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So, it's really happened: we need a proper 2022 E3 replacement, believe it or not, because the biggest gaming convention & showcase event in the world has been canceled. Again. Indeed, for the second time in a row, and for virtually the same reason: COVID-19.
Now, while COVID-19 did subside to a manageable level in the interim, it's worth remembering that nobody really knew whether this would be the case at the start of 2022. Since it takes months of hard work to get everything in place for an E3 Expo, the organizers had to fold well ahead of time. That leaves us with this big old gap in the year where no major gaming announcements are being made. Or is there one?
In what is one of the finest examples of real-world silver lining ever, gaming publishers have stopped relying purely on E3 to leverage their IPs. It's hardly any surprise, then, that there'd be a huge array of smaller-scale gaming showcases planned in lieu of E3 2022.
There's no Universal Replacement for E3, Sadly
After it was made clear that there'd be no real-world E3 in 2022, the organizers' first intention was to set up a digital event, instead. That didn't turn out to be a popular idea, however. Publishers very well could do as much themselves, and, indeed, that's precisely what happened.
To that end, there's no one gaming event to be on the lookout for. Instead, we've got... well, almost a dozen. That's not ideal for those who want the Cliff's Notes version of the most exciting and relevant gaming news in one go. It is, however, perfectly fine if you're interested in something a bit more specific.
2022 E3 Replacement List: Showcases to Look Out For!
Down below, we've assembled a comprehensive list of all the important gaming showcase events slated for 2022. We've kept the whole thing neat and streamlined, too. Not much is known about some of them, of course, but we do have a very general idea of which games might show up at which conference. Find everything you need to know in this section right here!
Summer Game Fest: June 9th
Summer Game Fest is one of our favorite gaming conferences here at 2Game. It's Geoff Keighley's finest work, yet, as it managed to bring an extremely wide variety of game developers and publishers back together as well as virtually every contemporary indie company under the sun. It's a hoot every year, too. Expect a huge number of game premiere events. On top of those, almost every major upcoming release in need of spotlight will be featured on SGF. This means it's every bit as comprehensive as E3's been in the past years. Even more so, in fact.
Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase: June 12th
It doesn't take a genius to realize that the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is probably going to be a huge deal in 2022. For one, there's the newly-postponed Starfield. Sure enough, neither it nor Arkane Games' vampire-themed immersive sim, Redfall, will be coming out this year, but this is the best chance we've had of seeing either of those games in action in quite some time. Guys - it's Starfield. The next big thing from the makers of Elder Scrolls? We'd call the expectations 'high,' but that feels like a serious understatement for what this is.
Future Games Show: June 12th
The first of the two website-hosted showcases of the year, Future Games Show is GamesRadar's core event of the year. Now, it's not perfectly clear just yet what the good folk at GamesRadar have got in store for us. They did promise, however, a wide variety of all-new trailers and exclusive content. To that end, it's unlikely that we'll be getting blockbuster AAA reveals on the show, but it's definitely going to be an exciting time for indie and AA game fans. No concrete information on the full list of showcases just yet.
PC Gamer's PC Gaming Show: June 12th
PC Gamer, too, has got a showcase all of its own. This stream will coincide with that of GamesRadar's, but even though there's bound to be some overlap between the two, viewers can expect a different selection of reveals and game-related content. One of the core points of interest here will be discussions with developers themselves, who PCG's journalists will have the opportunity to talk with and stream to their viewers. The full itinerary of content is still unknown.
Stay Tuned - Right Here at 2Game
If just four big showcases seem like a surprisingly small number for such a gargantuan media industry - you're right! That's because these are just the four confirmed events that we know for a fact will take place. There are a whole bunch of other potential pop-ups on our docket, too. In fact, here's a list:
- Ubisoft Forward
- Sony's State of Play
- Nintendo Direct
- Devolver Direct
These should get their own 2022 announcements in relatively short order, and we're reasonably sure they'll be making an appearance at some point during their year. As of yet, however, we've got virtually no information to share about them. As for Electronic Arts, however, the popular publisher has already stated that it won't have its own showcase for the year.
So, there you have it - that's about all we've got at this point in time! As you can probably already tell, the 2022 E3 replacement is, in fact, of a spiritual kind. If a game production company had a showcase scheduled for this year's E3, you can bet that it'll be showing up on one of the featured events.
As for what those showcases might be, exactly, that's another matter. We're excited to be able to provide further coverage as the events take place! So, don't forget to bookmark our Community Hub and - stay tuned. We'll update this article as more events are revealed, too. Consider this a cheat sheet of sorts, then!
Get in the Game ! 
