8 Of The Biggest Rumors Leading Into E3 2019

By Jordan Sirani

Rarely does the rumor mill churn harder than the weeks leading up to E3. And with talk of next-gen hardware, long-awaited sequels, new IP, unexpected collaborations, and more, this year’s show is no exception.

To better track these rumblings, we’ve collected the biggest rumors and purported leaks surrounding this year’s show and compiled them into the gallery and list below. As with any unsubstantiated rumor, take all of these with some skepticism, as they remain unconfirmed as of this time.

Ubisoft May Reveal Roller Champions

Purported leaked artwork from Ubisoft’s Roller Champions

Ubisoft will reportedly reveal a new IP, Roller Champions, during its E3 2019 press conference. A report from Spiel Times details a competitive online-only game in the vein of Rocket League, but instead of playing off the conventional rules of soccer/football, it borrows from roller derby.

A subsequent post on ResetEra showed off supposed assets from Roller Champions, including the artwork seen above and a video highlighting potential arenas. According to the post, quick play, ranked, custom, and tournament matches will all be available, in addition to a “streamer mode.”

Ubisoft Could Be Working on Its Own Subscription Service

New IP isn’t all Ubisoft will announce at E3, should these rumors prove true. According to a placeholder image posted to ResetEra, the publisher behind Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry will also allegedly unveil its own subscription service.

Presumably, the unofficially titled Ubisoft Pass would operate similarly to EA Access, in that it’d provide access to the publisher’s catalogue of games for a monthly or yearly fee. As noted by VG247, the placeholder image has been removed from Ubisoft’s site, but the “subscription” subpage of its store remains.

George R. R. Martin and FromSoftware Could Reveal a Collaboration

Last week, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin shared he has “consulted on a video game out of Japan.” While Martin shared no further details, that simple line reignited a rumor of the acclaimed author’s involvement with Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware. Spawn Wave first reported on the potential collaboration in March, saying Martin was responsible for “realizing the world” of an unannounced FromSoftware game.

A follow-up report published by Gematsu added the project, known as “GR” within FromSoftware, is an open-world game with horse riding. It went on to name Bandai Namco as the publisher and confirm the project is, in fact, a collaboration between Martin and game director Hidetaka Miyazaki. If the report is accurate, the project will be revealed during Microsoft’s E3 press conference.

The Witcher 3 Is Allegedly Getting a Switch Port

Unofficial listings for The Witcher 3 on Switch (via ResetEra)

Another recently reignited rumor, CD Projekt Red’s beloved RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may come to Switch. According to an image posted to ResetEra, The Witcher 3 Game of the Year Edition will be released on Switch in September, setting up a potential reveal during Nintendo’s E3 Direct.

This rumor first surfaced in late 2018, when the unconfirmed Switch port was listed by a French retailer. While these listings often prove to be inaccurate, it’s worth noting the same retailer listed the Switch version of Assassin’s Creed III Remastered bundled with Assassin’s Creed Liberation Remastered well before it was officially announced.

The Next Xbox(es) Reportedly Will Be Unveiled

Microsoft is rumored to reveal its next-gen consoles — yes, plural — at E3 2019. The company’s next-gen plans reportedly include two pieces of hardware, collectively known as Project Scarlet. The first, codenamed Lockhart, will be a less powerful, more affordable console, in the vein of Xbox One S. The second, codenamed Anaconda, will supposedly be the Xbox One X to Lockhart’s One S.

According to multiple reports, those consoles will be unveiled during Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference. And while there’s been no official word from Microsoft, a next-gen reveal would be in line with Phil Spencer’s previous comments on this year’s show: “We had a discussion internally. Should we go big? Should we save some money? We decided no, we’re going to do our thing and we’re going to go and be as big at E3 as we’ve ever been.”

Watch Dogs 3 Is Reportedly Real and Set in London

A third game in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs series has been long rumored. Speculation hit an all-time high when Watch Dogs 2 was patched months after its release to include a new scene with added lines of dialogue. During that scene, coordinates can be seen that point to London, presumably teasing the setting for Watch Dogs 3, which was later corroborated by Kotaku’s Jason Schreier.

In early 2018, a report surfaced claiming Forza Horizon developer Playground Games was working on a Fable revival. The new entry in the dormant franchise will reportedly be a big-budget, character-focused action-RPG. The report followed news of Playground opening a second studio in 2017 to work on “Project 2,” which was later revealed to be an open-world action-RPG.

While Microsoft has made no official mention of a new Fable, nor of its plans to reveal one at E3, it’s been over two years since Playground opened its second studio, and the timing is right for an E3 announcement. Adding to that speculation is a comment made by Phil Spencer earlier this year. The Xbox boss said some of Microsoft’s newly acquired studios will reveal games at E3 2019, and among those new studios is Playground Games.

THQ Nordic Reportedly Is Developing a New Darksiders and Destroy All Humans

E3 2019 will potentially see the return of another long-dormant franchise, Destroy All Humans, as well as a new Darksiders.

Publisher THQ Nordic is set to show two unannounced games at E3 2019, as detailed in its E3 floor plans (via GamingBolt). The first strongly hints at the return of Destroy All Humans, as it refers to the “long-awaited return of a galactically beloved game/franchise.” This theory is supported by a supposed leak during THQ Nordic’s controversial AMA, which was captured by Twitter user Afro Gear. The image shows Destroy All Humans and Darksiders: Genesis listed as part of the publisher’s E3 plans.

The second unannounced game, presumed to be a new Darksiders based on the supposed leak, is described only as “a new vision of a beloved game/franchise.”

However, another possible theory has been floated this week in regard to the identity of that second game. A new Red Faction game, potentially called Red Faction Evolution, was seemingly leaked by Nvidia as part of a list of games compatible with its Ansel technology (first spotted by a user on the MetaCouncil forums). Considering 2009’s Red Faction: Guerilla was “Re-Mars-tered” just last year, perhaps THQ Nordic is preparing to reveal a proper follow-up.

Which rumor are you hoping to see confirmed at E3 2019? Are there any other potential projects you’d like to see revealed at this year’s show? Let us know in the comments! And for all things related to this year’s show, be sure to check out IGN’s E3 2019 wiki.

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @jdsirani.