E3 2018's Rumors: Crackdown 3 Delayed, Hitman 2, Fortnite Switch, More

E3 2018 is right around the corner, and that means a ton of video game news, announcements, and reveals are almost upon us. Several of the show's biggest games--Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, Rage 2--have been announced in the weeks leading up to the event, but that doesn't mean E3 itself won't have some surprises in store for us. According to the rumor mill, there's quite a lot that could happen.

Rumors and leaks are par for the course, although last year was incredibly leak-heavy. 2018 has not yet proven to be quite as bad in that regard--save for the Walmart Canada incident--though there remains plenty of time for that to change (and it's certainly begun to). There have been rumors and reports about what we'll see at E3, and we've rounded up many of the biggest ones for you to peruse below. Some are much easier to believe than others, as is often the case. Compared with last year, though, it's going to be hard to top reports of a turn-based strategy game featuring Mario and Rabbids (although what was most surprising is the game turned out to be quite good).

This year's E3 unofficially gets underway with Electronic Arts' pre-E3 event, EA Play, on June 9. That will be followed by press conferences from numerous other companies, which is where the bulk of E3's news will be revealed. You can see the full E3 press conference schedule for more on when to expect news to roll in. In the meantime, check out all of the big rumors we've seen so far; we'll update this should any more arrive between now and E3.

E3 2018 Rumors

Crackdown 3 Delayed

The oft-delayed open-world action game Crackdown 3 had been slated for release sometime in 2018, but it's reportedly been pushed back yet again. As such, it's unclear how prominently it will be featured--if at all--during Microsoft's E3 press conference.

Update: Crackdown 3 has officially been delayed until 2019.

Hitman 2 Leaked

Publisher WB Games has teased an announcement of some sort is coming on June 7, ahead of E3. It doesn't provide any indication of what that will be for, but a teaser video shows a race car with the brand Hamsun on it--a reference to something from the first season of IO Interactive's Hitman. (IO and WB worked on a re-release of that game not long ago.) If that's not direct enough for you, a Reddit user discovered the source code for WB's website briefly hosted a link to an image file with a logo for something called Hitman 2. That seems pretty clear cut, but we should learn more on Thursday.

Update: Hitman 2 is indeed real and releases later this year.

• Hitman 2 Leaked Ahead Of E3 2018, It Seems

Fortnite Coming To Nintendo Switch

A Korean ratings board listing has revealed what could be an E3 surprise: A Nintendo Switch port of Fortnite. The listing doesn't specify which of the game's modes--Save the World or the phenomenally popular Battle Royale--will be included, but it's hard to imagine the latter would not make the cut.

• Fortnite Coming To Nintendo Switch, According To Ratings Board

Overcooked 2, Paladins, And More

While 4chan leaks are not especially reliable, a photo has surfaced that may in fact be real. It shows names for a variety of Nintendo Switch games that will apparently be advertised around the E3 show floor. This includes already-confirmed games like Mario Tennis Aces, but it also shows Fortnite (which, as noted above, looks to be real), Paladins, and Overcooked 2. Whereas Fortnite and Paladins would be ports of existing games, Overcooked 2 has not yet been announced--and it's possible that it could also come to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in addition to Switch, if it is indeed real.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

A new Assassin's Creed was among the games seemingly leaked by Walmart Canada. Although that retailer listing was very non-specific--it didn't include a subtitle or number--we've now heard what could be the title for such a game. According to JeuxVideo, which reportedly received a photo of a collectible keychain, the new game is called Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The keychain itself consists of a helmet resembling one from Ancient Greece, perhaps indicating that will be the setting for the new game.

Update: Ubisoft apparently didn't feel like having the rumors swirl until E3, so it's decided to confirm that Assassin's Creed Odyssey is real. It offered up a very brief, 300-ish clip and stated Odyssey is indeed the name, but beyond that, we'll have to wait for E3 for more details.

• Assassin's Creed Odyssey Announced
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey: What We Want At E3 2018

Borderlands Getting PS4, Xbox One, PC Re-Release

We know a new Borderlands is eventually coming, whether it's called Borderlands 3 or something else. Gearbox denies it'll be at E3, and publisher 2K recently delayed an unannounced game, which could be that Borderlands title. But it looks as if E3 might not be completely devoid of Borderlands news, as the Korean ratings board has listed Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While not official by any means, ratings board leaks are often a reliable source. Given the timing, we might just hear about this project at E3.

