The Electronic Entertainment Experience 2021 (E3 2021) was the 26th and final E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products. The event, organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), ran as a virtual, online-only event with free access to all, from June 12–15, 2021.
Virtual events included keynote sessions from major publishers broadcast from a live stage in Los Angeles, an awards show, and a preview night, as well as helping companies to hold online private meetings with media and businesses. Because of the online-only nature, the event had been rebranded for the year as the Electronic Entertainment Experience rather than the standard Electronic Entertainment Expo. Greg Miller, Jacki Jing, and Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez served as hosts of the virtual events.
E3 2021 followed the cancelled E3 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and after the ESA could not work out a replacement event in time. The ESA had intended to hold an in person event in 2021 during its normal June dates, as stated to partners in April 2020, but had to alter their plans due to COVID-19 concerns. E3 2021 was free for everyone to attend. While the 2021 event was entirely online, ESA planned to return to an in-person event by 2022, though these plans were scrapped and the in-person event was cancelled in January 2022, and E3 2022 was cancelled altogether on March 31, 2022, including the digital event. In July 2022, it was confirmed that E3 2023 would mark a return to the in-person event. However, the lack of interest and attendance of major publishers caused the event to be cancelled as well, leading to the announcement of the event's official discontinuation in December 2023.
Companies that participated at the event included Nintendo, Microsoft, Capcom, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Koch Media, Square Enix, Sega, Gearbox Software, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Turtle Beach, Verizon, and Xseed Games. Konami had planned to participate but announced later they would not be ready to present at E3 as they were deep into development on several projects which they would reveal at a later time.
Online events To host the online event, the ESA offered a mobile app and online portal to the public. Members of the media and press had access to this app and portal on June 7, for a media access week prior to the event. The public obtained access on June 12. The app and portal were used for accessing game showcases, developer panels, and press conferences, with some of this content also mirrored onto streaming services. Members of the media were able to register for access starting on May 24, while industry professionals and creators and influencers were able to register on May 31. General members of the public were able to register on June 3.
Press conferences Ubisoft Ubisoft livestreamed its Ubisoft Forward E3 video event on June 12, 2021, at 12 p.m. PDT. Games covered during the event included Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction, Rocksmith+, Riders Republic, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Just Dance 2022, Far Cry 6, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Gearbox Software Gearbox Software held its E3 spotlight on June 12, 2021, at 2 p.m. PDT., providing more info on Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Godfall, Homeworld 3, Tribes of Midgard and a look at the Borderlands film.
Microsoft/Bethesda Microsoft and Bethesda Softworks held a joint press conference on June 13, 2021, at 10 a.m. PDT. Games presented included Starfield, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Back 4 Blood, Contraband, Sea of Thieves, Battlefield 2042, 12 Minutes, Psychonauts 2, Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, Party Animals, Hades, Somerville, Halo Infinite, Diablo II Resurrected, A Plague's Tale: Requiem, Far Cry 6, Slime Rancher 2, Atomic Heart, Replaced, Grounded, Among Us, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, The Ascent, The Outer Worlds 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 5 and Redfall.
Square Enix Square Enix held a press event on June 13, 2021, at 12:15 p.m. PDT. Games announced included Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, remasters of Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy VI, Legend of Mana, Marvel's Avengers, Babylon's Fall, Life Is Strange Remastered Collection, Life Is Strange: True Colors, and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
PC Gaming Show PC Gamer presented its PC Gaming Show event on June 13, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. PDT. Among games featured included:
Arboria Chernobylite Citizen Sleeper Dodgeball Academia Dying Light 2: Stay Human Far: Changing Tides Gigabash Gloomwood Icarus Ixion Lakeburg Legacies Lemnis Gate Mechajammer Naraka: Bladepoint Next Space Rebels Orcs Must Die! 3 Project Warlock 2 Rawmen Sacrifire Silt Songs of Conquest Soulstice They Always Run Tinykin Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Wartales
Capcom Capcom's E3 presentation was given on June 14, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. PDT. Games presented included Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil RE:Verse, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, Monster Hunter Rise, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and Street Fighter V.
Nintendo Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct for E3 on the final day of the convention, June 15, 2021, at 9 a.m. PDT, followed by a three-hour-long Nintendo Treehouse Live show about titles discussed in the Nintendo Direct. Games included Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange: True Colors, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Worms Rumble, Astria Ascending, Two Point Campus, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, Mario Party Superstars, Metroid Dread, Just Dance 2022, Cruis'n Blast, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Mario Golf: Super Rush, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, WarioWare: Get It Together!, Shin Megami Tensei V, Danganronpa Decadance, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo also announced a limited edition Game & Watch for the Zelda series for its 35th anniversary that included the original Zelda game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening.
Best of E3 Awards Editors from IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer, and GamesRadar+ collectively decided on the Best of E3 Awards on June 15, 2021. Among their picks, Forza Horizon 5 was named as the Most Anticipated Game overall, with the Microsoft and Bethesda event as the Best Presentation.
