E3 2021 is officially here and if you're wondering when to expect your next PlayStation update, it's looking more and more like it will be happening at a later date. Not only was Sony nowhere to be found on the list of confirmed partners the ESA shared, but TechRadar got an official statement from the ESA saying Sony has no plans to participate at this year's E3.
This isn't the first time Sony has skipped E3, though. It didn’t have a presence at E3 2019 and it pulled out of E3 2020 before it was officially canceled, so it isn't all that out of the ordinary for that trend to continue this year.
Why Would Sony Skip E3 2021?
While Sony hasn’t officially said why it's not participating in E3 2021, it has shared its reasoning for skipping the event in the past.
In a statement to Game Informer in November 2018, Sony explained “We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community”
“PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and can’t wait to share our plans with you.”
The messaging was similar in a statement to IGN in January 2020, where Sony once again confirmed it would not be participating in E3.
“After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year. We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic lineup of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.”
Both statements are pretty clear: Sony is focusing on its own internal strategy. If you look back at the changes Sony has made over the last year, those statements don’t ring hollow.
In March 2019, Sony launched its first-ever State of Play. This marked the beginning of a livestream series Sony continues to hold regularly to deliver news about its games. So while Sony isn't part of E3 2021, there is still a chance we'll get a State of Play that falls within that time frame or shortly after.
When to Expect the Next Sony State of Play?
Sony recently held a State of Play focusing on Horizon Forbidden West and we got a bunch of updates on games planned for the PS4 and PS5 during IGN’s Summer of Gaming 2021. That said, we'll probably see some more PlayStation announcements coming directly from them later this month.
There's a chance for one-off streams dedicated to individual games or streams with a broader range that include news on multiple upcoming titles and the PS5.
Games We Might See at the Next Sony PlayStation Event
The lineup of games Sony has planned for the next year is pretty incredible. If Sony announces a State of Play soon, it's possible we'll get updates on the following titles:
God of War 2: Ragnarok
God of War 2: Ragnarok was teased with a short trailer during the PS5 event in September 2020. We know it’s a sequel to the 2018 God of War reboot and was recently delayed into 2022. We also very recently found out the title and logo for Ragnarok are unofficial. Hopefully, we’ll find out what it's officially called and get a look at some gameplay or some updates on where it's at in development soon.
Horizon Forbidden West
We recently got a 14-minute look at Horizon Forbidden West gameplay during the last State of Play and we learned a ton of new information about the new setting, abilities, enemies, weapons, tools, and more. While a release date wasn’t announced, Guerilla Games said development is back on track and to expect an update soon. We’ll keep our fingers crossed it happens at whatever event Sony might have up its sleeve.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Right in time for E3 2021 arrives Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the PS5. Dubbed Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, it launched alongside the PS5 exclusive DLC featuring Yuffie on June 10. This is not to be confused with FF7R Part 2 which is confirmed to be in full development but doesn’t yet have a release date. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 was absent at Square Enix's presentation at E3 2021, so Sony might touch on it with whatever it may have planned.
Final Fantasy 16
The last we saw of Final Fantasy 16 was at the PS5 event in September 2020 where it was announced. We do know a few things about it, however, like details about its characters and story, how it's already completed basic development, and what the six realms of its world Valisthea are. We're due to learn more about FF16 soon and maybe Sony will be the one to supply us with new details.
Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
This Souls-like Final Fantasy RPG coming from Team Ninja was an unconfirmed rumor until recently. Revealed at the E3 2021 Square Enix Presents showcase, the now named Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin was confirmed for 2022 for the Xbox Series One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. A PS5-exclusive demo for Strangers of Paradise was launched alongside its reveal, but players are facing issues downloading and playing it. Outside of updates on the new demo, it's possible we'll hear more about this game from Sony in the near future.
Stray
Stray is a third-person adventure game following an adorable cat with a backpack and their companion, a small drone by the name of B12, as they explore and try to escape a threat and mystery-filled cybercity. This visually compelling indie from BlueTwelve Studio was announced in 2020 at the PS5 reveal event and is planned to launch in 2021 for the PS4, PS5, and Steam. News on the game has been slim since it was revealed, but with event season underway, now seems like the perfect time for an update.
Little Devil Inside
Little Devil Inside is a kickstarted indie from Neostream Interactive that follows a professor investigating various paranormal activities. It's described as an action-adventure RPG with survival elements set in a semi-open world. There are a few trailers for the game out in the wild already that show off gameplay in a variety of environments in a gorgeous 3D art style. It's another game set to launch on PS4, PS5, and PC that we haven't heard much about since the PS5 reveal event so that could mean we'll get an update on it soon.
Forspoken
While a PS5 exclusive, it’s likely we’ll hear more about Forspoken (and the Final Fantasy games) at Square Enix’s own event at E3 or the one it announced for the summer. At the Spring 2021 Square Enix Presents event, we got updates on Forspoken, Life is Strange: True Colors, Outriders, and more. So it would make sense to see these games get another update at the next Presents event, though Sony touching on them is still a possibility.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
From developer Ember Lab comes Kena: Bridge of Spirits, an action-adventure game following a young girl on a journey to help trapped spirits struggling to move on. At the February 2021 State of Play, we got a good look at Kena: Bridge of Spirits with a cinematic trailer that had some exciting gameplay sprinkled in. We may get another look at the game before it launches on August 24, 2021. It’s currently planned for PS4, PS5, and PC through the Epic Game Store.
Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop
Despite Bethesda’s recent acquisition by Microsoft, both Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop are planned to launch as timed exclusives for the PS5 and PC.
We still don’t know much about Ghostwire: Tokyo other than it’s technically not a horror game. Deathloop info, on the other hand, is aplenty and we encourage you to check out our in-depth preview to learn more if you’re interested.
We didn't get updates on these games at Microsoft’s E3 2021 showcase so maybe we'll hear more at whatever event Sony might be cooking up. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Felicia Miranda is SEO Editor at IGN. You can find her reminiscing about the PS2 era at @FeliciaVagabond on Twitter.
