6 Games That Always Show Up at E3

By Jordan Sirani

Since transitioning from a conventional trade show to the world’s premier gaming event, E3 has become best known for its big reveals. Over the last 24 years, many of our favorite franchises publicly debuted at E3, and now, with millions of eyes on the show, there’s no better place for publishers to introduce their new IPs to the world.

But it’s not all new games and IPs every year – there are even several franchises that have grown to become show staples. With 2019’s show fast approaching, we’ve decided to take a look at games that are always at E3.

Call of Duty

Arguably the most recognizable repeat attendee, it’s no surprise that the annualized Call of Duty reveal is one of E3’s biggest attractions. The first-person shooter has made an appearance at every expo since the original was shown at E3 2003, and this year will mark its seventeenth show in a row.

In 2019, the three-studio development wheel lands on original Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward. Rumors coming out of a privately held Activision event claim the next entry in the series will be Modern Warfare 4, which would be the first new game in the subseries since 2011.

While the game itself hasn’t been confirmed, Activision has stated the next Call of Duty will be revealed before the end of June, setting up a likely E3 announcement. Even if Activision opts to hold its own reveal event prior to the show, more details are sure to be unveiled during the previously announced Call of Duty panel at E3 Coliseum, the series of conversations and panels held in conjunction with the expo since 2017.

Battlefield

Another show regular is Call of Duty’s biggest FPS rival, Electronic Arts’ Battlefield. The franchise has seen the E3 stage over a dozen times in its 17-year history, most recently with Battlefield 5 in 2018 and Battlefield 1 two years before that.

Since EA has historically released mainline Battlefield games two years apart, the series’ next entry shouldn’t be out until 2020. If that’s the case, 2019 may be one of Battlefield’s rare years away from the E3 stage, especially considering EA’s decision to forego a traditional E3 press conference entirely. Sure, Battlefield could still show up on Microsoft’s stage in some capacity — perhaps with an update on Firestorm, Battlefield 5’s battle royale mode — but a reveal of its hypothetical 2020 game at next year’s show seems like the better bet.

Assassin’s Creed

Ubisoft’s historical action-adventure series first introduced us to Assassins and Templars in 2007. Since then, all 11 mainline Assassin’s Creed games have appeared at E3, though occasional off years for the franchise have kept it from being a surefire attendee.

The series most recently closed out Ubisoft’s 2018 press conference, with a 15-minute presentation of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. While it’s found renewed interest by introducing deeper RPG elements in Origins and Odyssey, Ubisoft announced the series will take a breather in 2019.

An Easter Egg found in The Division 2, along with subsequent reports, indicate the next installment, allegedly codenamed Kingdom, will center around Vikings. However, given its purported 2020 release date, Assassin’s Creed is likely to skip E3 in 2019, if only for the second time in franchise history.

At least we know Just Dance will be there, though.

Forza

The Forza franchise has quietly become one of E3’s most reliable appearances. Coming into 2019, Microsoft has brought the racing series to 10 consecutive E3s.

Since 2011, Forza’s yearly releases have alternated between its two subseries, the sim-like Motorsport and the more arcadey Horizon. While history tells us 2019 is a Motorsport year, developer Turn 10 Studios recently released the free-to-play Forza Street, and it’s unclear if a new mainline racer is coming this year.

Should it be held until 2020, E3 2019 would bring Forza’s 10-year show streak to an end.Forza Motorsport 5 was a technical showcase for the launch of Xbox One back in 2013. Perhaps Motorsport 8 will play a similar role in the launch of Microsoft’s next-gen hardware, though if that’s the case an E3 2019 unveiling seems unlikely.

Beyond Good and Evil 2

Despite only appearing at the past two E3s, Beyond Good and Evil 2’s history with the show feels much longer, having been initially revealed at a Ubisoft event in 2008. While its E3 debut wouldn’t come for another nine years, a constant stream of rumors made it a presence at the show just the same for over a decade.

After its re-reveal at Ubisoft’s E3 press conference in 2017, Beyond Good and Evil 2 returned to the stage last year with a new trailer, pre-alpha gameplay, and an enthusiastic appearance from actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose community collaboration platform, HitRecord, will provide original music and artwork for the game.

With a beta tentatively scheduled for later this year, we’re hoping for a third consecutive E3 appearance, complete with fresh gameplay and, if we’re lucky, a release window.

What are the other franchise you think are always showing up at E3? Let us know in the comments and be sure to tune into all our E3 2019 coverage, right here on IGN.

Jordan Sirani is a freelance writer for IGN.