E3 2021 rolled into its second day Sunday when Microsoft and Bethesda made their highly anticipated joint showcase debut, nine months after their $7.5 billion acquisition deal was announced.<\/b>
\nBethesda, maker of the critically acclaimed \u00ab\u00a0Elder Scrolls,\u00a0\u00bb \u00ab\u00a0Fallout\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0Doom\u00a0\u00bb gaming franchises, was one of the largest privately held video game developers on the planet before it merged with Microsoft’s Xbox Gaming Studios earlier this year. The combined entities finally revealed a date for the long-awaited release of Bethesda’s \u00a0\u00bb Starfield \u00a0\u00bb space odyssey, which the developer announced almost three years ago. Xbox opened its showcase with extended footage of Starfield. The game won’t be available to play until November 2022. Gamers also got a preview of \u00ab\u00a0Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl.\u00a0\u00bb The first-person shooter set in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The game is set to debut in April 2022. Next came \u00ab\u00a0Back 4 Blood,\u00a0\u00bb a zombie apocalypse-themed, online co-op game, which will hit stores October 12. Xbox also gave viewers a preview of \u00ab\u00a0Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life,\u00a0\u00bb a roll playing game based on Disney’s \u00ab\u00a0Pirates of the Carribean\u00a0\u00bb movie franchise that goes on sale June 22. The studio previewed updates to \u00a0\u00bb Fallout 76,\u00a0\u00bb Bethesda’s dystopian online action RPG, which was originally released in 2018. No word so far on \u00ab\u00a0Halo Infinite\u00a0\u00bb. The latest entry in the popular \u00ab\u00a0Halo\u00a0\u00bb gaming franchise was supposed to go on sale when the Xbox Series X made its debut in November, but the release was delayed until August. Xbox is also expected to drop a preview of \u00a0\u00bb Elder Scrolls 6 \u00a0\u00bb and provide details on updates to Square Enix, maker of the popular \u00a0\u00bb Final Fantasy \u00a0\u00bb franchise, is set to begin its showcase at 3:15 p.m. ET. The Tokyo-based gaming conglomerate has said it will unveil several new titles set to go on sale later this year and next including a yet-to-be named new game from developer Eidos Montreal. Updates on Platinum Games’ \u00ab\u00a0Babylon’s Fall\u00a0\u00bb and new footage from \u00ab\u00a0Life is Strange: True Colors\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0Life is Strange: Remastered Collection\u00a0\u00bb are also expected. On day one of E3 2021 Nintendo and Ubisoft gave fans a look at \u00ab\u00a0Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope,\u00a0\u00bb the pair’s latest gaming collaboration. Ubisoft North America says the RPG will go on sale some time next year. Rumors of a new Nintendo Switch gaming platform also began to swirl on Saturday after GameStop reportedly released an ad referencing a Switch promotion set to begin on Sunday, according to Forbes. GameStop and Nintendo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n