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 «Elder Scrolls,» «Fallout» and «Doom» 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 » Starfield » 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 «Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl.» 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 «Back 4 Blood,» a zombie apocalypse-themed, online co-op game, which will hit stores October 12. Xbox also gave viewers a preview of «Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life,» a roll playing game based on Disney’s «Pirates of the Carribean» movie franchise that goes on sale June 22. The studio previewed updates to » Fallout 76,» Bethesda’s dystopian online action RPG, which was originally released in 2018. No word so far on «Halo Infinite». The latest entry in the popular «Halo» 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 » Elder Scrolls 6 » and provide details on updates to Square Enix, maker of the popular » Final Fantasy » 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’ «Babylon’s Fall» and new footage from «Life is Strange: True Colors» and «Life is Strange: Remastered Collection» are also expected. On day one of E3 2021 Nintendo and Ubisoft gave fans a look at «Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope,» 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