Fighting Games At E3 2018: Confirmations And Predictions!!
Starting Saturday, June 9th, E3 will officially get underway!! There are certainly rumors floating around about possible reveals but there are also some guaranteed confirmations as well. We have gathered some information in hopes of helping you traverse this year’s E3 for any incoming news that may be inbound.
Confirmations
Playable Street Fighter V Cody
Cody will be coming to Street Fighter V Arcade Edition at the end of this month but before his official debut, some lucky attendees will be able to get some hands-on time as there will be a playable build with him added available at the Capcom booth.
For those who will not be in attendance, we suspect some live streams will be showcasing Cody during E3 and potentially be on the following streams:
Soul Calibur 6
With Soul Calibur 6 on its way later this year, we expect a build will be present at E3. The question, however, is what will this latest Soul Calibur 6 build have? Maxi, the latest character reveal, may be apart of a special E3 build but we also suspect that other characters who have yet to be revealed may just make a debut at E3!!
In terms of a live stream demo of the title, we believe that Soul Calibur 6 will show up at some point on some of the following streams:
*Namco Bandai Stage Show Schedule
- Monday, June 11th @ 11:45am-12:30pm PT
- Wednesday, June 13th @ 10:15am – 1pm PT
*E3 Coliseum: Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Fighting Game Dojo
- Tuesday, June 12th @ 2:30pm PT
*Stage Show
- Wednesday, June 13th @ 3:15pm PT
Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch
We know that Nintendo has some pretty big things planned for the upcoming Switch version of Super Smash Bros. With an already planned invitational set to take place on Tuesday, we expect some new information will be present during E3’s Nintendo Direct. Our guess is as good as yours on what will be coming to the latest edition of Smash. We believe a live stream of the title will be available on the following channel:
*Nintendo Direct
- Tuesday June 12th @ 9:00am PT
Dead Or Alive 6
Earlier today, Tecmo Koei’s Team Ninja let the cat out of the bag for their latest entry in the Dead Or Alive franchise. The official website states more information will be available on June 11th which eludes to the games presence at E3. Whether this will be in a playable capacity is uncertain but we expect some additional game play will be introduced at some point during this event. We believe the game may potential show up on the following live streams:
* Sony PlayStation Press Conference
- Monday June 11th @ 6:00pm PT
* Stage Show
- Wednesday June 13th @ 1:30pm PT
Jump Force
Namco Bandai revealed this new title yesterday at the Microsoft press conference which looks to feature an all-stars Jump manga cast in a semi-photorealistic world. The arena-style brawler has already revealed 12 minutes of gameplay but apparently, an E3 demo will be on the showroom floor featuring additional characters who have yet to officially be revealed. We suspect that more information will be introduced on the following live streams during this week:
*Namco Bandai Stage Show Schedule
- Monday, June 11th @ 11:45am-12:30pm PT
- Wednesday, June 13th @ 10:15am – 1pm PT
* Sony PlayStation Press Conference
- Monday June 11th @ 6:00pm PT
Predictions
Mortal Kombat 11 Reveal
While we haven’t seen many hints from MK producer Ed Boon about the possible reveal for the next entry in the series, the rampant rumors lead us to believe that Nether Realms Studios are in fact gearing up to unveil Mortal Kombat 11 at E3 this year.
This move would elude to what we feel is a constant momentum plan given the developers active involvement in the competitive hemisphere. Lining up a new Mortal Kombat 11 for next year could certainly keep the gears turning on what seems to be a well-oiled machine.
New Tekken 7 DLC Characters
While Soul Calibur 6 seems to be the main focus for Bandai Namco at the moment, there is a possibility that Tekken 7 is not quite done in terms of additional content. Just recently, Team Tekken celebrated its first anniversary with some free DLC, but speculations have surfaced after some downloadable content got added to the Steam Database page for Tekken 7 on PC!! Harada has also confirmed that the company is still hiding things for Tekken 7 so we expect a big surprise may be coming in the form of new characters and game modes.
Blade Strangers Release Date
Blade Strangers first made its debut on the floor of E3 last year and as such, we suspect that publisher Nicalis will reveal the official launch date as a way of coming full circle for the title. Blade Strangers has already been targeted for a summer release date on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 and a July/August release feels imminent for this special crossover fighter.
Soul Calibur 6 Release Date
While a 2018 release date is confirmed, an official release date has yet to be revealed. E3 would be a great opportunity for a release date but Namco Bandai may have other plans. Anyway it goes, we expect to at least get a more specific window for the Soul Calibur 6 giving us more of a clue on when we can expect this title.
New Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC And Nintendo Switch Announcement
Even though Namco Bandai just released the latest DLC for Dragon Ball FighterZ, E3 would be a great opportunity to generate more excitement for additional incoming and future DLC as well and we wouldn’t be surprised if something got revealed. In addition to incoming content, rumors have been in the air about a possible Nintendo Switch announcement.
New Capcom Fighting Game
This is more a shot in the dark as there have been rumblings about a few new titles that may be revealed by the publisher at E3. A special Capcom page on E3’s official website revealed that there may be a fighting/wrestling hybrid unveiled during E3. Many suspect the return of Saturday Night Slam Masters but one can hope that we will get a little more than we bargained for with the return of another popular fighting game franchise.
We will update this post should any new reveals come before Monday so stay tuned!!
About the Author
thec0re3 Founder of Fighting Games Online and self proclaimed "entertainment techie", thec0re3 takes immense enjoyment out of merging his love for video games and technology to educate, create, and participate in something he has enjoyed for more years than he would ever admit to.
