With E3 just around the corner, it is once again time for the Player 2 crew to get their crystal balls out of the attic and make some wildly inaccurate predictions as to what will appear at the world’s biggest games show. In their third show can Bethesda still bring the goods?
E3 2017 Predictions – Bethesda
Paul James
Safe Bet
Quake – Come on, this is almost as sure of a thing as they come. You could see the glee all over Bethesda PR folks’ faces when Quake was announced. This little gem is something they’ve wanted to give us for a long time, so you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll see more of Quake at E3 2017. Where within the show, how long it’s there for and what they show remains to be seen, but Quake is a tentpole game for Bethesda’s E3 showing, so expect something meaty at the very least.
Fairly Likely
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – In one of the coolest/subtlest teases that I’ve seen at E3, Bethesda’s 2016 conference teased the next Wolfenstein entry. Whether it will, in fact, be subtitled “The New Colossus” I’m not yet sure, but it’s almost a lock to be present given last year’s performance and will surely be a major part of the conference. One can hope because ‘The New Order’ was outstanding, and I’m eager to see more of it.
Wishful Thinking
The Elders Scrolls VI – In my mind we’re one more year away from the sequel to Skyrim, one of the most acclaimed games of any era. I want so badly to be wrong on this one, but I feel it will be the recipient of the Fallout 4 treatment, and that will mean that as a result, it will be radio silence from Bethesda in this regard in 2017. That’s not to say we will not see a whole host of Elders Scrolls content. ESO, as well as Legends, will be major focal points, and that buys the company one more year of patience from myself and other fans like me.
Sarah Ellen
Safe Bet
Bethesda has done a good job in reviving the bot-ridden Elder Scrolls Online into a vibrant and viable MMORPG and the upcoming Morrowind expansion is designed to tap our nostalgia nerves once again.
Fairly Likely
A new non-MMO Elder Scrolls is still apparently years away, and it seems a bit too soon for another Fallout. There is a need for a new IP in the mix, and this is supported by reports that the press invites to the E3 2017 conference display a theme park with our old favourite franchises and areas marked “under construction”. At least two new IPs are on the cards.
Wishful Thinking
Bethesda is a reliable battle horse, and I am genuinely having trouble thinking of something that they haven’t already done, or anything that I’d be really dying for them to do. They gave me Skyrim for my PS4, they relaunched DOOM …maybe you lot need a nice holiday to give us some time to get through these games, hey?
Adam Rorke
Safe bet:
You know whose turn it is this year? It’s Elder Scrolls turn! Fallout has been and gone and we’ve seen some good DLC. Now there’s a fairly good chance we’ll see a neat little trailer for the sequel to Skyrim … it better have dragons.
Fairly likely:
DLC across the board is always a high likelihood, but one game, in particular, I’m predicting will get an additional campaign added, and that game is … DOOM! Probably one of the most fun games I’ve played in recent times, DOOM’s SP experience was sensational and exhilarating! I wasn’t the biggest fan of where it ended, but God damn do I want to settle the score with that shifty robot.
Wishful thinking:
This is going to sound like sour grapes (and it partly is I suppose) but I would love to see Bethesda do an 180 on their approach to games journalists around the world and removing the title of ‘F U we’re Bethesda!’ This comes more from a place of concern though, I firmly believe that in order for gamers to be the most informed when it comes to spending their hard-earned cash on, you need a full spectrum of critical eyes across a diverse range of people. You simply don’t get this when you cherry pick your “reviewers” or just keep everyone in the dark, and it’s a real shame.
Jenn Christodoulou
Safe Bet
Whilst the company hasn’t been saying much about an Elder Scrolls 6 game coming anytime soon (the pain, it’s real) they have been pushing their Elder Scrolls Online game pretty hard. The newest expansion to the series, Morrowind, is due out shortly, so I’d say we’re going to see a lot more of this. The company has also confirmed that they’ll be showing Fallout 4 in virtual reality, so I’m going to go ahead and say that’s the safest bet I can make.