Gears Of War 5, New Assassin's Creed, Just Cause 4, And More

Many of the expectations for E3 2018 were set in one go. Retailers have been known to leak things from time to time, but Walmart's Canadian website seemed to potentially spoil quite a lot with a single leak. Listings for numerous unannounced games went online in May, including Rage 2, a new Assassin's Creed, Gears of War 5, Dragon Quest 2, and Just Cause 4.

The sheer number, combined with some typos--such as Forza "Horizons" 5, rather than what would be the series' next game, Forza Horizon 4--made it all seem unlikely. However, Bethesda had an unusual response to the whole situation, and soon after we learned that Rage 2 is real (and since then, Lego DC Super-Villains). Two games from this list turning out to be legitimate doesn't mean the others are anything but placeholders or errors, but it does lend some credence to the possibility of them being real.

A New Splinter Cell Will Be Revealed

Another game mentioned in the Walmart Canada leak was something simply titled Splinter Cell. This might also turn out to be nothing but a placeholder, but Ubisoft itself has certainly set fans up to expect some kind of news related to the franchise before long. Following Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's comments last year, the company released a Splinter Cell-themed update for Ghost Recon Wildlands earlier this year. That not only set up the potential plot for a new Splinter Cell, but it marked the return of beloved Sam Fisher voice Michael Ironside--and it doesn't seem like a stretch to think Ubisoft brought him in for more than just a small cameo.

• Splinter Cell: What We Know And Want At E3 2018

Fallout News Is Coming

This is less a rumor and more speculation, as fans believe we're nearing an announcement involving the Fallout franchise. Bethesda offered days of teases for Rage 2 before it was revealed, and, as of this writing, it's seemingly begun to do the same for Fallout. The company first tweeted a "please stand by" image similar to a screen we've seen in the series previously. Subsequently, it kicked off a livestream with the same image playing on a screen in the background, but with a Fallout Vault Boy figure in the foreground.

That's sparked speculation that we could see a new Fallout game or--perhaps more likely, given its Skyrim re-releases--a remastered version of Fallout 3 or 4, perhaps for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch. Bethesda has said this year's press conference could be its biggest ever; clearly it's got more than just Rage 2 and updates to The Elder Scrolls Online to talk about.

Update: Indeed, Fallout news has arrived. Bethesda Softworks has officially unveiled Fallout 76, a new game developed by Skyrim and Fallout dev Bethesda Game Studios. We don't know a ton at this point about how it will play, but Kotaku reports it will be have online-based survival elements. Bethesda said we'll be hearing more at E3; if that is the form the game takes, Bethesda is sure to provide some indication at E3.

• Bethesda Teases Fallout News With A Livestream, And Tons Of People Are Watching
• Fallout 76 Is Bethesda's New Game; Watch First Trailer Before E3
• What Is Vault 76, And Everything Else We Know About Bethesda's New Game
• Fallout 76: What We Want At E3 2018
• Fallout 76 Pre-Order Guide For The US

Star Fox Is Getting A Racing Game Called Grand Prix

The Star Fox franchise hasn't seen much activity in recent years save for the Wii U game Star Fox Zero, but that may change in the near future. According to leaks published around the internet and a report from Eurogamer, Retro Studios--of Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country Returns fame--is at work on a racing game called Star Fox: Grand Prix. Reddit user DasVergeben claims it will feature elements of F-Zero and Diddy Kong Racing, with an adventure mode and hub world.

Cyberpunk 2077 (Or Another CD Projekt Red Game) Will Be There

We know CD Projekt Red, the developer of the Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, is attending E3. A listing on the official E3 website earlier this year suggested the studio would be there to show off an RPG, although that was later removed. The company has not yet announced its plans for the event--if it has anything to publicly show at all--but fans have their fingers crossed that Cyberpunk (or the studio's other triple-A RPG) will finally be revealed properly.

N64 Classic Edition Will Be Announced

While not E3-specific, there have been rumors about an N64 Classic Edition since the release of the NES Classic. With both that system and the subsequent SNES Classic proving to be huge successes, it would be no surprise to see Nintendo continue the trend by bringing a mini version of the Nintendo 64 to the market. Trademark filings have also suggested it's something Nintendo is at least considering, and Nintendo would be the ideal place to reveal its existence.

Predictions And Confirmed Games

For more on what might show up at E3, check out our predictions for each of the major platforms. You can also see all of the games that have been confirmed for the show through the links below.

• PS4 E3 2018 predictions
• Xbox One E3 2018 predictions
• Nintendo Switch E3 2018 predictions

• PS4 games
• Xbox One games
• Nintendo Switch games
• Nintendo 3DS games
• PC games
• EA games
• Bethesda games
• Activision games
• Ubisoft games