E3 2017 Rumor Roundup: Whispers, Leaks, and Best Guesses From Around the Web

By Mark Delaney,

Some people don't like rumors, especially as they pertain to E3. Simply put, it's a lot of chatter lacking high marks for accuracy. To others, that undeniable truth doesn't really matter. The guessing games are fun; we should embrace them, some say. If you can stand to wait until the shows do all the reveals themselves, or if you're not one for rumors, make quick use of your back button on your computer or mobile device. If you do find yourself a fan of speculation and following breadcrumbs then journey down this rabbit hole of rumors with us as we take it from the most to least evidenced.

Very Likely

These games seem like sure things because of leaks or even official teases. The games in this section are highly likely to appear in Los Angeles this weekend.

Assassin's Creed Origins

For whatever reason, Ubisoft is particularly bad at keeping secrets. There have been so many leaks surrounding Origins — from the image above allegedly showing off the newest protagonist to a GameStop employee accidentally displaying some related t-shirts early, to even the opening moments hitting YouTube. All that's left is for Yves and company to get on stage in a few days and reveal the game officially. There's really no escaping this one. It's coming, and likely soon. Look for them to pull a Bethesda — reveal it at E3 and have it in stores before Black Friday.

The Evil Within 2

Rumors indicated this might have been coming last year but those never came true, of course. This time, however, there's a bit of an evidence trail. Back in April, a private job listing leaked from Japan that seems to be hiring for a sequel to Psycho Break, that being the Japanese name for The Evil Within. Combine that with the fact that both publisher and developer have stated that they view The Evil Within as a series, not a one-off game. Bethesda is also apparently set to announce two new games at their press conference and this looks like one of them. That reminds us...

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

Here's one not so reliant on leaks. Bethesda seemed to tease a new Wolfenstein game last year when the image above was shown on their big screen. Notice the timeline of the series' releases with a yet to be determined date assigned to the item titled "New_Colossus". A new game in the series would be met with a warm reception after the two recent games reinvigorated the ages-old franchise by capturing the signature style of Wolfenstein and putting it into a modern title. Is The New Colossus the other new game Bethesda will be showing off?

Forza Motorsport 7

It was reported by Windows Central that the inevitable Forza Motorsport 7 will be showcased at E3. That should be obvious. What's more interesting, although still somewhat obvious, is how Microsoft will use the game to impress viewers with the power of their Scorpio console. The spec reveal from Digital Foundry already clued us into just how much the Xbox team likes putting Forza front and center, attached to the hip with the Scorpio. We expect it'll be the very first game playing on stage on Scorpio. If watching from home is too hard a setup to take in the fidelity they're selling, surely those who report live from the scene can let us know how they took it. If it works out how Microsoft envisions, we're positive it'll be hard to drown out that chatter anyway.

Toss-ups

There's been some whispers about these games, even for several years in some cases, but we haven't heard enough of it to fully buy into them just yet. Consider them happy surprises if they show up and next year's continued pipe dreams if they don't.

Beyond Good & Evil 2

Some would call it niche, but however sizable the crowd demanding BG&E2 may be, their feverishness for the game certainly makes them seem much greater. The most recent rumors say the game is in production and will launch as a (perhaps timed) exclusive for the Nintendo Switch. We've seen Ubisoft throw Nintendo a proverbial bone before with games like Assassin's Creed III Rayman Legends, and the once exclusive Zombi U that all ventured to the Wii U in an era when most major publishers expressed great restraint in the resources they plug into Nintendo's road-less-traveled (see: port unfriendly) hardware. Could they do that again with BG&E2 and, if so, is it only a matter of time, perhaps a year or so, before the exclusivity clock runs out?

Borderlands 3

We already know the game is being made. Gearbox has said as much themselves and they then teased it several times over on social media. The question remains, however, is it ready to be revealed at the show? Some have insinuated the game will be part of the Scorpio showcase — strange given the cel-shaded style that probably doesn't need the visual prowess of 4K, but the rest of the rumor makes more sense. It's believed that Borderlands 3 might itself be a timed exclusive for Xbox, like we saw with Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015. A Borderlands 3 reveal on stage would win over the series' many fans and would feel like the type of thing for which we all tune in. We'll know in just a few short days — maybe sooner given how fast leaks can undo any surprise.

