E3 is happening in all but name – here’s everything we know so far.
As you might expect, E3 won’t be happening as usual this year. First its physical event was cancelled, then all online plans were scrapped, leaving it up to publishers (and the likes of Geoff Keighley) to make their own plans.
Though we can expect multiple standalone announcements throughout the summer instead of the usual week-long rush, early June – around when E3 2020 was set to take place anyway – remains a focus for most publishers and streaming partners to show off their games.
Ultimately, E3 is still happening in all but name – though, for the sake of simplicity, it’s still the label many people (including ourselves) are still attaching to any summer conferences taking its place this year.
This page presents you with a complete E3 2020 conference schedule we know of so far, running in chronological order, and will be updated as more events are announced.
On this page:
If you’ve followed our E3 guides from previous years, as well as date and time details, we provide some background reading so you know what to expect ahead of time – but as always, there’s bound to be a few surprise announcements along the way.
As for E3 stream links, we’ll be populating the page with links as each press conference just as each one goes live.
‘E3 2020’ conference schedule at a glance
We’re already seen a few announcements (such as the first PS5 gameplay on Unreal Engine 5 and the first Xbox Series X game reveals) while others (Sony and Microsoft) are conspicuously absent. Since there are next-gen consoles releasing this year, expect detailed plans from first party publishers in the coming weeks.
Until then, here’s when every alternative E3 2020 conference is scheduled to go live at a glance. As with previous years, start times can change as we get closer to the date, so make sure you double check in the week leading up to the event:
| E3 2020 schedule | Conference Date (UK) | UK time (BST) | EU time (CEST) | East Coast US time (EDT) | West Coast US time (PDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guerrilla Collective | Saturday, June 6 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 |
| Paradox Insider | Saturday, June 6 | 19:30 | 20:30 | 14:30 | 11:30 |
| PC Gaming Show 2020 | Saturday, June 6 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 |
| Future Games Show | Saturday, June 6 | 22:30 | 23:30 | 17:30 | 14:30 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 event | Thursday, June 12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| EA Play 2020 | Thursday, June 12 | 00:00 (Friday) | 01:00 (Friday) | 17:00 | 18:00) |
| Tennacon 2020 | Saturday, July 11 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Ubisoft E3 2020 | Sunday, July 12 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 |
Here’s every show confirmed so far, one-by-one:
Guerrilla Collective ‘E3 2020’ conference times – Saturday, June 6
- UK: 6pm (BST)
- Europe: 7pm (CEST)
- East Coast US: 1pm (EDT)
- West Coast US: 10am (PDT)
First up in a busy day of conferences (on a Saturday, no less!) is the Guerrilla Collective. Not to be confused with the Sony first-party studio of a similar name, this is a three-day indie showcase from a number of acclaimed developers, including the likes of 11 Bit Studios (Frostpunk), Coffee Stain Studios (Satisfactory), Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3), Raw Fury, Rebellion, Versus Evil (The Banner Saga) and many more. Specifics beyond that aren’t mentioned, but expect updates on existing games and some new reveals as part of the stream.
Paradox Insider ‘E3 2020’ conference times – Saturday, June 6
- UK: 7:30pm (BST)
- Europe: 8:30pm (CEST)
- East Coast US: 2:30pm (EDT)
- West Coast US: 11:30am (PDT)
Paradox has a few big releases coming up – Crusader Kings 3 (which has been given a September release date), Empire of Sin and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 among them – so expect new looks at these, as well as some possible release dates. Though there’s the possibility of some additional surprises, with a 30 minute runtime, set your expectations accordingly.
PC Gaming Show ‘E3 2020’ conference times – Saturday, June 6
- UK: 8pm (BST)
- Europe: 9pm (CEST)
- East Coast US: 3pm (EDT)
- West Coast US: 12pm (PDT)
The PC Gaming Show has now become a regular fixture in the E3 line-up, and has established itself as one to watch with its mix of in-depth previews and solid announcements. Confirmed participants for this year’s show are still incoming, but last year saw the likes of Zombie Army 4: Dead War and Evil Genius 2: World Domination being revealed, as well as news of Shenmue 3’s Epic Games Store exclusivity.
