaces

Deep Down, a co-op dungeon crawler impressed players with its visuals and the promise of co-op fun when it was announced way back in 2013. However, the game's been delayed several times and there's been no word about its status in a long time. In all likelihood, the game is kaput, but there's also a slight possibility it could make an 11th-hour big showing this year.

Probability: Longshot

CD Projekt Red

We See Cyberpunk 2077 In Action

The Bladerunner-as-hell looking title from the makers of The Witcher gathered a lot of attraction when a teaser was revealed back in 2012. However, since then CD Projekt Red has been mum on the game, until recently, with the Cyberpunk 2077 twitter account tweeting out cryptic messages.  Hopefully a sign we're about to get the rundown on one of the most anticipated games of this generation.

Probability: 50/50

Square Enix

Square Enix Pulls The Cover Off Its Avengers Game

Square has quietly been at work on an Avengers-focused game for a while now. Given that MCU fever is in full swing, now is the time for a big reveal.

Probability: 50/50

Kingdom Hearts 3 Catches A Release Date. FINALLY.

Given the amount of press Square has dedicated to its ever allusive Kingdom Hearts 3 this past year, even letting us play the game, it seems that the publisher is nearly ready to let Sora and friends off the chain.

Probability: 50/50

We Might See More Of Final Fantasy VII's Remake?

There's been so much mixed messaging about what this remake is that we're not quite sure what to expect from this new version of Final Fantasy VII. Maybe we'll get more details at E3's Sony showing this year but we also wouldn't be surprised if Square goes all in on Kingdom Hearts this year.

Probability: Longshot

Rockstar Games

We Finally See Red Dead Redemption II's Gameplay

Rockstar has a habit of marching to the beat of its own drum when it comes to showing off its games, so there's a solid chance we don't see Red Dead Redemption II at E3. Still, showing off this cowboy sim's gameplay for the first time to the public at the Expo would make sense.

Probability: 50/50

Grand Theft Switch

Hey, L.A. Noire came to Switch. What's to stop GTA IV or even V? A longshot, for sure, but boy it'd be a lovely surprise.

Probability: Longshot

Ubisoft

Beyond Good & Evil 2 Takes Shape

Last year, Ubisoft revealed a teaser for the long-awaited Beyond Good & Evil 2, and then we saw a tech demo for the game that focused on showing off the scale of the game more than anything else. As of now, BG&E2 exists in an amorphous state, with Ubisoft not really giving any details about what the game actually is when it comes to story and gameplay. Given it's in Ubisoft's best interest to change that, we'll likely see more of this ambitious sequel.

Probability: Sure bet

SKull & Bones Sails The High Seas

Ubisoft's swashbuckler has been delayed to 2019, but the publisher has confirmed we'll see more of the game at E3. We're betting on a lengthy demo showcasing new gameplay elements.

Probability: Sure bet

More Mario, More Rabbids

Mario and the Rabbids' outing last year proved to be one of the Switch's earliest non-Nintendo success stories. We wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel announced, though only a short amount of time has passed since the first, so we may be a few years off...

Probability: Longshot

Trends

Everyone Announces A Battle Royale Mode

C'mon. You know it's coming. Just accept it.

Probability: We're going to drown in them

VR Is A No Show

Virtual Reality has yet to make good on its promise to transport players to a new level of gaming. As the noise VR has made over the last couple of years has continued to fade, we expect VR game announcements to keep diminishing.

Probability: Sure bet

Publishers Distance Themselves From Lootboxes

Without a shred of a doubt, lootboxes were the towering story in the games industry in 2017, attracting attention from the government as well as countless gamers who were angry with how Battlefront II's destroyed its own gameplay loops with predatory microtransactions.

It appears that publishers have started to pull back from lootboxes, with Battlefront 2 and Shadow of War ditching them as well as EA announcing that Battlefield V won't have them. Expect the message of many a developer this year to be about listening to fans and removing lootboxes as a result.

Probability: 50/50

Everyone Else

Remedy Shows Off New Title

Remedy's been teasing its new project a fair bit this past year. Chances are we'll see whatever it is. We wouldn't count on exploring more of that ocean with our pal Alan though.

Probability: 50/50

Project Wight Shows Its Claws

Project Wight, the debut horror-action game from The Outsiders, caught our attention back in 2016 with its beautiful, gloomy visuals and premise of having you play as a monster hunting down humans as payback. The Outsiders have said nothing about the game since then but given that Take-Two recently created a new publishing division for a slew of developers, including The Outsiders, it's fair game to expect more about Wight soon, though E3 might be too soon.

Probability: Longshot

Telltale And Bigby Wolf Reunite

Sure, Telltale recently delayed the second season of the The Wolf Among Us to 2019 and the focus on this show is obviously going to be the conclusion to the The Walking Dead. However, a short teaser with a familiar, unshaven face isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Probability: Longshot

Soulcalibur VI Gets A Release Date

Soulcalibur VI has been strutting its stuff for a while now, showing off  The Witcher's Geralt as its special guest character as well as gameplay trailers. It's high time this fighter got its release date. As one of the big upcoming titles for Bandai Namco, we doubt we'll leave E3 not knowing when we'll get our hands on this fighter.

Probability: Sure bet