Splinter Cell

If Beyond Good & Evil 2 isn't Ubisoft's token end of conference surprise, might it be another game in the classic stealth-action series? It fits beneath the Tom Clancy umbrella Ubisoft likes to work under so often and we haven't seen one since 2013, which is sometimes an eternity in Ubisoft years. Sam Fisher is an aging hero, so if we do see his iconic goggles return on stage in a few days, I'm guessing he'll be present but so too will a second protagonist be playable — if that's true then I'd expect Fisher to die and pass the torch by game's end. There are some whispers regarding the return of the series and it was reported a few years back that they were working on a new Splinter Cell with Michael Ironside returning to his iconic role. A swansong perhaps? The way Ubisoft operates nowadays, it's unlikely the game would return as a single player only game, so maybe we'll even get more Spys versus Mercs mode, the beloved multiplayer suite of entries past.

New AAA Xbox Exclusive

While some don't put much stock in console exclusives, Sony certainly does. They have no fewer than ten announced exclusives that are likely to appear at E3 — major projects, too. Those playing only on Xbox are forgiven for feeling left behind when Microsoft's usual spin of Halo-Gears-Forza doesn't do anything for them. They need to diversify. Upcoming titles like Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition reveal that they're working toward that. What could be very exciting is if Team Xbox brings another new IP to the show, as has been heavily rumored. They're no doubt wary to show things off too early after recent fiascos left exclusives cancelled, but if they have something up their sleeve and it's far along enough for them to announce it, there's no doubt they'll do it. It could be another holiday 2017 title too, which would really excite people alongside the Scorpio release. Social cache is up for grabs this weekend. Microsoft seems confident they'll earn plenty from the Scorpio alone, but even if that's true, there's more to be won with a big new game.

Long Shots

These games have been rumored, but leave only the smallest of breadcrumbs. That either means lips have been kept almost impenetrably sealed... or they're totally phony.

Bethesda's Starfield

These particular breadcrumbs don't lead anywhere useful. The rumor from a supposed leaker began on 4chan this week, claiming that Bethesda will be revealing a brand new open world RPG in the vein of their major franchises, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, but this one will go where no Bethesda RPG has gone before: space. Starfield is allegedly their take on an intergalactic narrative a la Mass Effect, complete with "5 to 10 alien races" and, strangely, acts as a bridge that connects the aforementioned series together in a shared story universe. Need more than that? Bethesda did file for a trademark on "Starfield" back in 2013. Whether or not you believe any of that, Bethesda's new modus operandi seems to be to announce a game only when they can put a near and immovable release date on it. If Starfield is real, we expect it'll come attached with a 2018 release date.

New Rocksteady Batman Game

Last we heard, Batman: Arkham Knight was Rocksteady's farewell tour with the caped crusader and it was a rather fitting one. Still, in perfect comic book fashion, they left the door just slightly ajar in case they ever wanted to return to Gotham City. Might they have changed their minds? Perhaps it was merely the Arkham timeline that came to a close in 2015. Comic books are famously confusing for their multiple timelines and opposing mythos. A new take on the hero, Batman Beyond, might be enough for the studio to return, or maybe they'll do what many expected they'd do — a separate DC character or, most excitingly, a Justice League game. Then again, maybe they don't reveal anything but a nerd can dream! It would even be interesting to see what else the promising team could create, superhero-free.

BioWare's Codename Dylan

Following the lackluster response to Mass Effect: Andromeda, it was reported that the franchise was put on hold for a while. Seemingly the recent sequel's place as a maybe-standalone, maybe-new series has swung the way fans and the studio weren't hoping for. BioWare was already working on another new IP, however, and although that one was delayed — something silly since we don't know anything about it anyway — EA has long been an antithesis to Bethesda, offering up teases and previews of what's to come years in advance. The delay might mean they don't want to even tease its name or genre. It may instead mean we'll be given another glorified developer diary live from EA Play. Doing so yet again would imply an impressive level of tone deafness for the publisher, after doing that with Star Wars and Andromeda recently. Viewers were left with a bad taste, but each time EA packages their hype that way, it seems to reaffirm that they either don't know of the distaste or they simply like the format enough themselves to not care what others think. Unlike other games in this section, we know Codename Dylan exists, but will we see it this weekend? That's the real question.

We're sharing this story as soon as we've finished writing it because news moves quickly, especially in these final days before the event begins. Are you keeping your ears to the ground? What whispers have you heard ahead of E3?

Written by Mark Delaney

Mark is a Boston native now living in Portland, Oregon. He has written for GameSkinny, Gamesradar and the Official Xbox Magazine. He runs the family-oriented gaming site Game Together.