Fairly Likely
Skyrim on the Switch was a game that was teased in the Switch trailer… and then not released on launch. To me, that felt a little like a bait and Switch move (get it!? I am hilarious) but I’m thinking we’ll see more of it this month.
Wishful Thinking
Fallout 4 in virtual reality is all well and good but what I’d really love to see in VR is Skyrim. Those rolling expansive locales, epic looking demons and also CAT PEOPLE GUYS (or Khajit if you wanna be technical about it). As if this wouldn’t be amazing in VR!
Matt Hewson
Safe Bet
I think this will be the year of DLC for Bethesda. I expect Doom, Dishonored 2, Fallout 4 and even Prey to get some sort of healthy expansion in the single player realm. I am especially keen for some more Doom love, perhaps even a mini-release like The Old Blood was for Wolfenstein. I am more than happy to head back into hell for another round of chainsawing demons in the face.
Fairly Likely
Speaking of Wolfenstein, it is probably time for a new one. Perhaps B J is in the 70’s kicking back to Led Zepplin (come on you don’t think the world’s premier Nazi ass-kicker would be into disco or Abba do you?) when Mecha-Hitler rises from the grave to haunt the free world once again. I don’t care really, I just want more solid nazi-shooting with a great story.
Wishful Thinking
The lights dim, the crowd goes quiet. Suddenly the screen lights up, a logo fades in. It is the Fallout logo. That logo is the replaced by the Obsidian one. The crowd goes bonkers, angels sing, champagne is popped. Yeah, an Obsidian developed Fallout game would be amazing.
Stephen del Prado
Safe Bet
If I was putting money on anything from Bethesda, it would be MachineGames revealing whatever it is they’ve been working on since wrapping up Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. While everyone is expecting another Wolfenstein entry, Bethesda’s PR have remained tight-lipped so I also wouldn’t complain about a new IP from these developers given the success Prey and Horizon: Zero Dawn had this year. Whatever it is, Pete Hines has called it “fucking bananas”, so I’m interested.
Fairly likely
It took seven years between Bethesda developed Fallout titles, and 2018 will mark seven years since the release of Skyrim. Now seems like the perfect time for Bethesda to announce a new entry in their flagship series to launch in the first half of next year. While it’s been rumoured that the next game will take place in Argonia, Pete Hines has repeatedly stated that Bethesda is not working on Elder Scrolls 6 at all. Call me cynical, but I just don’t buy it – any news of Elder Scrolls 6 could harm sales of ESO: Morrowind, which conveniently launches the week before E3.
Wishful Thinking
A new engine? Oh, that’s too wishful? OK, How about a completely new IP from Bethesda themselves? Fallout 4 was a disappointment and the current focus on Elder Scrolls as an online experience doesn’t’ do it for me, nevermind the fact that an ES game in a post-Witcher 3 world will need to do a lot to grab my attention. I’d actually be happier to see Bethesda try something different and create a new setting for their particular brand of open world adventuring.
Matthew Ballinger
Safe Bet
Doom was a huge success which probably means we’ll be seeing more of it along with more tasty throwbacks the 90’s shooters with Quake Champions
Fairly Likely
Skyrim for the Switch? We haven’t had a new Elder Scrolls for way too long that wasn’t a remaster or an MMO.
Wishful thinking
It might be too early to announce a third Dishonored but I would like to see more of that world.
Stevie McDonald
Safe bet
A confirmed release date for Quake Champions is surely going to be announced, now that the arena-based FPS has entered the closed beta stage.
Fairly likely
It’s less “fairly likely” and more just “totally possible”, but I would be eager to see more detail about the teased new edition to the Wolfenstein series – maybe even some gameplay footage if we’re really lucky!
Wishful thinking
Whilst on the subject of my husband flipping his shit (see my Sony wishful thinking prediction), is it too early to start saying Fallout 5?