Future Games Show ‘E3 2020’ conference times – Saturday, June 6
- UK: 10:30pm (BST)
- Europe: 11:30pm (CEST)
- East Coast US: 5:50pm (EDT)
- West Coast US: 2:30pm (PDT)
Newcomer Future Games Show follows on from the PC Gaming Show with a much broader remit, teased to feature “exclusive trailers, announcements, and deep dives on existing AAA and indie games, focusing on current (and next-gen) consoles, mobile and streaming platforms”. Participants have also yet to be revealed, but since it’s produced by Future Publishing (who also run the PC Gaming Show) it should be an event worth staying up for.
Cyberpunk 2077 conference – Thursday, June 12
In lieu of a fully fledged E3 conference from Microsoft or Sony, it looks like CD Projekt is showcasing Cyberpunk 2077 in a dedicated stream in mid-June.
At least, that’s the best guess; the developer has teased an event named ‘Night City Wire’ on Twitter for June 12, alongside a TV emoji, suggesting this is what to expect. Cyberpunk 2077 hasn’t had a substantial preview since August last year, so this could be the best look at the game ahead of its September release. And, with the news of the game getting a Xbox Series X upgrade for free for Xbox One purchases, perhaps we’ll see what the next-gen version looks like.
EA Play 2020 conference times – Thursday, June 12
- UK: 12am (BST)
- Europe: 1am (CEST)
- East Coast US: 7pm (EDT, Monday)
- West Coast US: 4pm (PDT, Monday)
EA hasn’t officially attended E3 for several years now, but always opts for a stream to showcase its wares, and this year is no different. “World premieres” and “news” is all that’s been confirmed so far, but you can expect the usual EA Sports blow-by-blow at the very least, and perhaps something on Apex Legends, the Command and Conquer remaster and Medal of Honor VR. Before Covid-19, EA planned to release 14 games during this fiscal year, and though plans might have understandably changed, it does suggest a few announcements are due.
Tennacon 2020 conference times – Saturday, July 11
Perhaps one specifically for players of Warframe, the keynote from this year’s (now online only) Tennacon 2020 will provide community highlights and an update on the future of the game, though with the recent quiet confirmation Warframe be a Xbox Series X and PS5 game as part of an earnings call, the possibility of next-gen versions could fit into these plans, too.
Ubisoft ‘E3 2020’ conference times – Sunday, July 12
- UK: 8pm (BST)
- Europe: 9pm (CEST)
- East Coast US: 3pm (EDT)
- West Coast US: 12pm (PDT)
Another weekend conference rolls in at the slightly earlier time for 2020, making it a little more sociable for UK audiences. Ubisoft has plenty on its plate – expect an extensive look at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters, Rainbow Six Quarantine and at least one major announcement, going by a recent earning’s call.
As always, we hope to see more Beyond Good and Evil 2, but whatever happens, Ubisoft always has the capacity to surprise – and genuinely entertain.
What about Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo’s ‘E3 2020’ plans?
If you’ve followed E3 conferences from the past, you’ll notice the big three publishers – Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo – are missing from this line-up.
Microsoft is swapping its traditional E3 blowout for a monthly series of streams throughout 2020, dripfeeding new info for the Xbox Series X. Though yet to be fully dated, July’s is the one to watch, which is where we’ll see a showcase from Xbox’s first-party studios, which will include headliner Halo: Infinite.
Despite Sony skipping E3 last year, we expect them to host a big event this summer to finally showcase the PS5. June is the most likely bet, especially as it will give the likes of EA and Ubisoft the confidence to fully outline their next-gen plans in their respective streams, but until we hear anything from Sony itself, it’s simply a case of wait and see.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is suggested to push their usual June conference back to later in the year, where it will flesh out its currently sparse 2020 line-up.
Regardless of when the stream happens (and knowing Nintendo, it could be called at short notice) we have a strong idea of what’s coming with a focus on old and new Mario games planned, including remasters of some classic 3D adventures from consoles past.
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