Featured games This is a list of notable titles that appeared by their developers or publishers at E3 2021. Capcom The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Monster Hunter Rise Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Resident Evil Village Gearbox Software Godfall Homeworld 3 Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Tribes of Midgard Xbox Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks Forza Horizon 5 Halo Infinite Microsoft Flight Simulator Psychonauts 2 Sea of Thieves The Outer Worlds 2 The Elder Scrolls Online Fallout 76 Redfall Starfield Sega Super Monkey Ball Banana ManiaNintendo Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Untitled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Mario Golf: Super Rush Mario Party Superstars Metroid Dread Super Smash Bros. Ultimate WarioWare: Get It Together! Square Enix Legend of Mana Life Is Strange Remastered Collection Life Is Strange: True Colors Marvel's Avengers Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Ubisoft Assassin's Creed Valhalla Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Far Cry 6 Just Dance 2022 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Riders Republic Rocksmith+ Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Other events Guerrilla Collective The Guerrilla Collective, a group of indie game developers and publishers, held a two-day showcase of new game announcements over June 5 and June 12, 2021.
Games announced during the two-day event included:
Aeon Drive AK-xolotl Akatori Among Us ANNO: Mutationem Aragami 2 Arcade Paradise Archvale Arietta of Spirits Batora: Lost Haven Bats the Game Beasts of Maravilla Island Behind the Frame Black Book Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Blooming Business: Casino BPM: Bullets Per Minute Chernobylite Death Trash Demon's Mirror Demon Turf Despot's Game El Paso, Elsewhere Elderand Endling The Eternal Cylinder Fire Tonight Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue Ghostrunner Grime Grow: Song of the Evertree Guild of Dungeoneering: Ultimate Edition Happy's Humble Burger Farm Hello Neighbor 2 Hunt the Night Industria King of the Hat Kitsune Tails Kraken Academy KungFu Kickball Lamentum Legend of Keepers: Return of the Goddess The Legend of Tianding The Light of The Darkness The Lightbringer Loot River Moroi My Lovely Wife Neverwinter No Longer Home Omno Onsen Master Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator Raji: An Ancient Epic Rawmen: Food Fighter Arena Robodunk Rubi: The Wayward Mira Run Die Run Again Sable Serial Cleaners Severed Steel Slime Heroes Source of Madness Super Space Club Tamarindos Freaking Dinner Tinkertown Trash Sailors Trifox Ultra Age UnMetal Venice 2089 Vertigo White Shadows Wolfstride Ynglet Zodiac Legion
Summer Game Fest Geoff Keighley's second Summer Game Fest kicked off around the same time as E3 2021 and will last two months, through Gamescom in August 2021, featuring a range of promotional events outside of E3. Though Keighley had already stepped away from participating in E3 2020 before its cancellation, he arranged the first Summer Game Fest as a replacement for the cancelled show. Sony and the PlayStation brand had announcements during this event, forgoing E3 as they have done so from previous years, instead opting to do a dedicated State of Play event for the summer on July 8, 2021. Announcements made during the event include:
Arcadegeddon Deathloop Death Stranding: Director's Cut Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Hunter's Arena: Legends Jett: The Far Shore Lost Judgment Moss: Book II Sifu Tribes of Midgard
From June 15–21, 2021, ID@Xbox offered a number of demos of upcoming games on the Xbox platform as part of the Summer Game Fest.
The Summer Game Fest opened with an announcement stream of games hosted by Keighley on June 10, 2021. Among titles presented include:
Among Us The Anacrusis Back 4 Blood Call of Duty: Warzone The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Death Stranding Director's Cut Elden Ring Escape from Tarkov Evil Dead: The Game Fall Guys Jurassic World Evolution 2 Lost Ark Metal Slug Tactics Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Overwatch 2 Planet of Lana Salt and Sacrifice Solar Ash Tales of Arise Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Two Point Campus Valorant Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt
The Summer Game Fest included the first Tribeca Games Spotlight on June 11, 2021, featuring games that had been nominated for the inaugural Tribeca Film Festival Video Game award. These games included:
The Big Con Harold Halibut Kena: Bridge of Spirits Lost in Random NORCO Sable SIGNALIS 12 Minutes
Koch Media presented a showcase on June 11, 2021, at 12 p.m. PDT., as part of the Summer Game Fest. Alongside introducing their new publishing label, Prime Matter, Koch Media's presenting covered the following games:
The Chant Codename Final Form Crossfire: Legion Dolman Echoes of the End Encased Gungrave G.O.R.E. King's Bounty 2 The Last Oricru Painkiller 2 Payday 3 Scars Above
IGN Expo IGN held its IGN Expo event on June 11, 2021, at 1 p.m. PDT. Among featured games included:
Arboria AudioClash: Battle of the Bands