E3 2021: ESA Announces 4 More Major Participants

The Entertainment Software Association has recently announced that more tech and gaming companies will be joining the E3 2021 lineup, including four big names in the game development and publishing industry.

Fans were left disheartened after Konami announced that it will no longer be participating in the online E3 2021 event, as many were waiting for announcements regarding the future of beloved franchises like “Metal Gear Solid” and “Silent Hill.” Konami’s withdrawal also left a vacant spot in E3’s existing lineup.

Thankfully, the spot got filled and even more new participants confirmed their attendance for E3 this year. Apart from the previously announced participation of Square Enix, this year’s E3 conference will also feature Bandai Namco, Gearbox, XSEED Games and Sega, according to a report from Polygon.

Bandai Namco’s confirmation is excellent news for fans of the “Souls” series as its presence in the event might lead to the first gameplay reveal for the highly-anticipated “Elden Ring,” which has been in production for quite some time now. There could also be more news regarding its other titles like “Tales Of Arise.”

Sega has been relatively quiet in terms of new titles, but the hype for “Total War: Warhammer III” is currently building up due to a recent gameplay tease released on social media.

XSEED Games, the company behind notable games like “Earth Defense Force” and “Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin,” is expected to reveal more of its signature brand of JRPG-like games this year.

Gearbox Software, the developer of the critically-acclaimed “Borderlands” series, was recently acquired by the Embracer Group. It’s possible that Gearbox might reveal new games or IPs in this year’s E3 thanks to its newfound funding. It might be a little too early to expect a “Borderlands 4,” but it’s likely that more content for “Borderlands 3” will get announced in the event.

Other companies included in the ESA announcement are Turtle Beach, Freedom Games, Devious Eye Entertainment, Verizon and Binge.com. It’s not yet clear as to what announcements can be expected from these companies, but they can be expected to be major and worthy of the E3 stage.

E3 2021 will be free to access for everyone and will run from June 12 to 15.