Out of all the publishers and companies appearing at E3 2015, resulting in a total of eight press events, Bethesda Softworks has everyone the most interested. This is because the company has never really had a strong presence at E3 outside of some game announcements and it’s certainly never had its own dedicated conference. Then there’s the fact that one of the company’s most sought after franchises (or two) could be receiving some major sequels. It’s to the company’s credit that gameplay footage for Doom is what we’re least looking forward to.
What major announcements could Bethesda make at its press conference? We’ll offer our own predictions but feel free to tell us what you think could happen on June 14th.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Honestly, at this point, we have no clue what Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios have planned for the future of The Elder Scrolls Online. The game will be heading to PS4 and Xbox One on June 9th, five days before Bethesda’s press event and it’s recently removed its subscription fees for players on PC. What’s planned next for The Elder Scrolls Online which has struggled with critics and in achieving the mass success that previous Elder Scrolls titles had experienced?
It could be that some more content updates are announced. We could even see a major expansion pack unlike any update till date. Maybe The Elder Scrolls Online could see a major facelift like Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV when it became A Realm Reborn? The possibilities are endless but whether the MMO is still a worthwhile investment for both fans and Bethesda at this point is debatable.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Remastered
This feels like an even bigger long shot than Fallout 4 being announced (think about that for a second). However, it wouldn’t be that odd. Skyrim was Bethesda Softworks’ most successful title till date and still has a thriving modding community – so thriving, in fact, that it raised Hell when mods were in danger of being priced on Steam. There’s no denying that Skyrim could be given a major facelift and brought to current gen consoles.
Look at Grand Theft Auto 5, which released on the PS4 and Xbox One a year after the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. The game has only gone on to greater success since then and with both current gen consoles currently totaling more than 34 million units worldwide, you can bet Bethesda will want a slice of that pie. And what easier way to do it then with Skyrim? Whether this will be announced at E3 2015 remains to be seen though.
Dishonored Remastered, Dishonored 2 Tease
Arkane Studios’ Dishonored emerged out of nowhere in 2012 to become one of the greatest first person, stealth and action adventure titles of all time. Needless to say, requests for a sequel are still made to this day and it was a leaked memo last year that seemed to indicate Dishonored 2 would be happening. Oddly enough, there was only more silence.
This year, however, there have been rumblings. Bethesda Softworks featured Dishonored as one of the teased games on its invitation card for E3 2015. Rumours then began to swell that Dishonored 2 wouldn’t be shown at the publisher’s press conference. Then rating board classifications revealed that Dishonored Remastered would be happening. What’s our take?
It seems highly possible that Dishonored Remastered will be announced for Xbox One and PS4 but it will only really be for acquainting current gen consumers with the series in preparation for Dishonored 2. Bethesda could give a little tease for the sequel but such an announcement could easily be stretched out and made at Gamescom 2015. Then again, this is Bethesda’s first E3 press event. If it wanted to debut with a bang, then Dishonored 2 is one way to do it.
Doom Beta Details and Gameplay
The tale of id Software’s Doom, renamed from the long-used Doom 4, is one of odd occurrences. Bethesda promised a beta for the game to be bundled with Wolfenstein: The New Order but no news was offered on when it would take place. Shortly thereafter, company founder John Carmack left to join Oculus VR and work on Rift. A gameplay teaser was shown at QuakeCon last year and a new gameplay teaser was revealed recently. We even got to see some footage of what the game was originally going to be like before plans changed. So what gives?
We fully expect Bethesda to announce beta details for Doom as well as show off some gameplay. It’s perhaps a little optimistic to expect a release date but we wouldn’t put it past the publisher to tease that Doom will indeed be out in the future a la DICE’s Mirror’s Edge tease. Could we see the Doom beta out during E3? It’s unlikely but wouldn’t be the biggest surprise. If EA could release its beta for Battlefield: Hardline during E3 and support all that server traffic, Doom shouldn’t face much issue.
Fallout 4
This is of course the big one. Bethesda Softworks’ Fallout 4 has been one of the most requested sequels this side of Half Life 3 and has seen numerous rumours. One of those actually had some substance when a leaked casting call memo in early 2014 confirmed the game’s existence and that it would be set in Boston. Then there was the recent CV for an artist at Guillermo Del Toro’s Miranda Studios who claimed to be working on a cinematic trailer for Fallout 4.
In the lead up to its first ever E3 2015 press conference, Bethesda isn’t outright denying the numerous rumours swelling, including the possibility that a cinematic trailer could signal Fallout 4’s announcement while a gameplay demo is shown behind closed doors. Then there’s the very nature of the press event – would Bethesda make its first ever appearance at E3 if it didn’t have something big to showcase?
Of the many times Bethesda was rumoured to be showcasing Fallout 4 at a console manufacturer’s conference, it never really happened. It would have been no less of a major occurrence though. That the company has reserved its very own event is really all the indication we need that something big is going down and Fallout 4 could very well be it.