E3 2019 is almost upon us. The year’s biggest storm of gaming news begins in earnest next week but the announcement-packed press conferences kick off as early as Friday morning Australian time.
This year’s show promises to be a pivotal one, with two high profile changes to the lineup. The first change has to do with Electronic Arts, who have pulled their traditional press conference in favour of several hours of livestreamed programming. The second has to do with PlayStation, who have pulled up stumps from E3 entirely. No press conference, and no presence on the show floor at E3 this year. The expectation had been that PlayStation would announce a special E3 edition of their new State of Play broadcasts, but with only a week left before the show, its looking like that isn’t going to happen. A bummer for PlayStation fans to be sure, especially those hanging for a release date on The Last of Us Part II.
Nevertheless, the show goes on and the question becomes: where and when can you see each E3 press conference if you live in Australia? Right here, of course, with our handy guide to every presser on the 2019 docket. Put the kettle on, we’ve got a few late nights and early mornings ahead.
JUNE 7
Google Stadia
Interested parties will get a fresh look at Google’s Android-powered console at the year’s first press conference. What will they talk about? Will it be another flash-in-the-pan non-device? Will Australia ever have an internet connection good enough to actually run this thing? Tune in to find out.
WHEN: 2:00 am AEST/12:00 am AWST
WHERE: The official Stadia YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-BbW6zAjL0
Bungie
Following their split from Activision earlier in the year, Bungie are an independent company once more. What better way to celebrate than by holding their own presser? Bungie are looking to give players a taste of what’s coming down the line for Destiny 2 over the next 12 months. They’ll also be appearing on the E3 Colliseum channel during the show to discuss their updates further.
WHEN: 3:00 am AEST/1:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/Bungie
JUNE 9
Electronic Arts
EA aren’t holding a traditional press conference this year. Given how embattled the publisher has been over the last twelve months, this should not come as any surprise. Instead, EA are moving to their own day, June 9, and breaking their broadcast up into a series of livestreams, each focused on a different part of EA’s portfolio. It’s a bit different but the full timetable is below so you know when to wake up and jump in. Let’s be honest — everyone will be tuning in for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and maybe a bit of Apex Legends. We’re a bit sad that there’s no EA Originals segment on the docket because they’re usually the highlight. Also absent: any mention of Anthem.
WHEN:
2:15 am AEST/12:15 am AWST: Countdown to EA Play
2:30 am AEST/12:30 am AWST: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
3:00 am AEST/1:00 am AWST: Apex Legends Season 2
3:30 am AEST/1:30 am AWST: Battlefield 5
4:00 am AEST/ 2:00 am AWST: FIFA
4:30 am AEST/2:30 am AWST: Madden NFL
5:00 am AEST/3:00 am AWST: The Sims 4
WHERE: Twitch.tv/EA
JUNE 10
Microsoft
With PlayStation bowing out of E3 entirely this year, Microsoft have moved swiftly to make the conference their own private Xbox party. Known for being one of the flashier pressers of the week, and now ensconsed in their own DTLA theatre, this will be one of the most important pressers of the show. New games. Halo Infinite. Gears 5. New Forza. New exclusives. And maybe, if we’re very lucky, a glimpse of future hardware.
WHEN: 6:00 am AEST/4:00 am AWST
WHERE: Live via the official Xbox Mixer stream
Bethesda
Few publishers know how to throw an E3 party like Bethesda, but even they have a bit of housekeeping to do this year. After the high profile drama surrounding Fallout 76, we’re expecting the publisher to touch on it briefly before moving onto things that will keep the crowd hyped. Expect a release date for Doom Eternal, we’d expect to see something new from Arkane and more Elder Scrolls Online. Todd Howard has said we shouldn’t expect to see anything regarding The Elder Scrolls VI this year so don’t go getting your hopes up.
WHEN: 10:30 am AEST/8:30 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/Bethesda
Devolver Digital
Ah, Devolver. Arguably the greatest press conference of the year, every year. We urge you to go back and watch the Devolver Digital Big Fancy Press Conferences from 2017 and 2018 in preparation for what is sure to be an incredible conclusion to the Nina Struthers saga. The Devolver presser is always home to some of the most exciting indie announcements of the entire show. Fair warning: it is not typically for the faint of heart. The first three rows will be covered in an Evil Dead level of blood and gore.
WHEN: 12:00 pm AEST/10:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/DevolverDigital
JUNE 11
UploadVR E3 VR Showcase
This is a new one for E3, a showcase dedicated entirely to the still-emerging world of virtual reality. Spearheaded by San Francisco company UploadVR, this one promises some of the most high-end tech of the show. A must for anyone interested in the VR space. And don’t worry — you won’t need a VR headset to watch the show. That’s not a joke, they were actually very clear about this.
WHEN: 2:00 am AEST/12:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/UploadVR
PC Gaming Show
The PC Gaming Show only began a few years ago but has quickly become a fan favourite. Hosted by the affable Sean “Day9” Plott and last year supported by bubbly esports personality Frankie Ward, the PC Gaming Show usually runs for about two hours and features a raft of interviews with developers and publishers who are focused on the PC platform. We’re looking forward to this one.
WHEN: 3:00 am AEST/1:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/PCGamer
Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s E3 press conferences are notorious for having exactly zero chill. They are the press conference most likely to open with a Just Dance segment, most likely to feature awkward stage banter, and most likely to feature games you already know are coming. What are we expecting to see this year? We were tipping 2019 as a Watch Dogs year and weren’t surprised to see Watch Dogs Legion leak earlier today. We’re sure we’ll see more on Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2‘s 2019-2020 roadmap. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a new mainline Far Cry title. What would we like to see? More on Skull & Bones. A Mario + Rabbids 2 announcement. The return of Splinter Cell. Maybe a release date for Beyond Good & Evil 2.
WHEN: 6:00 am AEST/4:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/Ubisoft
Kinda Funny Games Showcase
Game Over Greggy and the Kinda Funny team are back at E3 this year with the Kinda Funny Games Showcase. If the group’s December broadcast was anything to go by, this will be a nice little mixed bag of game trailers and reveals that haven’t or wouldn’t featured anywhere else. Plus, the Kinda Funny crew are fun as hell. The perfect pallette cleanser before heading back into the press conference fray. There’s no embed for this one yet, sorry about that.
WHEN: 9:30 am AEST/ 7:30 am AWST
WHERE: YouTube.com/KindaFunnyGames
Square Enix
Square Enix haven’t run a press conference in a year or two since a lot of their announcements were tied up in other people’s pressers. But, with Kingdom Hearts finally out the door, Square Enix are free to run their own race again. There’s a big reason for them to be taking to the stage this year — the long in-development Avengers project by Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics will be unveiled during the show, and from what we’re hearing it’s a good-un. You’re not gonna wanna miss this one.
WHEN: 11:00 am AEST/9:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/SquareEnix
JUNE 12
Nintendo
The Big N, bringing us home. Nintendo always run the final presser of the year, and it’s always the nicest, most enjoyable way to see out the end of the schedule. This year’s special E3 edition of Nintendo Direct promises to be a big one. Will we hear about Metroid Prime 4? What new goodies are on their way to the Switch? Will they have anything left to talk about on the 3DS or is this the year we finally put the brave, beautiful old girl out to pasture? This will also be our first E3 Nintendo Direct without former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime and we’re honestly not sure how we’re going to cope. His replacement, Doug Bowser, has big and entertaining shoes to fill, and we wish him all the best on his maiden voyage.
WHEN: 2:00 am AEST/12:00 am AWST
WHERE: Twitch.tv/Nintendo
