E3 2018 is nearly upon us. The show formally kicks off on Tuesday, June 12, but as in recent years, many big-name publishers will host their own press conferences in the days leading up to the event. Nintendo's will once again take the form of a pre-recorded Direct-style video presentation, which is scheduled to air at 9 AM PT / 12 PM PT / 5 PM BST, just before E3 proper begins.
As usual, the company has been fairly secretive about its plans heading into this year's E3. Outside of confirming that Super Smash Bros. for Switch will play a prominent role both in its presentation and on the show floor, Nintendo hasn't announced any of the titles it plans on showcasing at the expo. However, we do know that the aforementioned video presentation won't be the extent of its plans for E3 2018.
Once again, Nintendo will follow its E3 briefing with a series of Treehouse Live streams, which will air each of the three days the expo runs. Additionally, Nintendo will host competitive esports tournaments for Super Smash Bros. Switch and Splatoon 2, the latter of which is set to receive a big, paid DLC expansion this summer. The Splatoon 2 World Championship begins on Monday, June 11, with the finals taking place on June 12. The Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 tournament will kick off shortly afterward and features well-known competitive Smash players from around the world.
Aside from that, however, we have little idea of what to expect from Nintendo at E3. The company has said that its presentation will focus primarily on games launching soon, so we'll get a much clearer idea of what its release schedule for Switch will be through the end of the year. It seems likely that we'll learn more about some of the titles that were announced at last year's E3, such as Metroid Prime 4 and Yoshi. We may also see more of the recently revealed Pokemon RPGs for Switch: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eeevee.
Whatever the case, we won't have to wait much longer to find out. Nintendo will broadcast its E3 2018 presentation on its YouTube and Twitch channels. GameSpot will also host a stream of the briefing, so you can tune in right here on June 12 to follow along with all of Nintendo's big announcements.
Nintendo E3 2018 Press Conference Schedule
Tuesday, June 12
9 AM PT
12 PM ET
5 PM BST
2 AM AET (June 13)
Where To Livestream Nintendo's E3 2018 Press Conference
Nintendo's press conference will wrap up the briefings for this year's E3, but that doesn't mean it's going to be lacking. We're expecting to see more about Super Smash Bros. for Switch and Let's Go, Pikachu and Eevee during the conference. On the floor, Nintendo will host two tournaments for the new Super Smash Bros. and Splatoon 2, and hand out special collectible pins to attendees who bring a Switch along.
We're not exactly sure what other surprises Nintendo will have in store this year, but there are plenty of rumors already. We hope to see more on Metroid Prime 4 and Yoshi, both of which were teased at last year's show.
In typical Nintendo fashion, its conference this year will be pre-recorded and presented in the "Nintendo Direct" form. It's set to air at 9 AM PT / 12 PM PT / 5 PM BST on Tuesday, June 12, just before the show floor opens. After the conference, Nintendo will host its usual Treehouse livestream throughout the remainder of E3.
If you can't tune into the livestream, which we are hosting here on GameSpot, you can catch up with all the latest announcements in our liveblog on this page, so be sure to come back then. We'll have all the biggest headlines from the conference rounded up on GameSpot, so once it's all over, you'll be able to get all your E3 news in one place.
For now, check out our predictions and more for the Nintendo conference until the show.
Liveblog starts in: View Liveblog
For the sixth straight year, Nintendo will forgo the traditional pre-E3 press conference in favor of a livestreamed Nintendo Direct video presentation. We'll be on hand to deliver all the news straight from Nintendo starting at 9am PDT (12pm EDT, 4pm UTC) on Tuesday, June 12.
Nintendo has made no secret that the Nintendo Switch edition of the Super Smash Bros. fighting-game series will be a prominent focus of its E3 activities this year, so expect to hear a lot of details about that effort. We also wouldn't be surprised to hear a bit more about upcoming Switch entries in the Pokemon and Metroid Prime series, which have been under radio silence since very brief teases at last year's E3.
Outside of the first-party efforts, a credible leak suggests a Switch port of Fortnite will lead a lineup of coming indie and third-party ports for the system that includes Dragon Ball FighterZ, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, Killer Queen Black, Paladins, and Overcooked 2. Don't be surprised if that list is at least a bit incomplete, too.
Whatever gets announced or shown off, we'll be ready for it and liveblogging all the announcements as they happen. Check for the link above when the countdown is complete to follow along.
