As if we weren’t already chomping at the bit given that E3 is less than a month away: ever heard of Walmart? Yeah, that huge multinational corporation who own Asda and about a thousand other companies. Well, you’d think a global powerhouse might know a thing or two about keeping things secret before a big release. Apparently not…
Last week, the internet went into meltdown as Walmart Canada accidentally leaked what looks to be the line-up for this year’s E3 on their pre-order page — and I don’t mean the stuff we already know of, or have had hints about with no official announcement: we’re talking about series you might have forgotten existed altogether. Brace yourselves, guys.
Anyone remember Bethesda’s RAGE? Course you do: not just another post-apocalyptic romp, but a concept that was in fashion and really got people’s attention, even if the final product didn’t quite receive the rave reviews it was touted to. You would’ve been forgiven if you had forgotten about it until now— I know I had —but according to Walmart, the series is finally getting its sequel.
And it doesn’t stop there: Splinter Cell, Borderlands 3, Just Cause 4, Gears of War 5—there is even the possibility of a new Assassin’s Creed, though the title revealed little else and, despite years of employing an annual release policy, Ubisoft has stated that they are looking to take more time between installments.
There were other smaller titles listed such as Lego DC Villains, Destiny Comet (looking like Bungie’s DLC rumoured nearly three years ago) and Dragon Quest 2, which is most likely to be DG Builders 2, given that the Dragon Quest sequel was released in 1987. Little peculiarities like this and the fact that they also listed Forza Horizons 5 before the 4th has even come out yet, are the main reason that the authenticity is being called into question.
Having said that, it’s not like they would have just listed games for fun and to torture us—we’ve had enough fake Half-Life 3 teases to know when we’re being messed with — after all, if they can make the mistake of revealing a whole list of games, they’re certainly capable of getting a title wrong.
Since then, Bethesda has decided to get ahead of the curve, not only teasing some interesting stills but officially confirming the game, courtesy of a trailer that features both outrageous punk-rock cinematics and a taste of the over-the-top gameplay. This came after an initial response to the leak in which they essentially parodied a Reddit sceptic, comically picking holes in the blank cover art and claiming fake news on account of the wrong font. Well played God — I mean, Todd Howard.
I’m not telling you to not get your hopes up for all of these — I’m sure everyone’s are already through the ceilings regardless — but clearly, a lot of this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, we’ve already seen plenty of genuine trailers and announcements alongside lots of leaked retail rumours that haven’t come to pass.
Okay, I’ve given you my official disclaimer; now feel free to lose your mind and enjoy the build-up for E3 in all its delusional glory like we do every year!
