E3 2017 has been full of big game reveals from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, but the press conferences and streams didn’t offer some we were expecting. From Super Smash Bros. to Splinter Cell, here are five major announcements that didn’t happen.
1) Splinter Cell: Rumors of a new Splinter Cell game began circulating last summer, so many analysts were expecting to see the fruits of that labor during Ubisoft’s press conference Monday. After all, the Splinter Cell: Blacklist team in Toronto had been quiet since 2013, so odds were good that something was ready to be shown off.
Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t the Splinter Cell game featuring Michael Ironside that many of us were hoping for. Instead, Ubisoft Toronto is working on a new toys-to-life space game called Starlink: Battle For Atlas that’s set to release sometime next fall on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. If a new Splinter Cell game is due, maybe it’ll come from another Ubisoft team. Company CEO Yves Guillemot promised gamers, “we are not forgetting about Splinter Cell.”
2) Super Smash Bros. For Switch: We still think Nintendo Switch will have its own Super Smash Bros. game fairly soon, but, after almost a year of unwavering rumors, many fans were hoping to catch a first glimpse of it at E3. Despite the speculation, we’ve still got no clue what Sakurai is working on.
Our biggest rationale for this exclusion is Smash Bros. doesn’t seem to fit with Nintendo’s fall lineup of Switch titles. After all, ARMS debuts this month and Pokkén Tournament DX is set to offer something for fighting game fans this September. Smash is a unique take on the genre, but it’s still too similar and popular to go toe-to-toe with other titles Nintendo would like to see succeed. Smash Bros. is an ace in the hole for whenever Nintendo needs it. That time is not now.
3) The Last Of Us Part 2: This game debuted at last year’s PlayStation Experience, and, as a sequel to one of Sony’s most popular exclusives, conventional wisdom dictated that some sort of E3 2017 tease was in order. It’s likely years away from completion, but there’s no reason to stop the hype train, right?
Wrong. Following the Last Of Us no-show during Sony’s press conference on Monday, director Neil Druckmann offered an explanation. “Believe me, we're super excited to show you more of Ellie and Joel's second journey,” he said , “but now it’s Chloe and Nadine’s time to shine.” In other words, with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy coming to PS4 on Aug. 22, the decision was made to give that spinoff game the most attention possible.
4) Halo: In mid-May, 343 Industries community manager Brian Jarrard said “[W]e'll have a little something at E3 but it's not related to the next major entry in the franchise.” The man kept to his word, but Halo’s showing at E3 was even less than some fans were expecting. After all, some felt the “little something” might equate to more single-player content, an ODST-like spinoff or even an Xbox One X patch. Alas, none of that came to be.
Instead, franchise fans got the new Awakening The Nightmare expansion for the mostly-ignored Halo Wars 2. As For Halo 6, 343’s Bonnie Ross said the studio is “heads down on the next big Halo.” Development is reportedly “shaping up well,” but Microsoft is “not ready to announce it yet.” One thing we do know is the game will feature split-screen multiplayer and LAN support whenever it releases.
5) From Software - Bloodborne 2: It looks like 2017 will be the first year in a while that From Software hasn’t released some kind of Souls-like experience for adventurous gamers. While rumors about Bloodborne 2 have been simmering for the past year, they proved fruitless during Sony’s presser.
This time we have no reason for the absence, but if it’s being worked on, it’s obviously not ready. From Software said it was saying goodbye to Dark Souls after Dark Souls 3, so maybe the studio has been slow to iterate on its sister franchise as a result. Maybe there’s a new IP that’s getting more attention instead. Armored Core reboot anyone?
What big games on your E3 wishlist were missing from the show? Do you think we’ll hear more from these titles before 2017 ends? Tell us in the comments section!
