What games will Square Enix show off during its E3 2018 presentation?

By Gabe Gurwin May 8, 2018

Square Enix had a smaller presence at E3 2017 than it did in the past, skipping a traditional press event in favor of prolonged livestreams showing off its upcoming games, but the publisher is returning this year with a dedicated press event. The Square Enix E3 Showcase will take place on June 11, and we’re excited to see what games are in the works.

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On June 11 at 1 p.m. ET, Square Enix will release a pre-recorded video presentation detailing “the many worlds within [its] universe.” What this exactly entails is anyone’s guess, but we’re sure Lara Croft will show up for a look at Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the first information about Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers project, as well. Kingdom Hearts III is shaping up, as well, and we’re hoping to get a final release date and an extended look at gameplay.

What we won’t see is the Hitman series, which was given to developer IO Interactive after it split with Square Enix. We’re also unlikely to see anything Deus Ex-related, as the franchise was reportedly put “on hold” following the poor sales of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

The Square Enix E3 Showcase will be available to watch on several platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Microsoft’s Mixer. No length was given in the announcement, but its 2015 press conference ran for a little over an hour. That year’s presentation was packed with games, including Just Cause 3 and Nier: Automata. We’re hoping something on this scale is in store for us again, but with Automata just releasing last year, it’s unlikely Yoko Taro and his team are ready to unveil their next project quite yet.

E3 2018 is already shaping up to be a big deal, with other publishers bringing previously announced AAA games to show for the first time. These include Ubisoft’s The Division 2, as well as Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. game on Switch. Electronic Arts — in an event adjacent to E3 — will also show off the next entry in the Battlefield series. Rumor has it that it will take us back to World War II, following Battlefield 1‘s World War I setting in 2016.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Square Enix has offloaded its North American operations as it announced the sale of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal to Embracer Group today. The deal also nets Embracer Group over 50 notable franchises such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain.
Crystal Dynamics is best known for its work on the Tomb Raider franchise, though it recently released the tumultuous live service Marvel's Avengers game. Eidos Montreal is behind series like Deus Ex and recently garnered critical acclaim following the release of Guardians of the Galaxy. Square Enix Montreal is a mobile-focused studio that makes games like Lara Croft GO and Hitman Sniper.

Embracer Group is purchasing the three studios, which employ over 1,100 developers, for only $300 million. The status of certain series like Sleeping Dogs and Gex, as well as the status of the Marvel deal that spawned Marvel's Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy game, are still in question. As of now, the only announced game from these studios is a brand-new Tomb Raider that will run on Unreal Engine 5, though the related press release says Crystal Dynamics is "actively working on several AAA projects."
Meanwhile, the announcement says the Eidos Montreal "is working on a host of AAA projects including both new releases from beloved franchises and original IP," and that Square Enix Montreal "will continue to develop and operate memorable mobile games based on AAA IP." Embracer is interested in these studios' potential to make single-player AAA titles for PC, consoles, and mobile and all of the classic series that come with them.
While it's not the best-known gaming company, Embracer Group is much bigger than you might think. This European holding company owns a massive range of developers and publishers from around the world. THQ Nordic, Deep Silver, Gearbox, Saber Interactive, Coffee Stain, and all of those studios' subsidiaries are owned by Embracer. The company even has holdings outside of video games, as it recently acquired Asmodee and Dark Horse.
These former Square Enix studios and the franchises that come with them will simply beef up the company's already massive offerings. Embracer and Square Enix expect this deal to close between July and September 2022.