Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
e3 2018
The Games That Should Have Been At E3 (But Weren’t)
Every year, E3 gives an early look at the future of gaming. With all industry eyes on the show, publishers have the chance to set their priorities and give gamers a look at the best games on the horizon. That’s why it can be disappointing when some of your most anticipated games are complete no-shows; not only do you miss getting the info you want, but sometimes it means that those games are much further away than you thought.
For E3 2018, a number of high-profile games fall into this category. Whether it’s confirmed projects that still need a big unveiling, or already-announced games that have gone quiet, we missed the chance to learn more about a number of big titles.
This list covers the major absences. Only officially in-development games qualified; writing up “Games we wanted to be announced at E3” would be a totally different (and much larger) undertaking – and would definitely include things like a new Splinter Cell, Animal Crossing, and Skate 4.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
You would think that Square Enix might have learned its lesson about announcing Final Fantasy games too early after that whole Final Fantasy Versus XIII thing. And yet, it has been three years since the remake’s big reveal, and we still know alarmingly little about this game. By leaving this title out of its E3 plans, Square Enix is not sending a reassuring message to fans.
Yoshi
Mario’s dino-friend debuted in another crafty world last year at E3, and many Nintendo fans were hoping for an update, since it was announced with a 2018 release date. Nintendo did provide an update, but not the kind gamers were hoping for; Yoshi’s new game on Switch has been delayed to 2019, which would explain why it was missing from Nintendo’s presentation.
Metroid Prime 4
Speaking of Switch games that disappeared after a dramatic reveal, Metroid Prime 4 was nowhere to be seen this year. Nintendo offered an explanation that basically boils down to: Metroid Prime 4 is not a near-term release, and isn’t ready to show yet.
Bayonetta 3
And one last point on the topic of vanishing Switch games: What about Bayonetta 3? Of course, this one was revealed at The Game Awards, so it hasn’t been dormant as long as other games on this list. On the plus side, we got to see another new project from developer Platinum Games, Babylon’s Fall.
Darksiders III
Last year, THQ Nordic revealed Darksiders III. But the game hasn’t had any major appearances since, and E3 2018 didn’t change that. In fact, THQ Nordic as a whole skipped the show – a fact the company announced with a press release claiming that it was watching the FIFA World Cup instead.
Shenmue III
We never thought it would happen, but Shenmue III is officially being made. However, after it was announced (and successfully funded through Kickstarter) in 2015 with only minor updates since, we’re all kind of back to thinking that it will never happen again. Even though the game was recently delayed to 2019, we still should have seen more of it by now.
Titanfall 3
We loved Titanfall 2, which is why it was great to hear that developer Respawn has another one in the works. With the tease that the company would be revealing something at E3, it seemed like we had a chance to see Titanfall 3. That didn’t pan out, but we did learn about Jedi: Fallen Order, so it’s hard to complain.
Borderlands 3
Concluding the long streak of “3” games that weren’t at E3, Gearbox’s new Borderlands title was also a no-show. We know the game is happening and have even seen some tech, so when the infamous Walmart Canada leak hinted an official reveal, fans got excited. Gearbox tried to temper expectations by announcing beforehand that the game would not be E3, but it still stings.
Red Dead Redemption II
Rockstar doesn’t really do E3 anymore, so no one was surprised when Red Dead Redemption II didn’t have a presence. Plus, we just got a cool new trailer last month, so that should hold us over until the game releases in October. Regardless, it would have been nice to see the company take the stage at a press briefing to feed our bottomless hunger for more details.
The Avengers
Two Square Enix studios – Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal – are currently working on a project (or projects) related to Marvel’s Avengers. This was announced back in early 2017, but we haven’t actually seen any fruits of that labor. This E3 would have been the perfect debut; people are still talking about The Avengers: Infinity War, and the Square Enix press briefing was a general dud, meaning that this reveal could have really stood out. Oh, well. Maybe next year.
To read about the games that did make to E3 this year, check out our coverage recaps from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for all kinds of previews, interviews, and video!
On
On
Off
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
