Following the excitement of Gamescom last week, Tokyo Game Show Online 2021 is the gaming industry’s next big exhibition. The event’s schedule has recently been released by the Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, providing gamers an indication of which companies and titles will be present.
The dates for TGS Online 2021, which will take place from September 30th to October 3rd, were initially announced by the CESA in March. This is a historic year for TGS, as it marks the 25th anniversary of the event, which began in 1996.
TGS has been hosted yearly in September at Makuhari Messe in accordance with tradition, however, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Tokyo Game Show 2020 was the first entirely digital excursion in the event’s history. The CESA looks to be using what it learned from last year’s event while also returning to its more traditional style for TGS Online 2021.
The CESA has officially issued the official TGS Online 2021 program, and it’s jam-packed with concerts for fans to watch. On September 30, Xbox, Konami, and Capcom will be in attendance, followed by Square Enix and Bandai Namco on October 1st.
Arc System Works, Ubisoft, and Genshin Impact will all give presentations on the showcase’s last day, October 3. Other activities, like the Japan Game Awards, where Breath of the Wild won first place in 2017, take place in between developer conferences.
Despite knowing which studios will be there and omitting the titles that have their own specialized exhibitions (Genshin Impact), there is little information on which games will be present at TGS Online 2021.
While some companies, like Square Enix, give a description of their presentation, stating that it will feature previously announced titles as well as some fresh revelations, many other exhibitors’ descriptions are still pending, have “Undecided” blurbs, or are completely blank.
As TGS approaches, these businesses will most likely start talking about their plans for the event, including what games could be there. For example, around this time last year, Microsoft announced flatly that there would be no Xbox Series X news at Tokyo Game Show, so if Halo Infinite does arrive, fans may find out ahead of time.
A few notable firms will not be present at TGS Online 2021, mainly Sony PlayStation and Nintendo. Although it did not have a formal presentation, the former firm last attended TGS in 2019 instead of displaying a selection of its titles on the exhibition floor with limited showcases.
Nintendo made an extensive presentation regarding Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity during last year’s digital TGS event. Still, they are nowhere to be seen on this year’s agenda, much like Sony. Both companies have big titles in Horizon Forbidden West and the sequel to Breath of the Wild that fans are eager to see again, so it’s a shame that Tokyo Game Show Online 2021 won’t be their next stop.
