E3 2016 Rumor Roundup

E3 is drawing near. Lots of companies, lots of announcements, and lots of leaks. We're using our powers of prognostication to try and separate fact from fiction and figure out what might happen at this year's show. Click "Next Image" to get started.

Image source: Wikipedia

A leaked poster and some images emerged recently, suggesting Capcom is at work on Dead Rising 4. One of the most interesting elements of the leak is that the images showed a character who appeared to be Frank West walking around Willamette, Colorado, which was the setting of the first game. This would suggest the game could be connected to the first game or maybe a remake. [Full story]

Rumor has it Microsoft may announce multiple new Xbox consoles at E3. One of these could be a slimmed down Xbox One (40 percent smaller than existing model), while another might be a streaming device. Microsoft is also rumored to be working on a redesigned Xbox One controller, though this is expected to only be a "slight" redesign of the input, not a major change.

Looking further out, Microsoft is said to be working on an Xbox One device that is four times as powerful as the existing model. However, Microsoft may not talk about this system at E3, instead saving an announcement for sometime later down the road.

[UPDATE] Sony has confirmed the more powerful PS4, but says it won't be at E3.

The original rumor is below.

It's not just Microsoft that may announce new hardware at E3. Many rumors have said Sony is working on a souped-up PS4, codenamed Neo, that could be announced at E3. A Wall Street Journal report said this system will help run PlayStation VR games in higher quality. A report said the console will launch in October, priced at $399, which would suggest the current PS4 model may be getting a price cut.

Bethesda's E3 2016 briefing will be stuffed with news, if recent reports are to be believed. The company's announcements will include a remastered version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as well as a number of sequels: Wolfenstein: The New Order 2, The Evil Within 2, and Prey 2, according to a recent report. Prey 2 was canceled in 2014, but the new version is said to be a “completely re-worked” version of the game, and we’re excited to see what that may look like. [Full story]

Microsoft has said it will show off the next Forza game at E3, but we don’t know much about it yet. The “cover car” will be the Lamborghini Centenario, but everything else is unknown. Another interesting element for this game is that it will come to Xbox One and PC as part of Microsoft’s wider effort to release its flagship titles across both systems. [Full story]

In March, a leak revealed that Gears of War bad guy General RAAM might be coming to Killer Instinct Season 3 as a DLC character. The report didn’t mention any of General RAAM's moves, but looking into his history some possibilities can be deduced. The character, who was a central bad guy in the first Gears of War, wields a serrated sword and pistol, as well as grenades. [Full story]

According to a April 2016 report, God of War 4 is indeed real and will be based Norse mythology, instead of Greek, as was the basis for previous entries in the series. While we haven’t heard anything yet about the game being announced at E3, if a reveal is coming soon, E3 seems likely. The last entry in the God of War series was Ascension, which was released for PlayStation 3 in 2013.

PlayStation 4 launch title Knack might be getting a sequel, according to a report from February 2016. At the time, the game was spotted on a developer’s resume, with the suggestion that the title has been in the works since at least May 2015.

According to a Japanese industry analyst, Capcom will announce Resident Evil 7 at E3 2016 next week. Fans may be happy to learn that this game will reportedly return to the franchise’s horror roots. Another interesting development is that Capcom has reportedly hired Metal Gear Solid V developer Jordan Amaro to work on the game.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-7-goes-back-to-horror-roots-will-be-/1100-6439896/

The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red will announce a new game at E3 2016, CEO Marcin Iwinski teased in an interview recently. He hasn't said much about it, so we don't know if it's connected to The Witcher, but we know it will be out before the end of 2016. More recently, a report claimed this game could be a standalone version of The Witcher 3's in-game card game, Gwent. [Full story]

Ubisoft is working on a brand new IP described as "AAA" and we expect to hear about it and see it at E3 2016. All we know so far is that this will be "multiplayer-centric," though it will also have a "strong solo side." The game, whatever it turns out to be, is slated to launch during Ubisoft's upcoming fiscal 2016-17, which began on April 1, 2016 and ends March 31, 2017. [Full story]

Earlier this week, EA teased that it will use its E3 briefing to talk about not only games coming out this year like Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1, but also titles coming in 2017 and 2018. EA has said it's making games in the "action" genre, akin to Assassin's Creed, and it's possible we'll get a peak at maybe one of these during E3. [Full story]