The Rumored Games of E3 2016

We've already taken a look at the games that will definitely be on display during E3 2016, including games like Dishonored 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and The Legend of Zelda. But what about the rumored, the teased, and the previously-announced?

Because E3 speculation is fun and it's good to remind ourselves what has already been revealed, here's a rundown of the games we're hopeful will make an appearance either in the press conferences or on the show floor.

Below

PC, Xbox One

Developed by Capy Games, Below is a procedurally-generated roguelike adventure featuring permadeath and a striking art style.
It was delayed into 2016 and is an Xbox exclusive, so odds are pretty dang good we’ll see it at E3 in some capacity.

Borderlands 3

TBA
We’re aware Borderlands 3 is in some form of production, but we have yet to hear an official announcement or see anything of it.
But, considering Battleborn’s underwhelming reception and the fact we haven’t seen a new Borderlands in years, it’s possible we’ll see something about a return to Pandora this year.

Crackdown 3

Xbox One
A cult favorite, the third entry in the open-world action series was announced back in 2014. We haven’t heard much about it since aside from a new trailer, and it would be surprising (not to mention a missed opportunity) if it didn’t show up at all.

Detroit: Become Human

PS4
David Cage’s Detroit: Become Human is a game about consciousness and humanity (like so many of his others). Based on the Kara tech demo of 2012, it centers on an Android who gains sentience and the struggles she endures living among humans. We’ve barely heard anything about it in the past year, so it would be fitting for it to make an appearance.

Dreams

PS4
The whimsical creative game from Media Molecule was first announced last year and has largely gone silent since.
Being that it’s a creative and unique-looking game focused on building fantasy worlds, and the fact that Sony will more than likely be spending a lot of time discussing their upcoming peripheral, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Dreams end up being a PlayStation VR game.

FIFA 17

TBA
FIFA is consistently one of the most popular sports games in the world. While we haven’t heard much on a new installment yet aside from rumors of it being built in the Frostbit engine, it’ll more than likely make an appearance alongside the other sports games we usually see in varying capacities.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

PS4
Part of the dream announcement rollout from Sony’s press conference last year, the Final Fantasy VII Remake is a thing die hard final fantasy fans have asked after for years. Now that we know a little bit more about it—namely that it will be completely re-done—it would be great to see something of a vertical slice of it, whether on stage or at the booth.

Gears of War 4

Xbox One
With a release date for October of this year, you had better believe we’ll be seeing an onstage demo of Gears of War 4 at Microsoft’s presser. It would also be totally within reason for there to be playable demos on the show floor. Read our preview to learn more about its epic multiplayer. 

Horizon: Zero Dawn

PS4
Easily one of the standout announcements at Sony’s 2015 press conference, Guerilla Games’ Horizon: Zero Dawn will definitely make an appearance at the show, possibly with a new trailer and short demo.

Just Dance 2017

TBD
Ubisoft’s been rolling out Just Dance games as part of their press conferences for years. Count on seeing it again. When else could they get Usher to make an awkward appearance?

Kingdom Hearts 3

PS4, Xbox One
We’ve had several tastes of KH3, from trailers to interviews with the game’s designers and confirmed Disney worlds. Plus, remastered versions of the first few games have been released on multiple platforms, and fan buzz continues to grow. Hopefully we get more concrete details and a release window this year during Sony’s presser.

The Last Guardian

PS4
As fabled and legendary as its winged bird dog character, The Last Guardian was something of a seeming myth for the better part of a decade. Now, with a release date targeting 2016 and a too-long, caught in hell development cycle, Sony’s best course of action would be to show a demo to settle people’s fears and confirm it will release later this year.

Nier Automata

PS4
Set in the same Drakengard spin-off universe as the divisive game Nier, Nier: Automata focuses on a combat android and her three friends as they engage in a war between otherworldly machines and the remnants of humanity.

This Platinum Games-developed action RPG was announced last year to surprising praise. We’re hoping it makes a return to the show this year so we can see more of it.

Prey 2

Prey 2's saga is a long, frustrating one for people who liked the idea of sci-fi shooters and alien bounty hunters. It has changed hands, been revamped, and cancelled. But rumors about its revival have surfaced again with domain updates and hidden facebook pages, and it's possible developer Arkane may resurrect it once again. It's possible we could seeit make a surprise appearance in Bethesda's press conference lineup.

ReCore

Xbox One
First unveiled at E3 2015, ReCore is an action game developed by Keiji Inafune’s studio Comcept and Armature Studio.

A lot remains unknown about ReCore at this point. It stars a female character in the trailer, flanked by an adorable robot dog that becomes a large creature and helps her fend off robotic foes.

It was shown off at Microsoft’s conference and is assumedly an Xbox One exclusive. Hopefully we learn more about it this year.

Red Dead Redemption 2

TBD
Several suspiciously specific leaks suggest Red Dead Redemption 2 is a reality, including the game’s map and details about it being a prequel to the 2010 open-world action game.

The developers at Rockstar Games aren’t known for their E3 presence, so the chances of this being confirmed during the show err more on the unlikely side. However, you can probably hang your hat (pun intended) on it having a different name than simply Red Dead Redemption 2.

Saints Row 5

TBD
The future of the Saints Row series is still very much in the air, with rumors and noncommittal hints popping up into the news cycle. But developer Volition has been expanding their studio size, and publisher Deep Silver has teased an announcement for E3 2016, so it’s possible we could find out what the Saints have been up to in the past few years.

Scalebound

Xbox One
It seems like Platinum Games is currently working on just about every action game in development, but Scalebound is likely its most unique project. Focusing on a bond between a young man named Drew and his dragon companion named Thuban, Scalebound is a combat-driven game where both the dragon and the human work together to fight enemies.

Scalebound is targeting a 2017 release date on Xbox One, so it’s extremely likely we’ll see something about it during Microsoft’s press conference.