Games Skipping E3 2019 -- Rocksteady's New Game, The Last Of Us 2, Elder Scrolls 6, And More

E3 2019 is nearly here, and some of the world's biggest publishers are preparing to announce and show off some of the year's biggest games. We know about many of the games confirmed for E3, and beyond that, there will surely be a lot of surprises in store (if they aren't spoiled by leaks and rumors, which continue to pile up seemingly by the day). But to prevent fans from being disappointed, companies have also confirmed some of the games that won't be there. There are quite a few of them.

Through expectation-setting announcements and financial disclosures, we already know a good deal about a handful of games that definitely won't be appearing at the show, be it during the press conferences or on the show floor. We've rounded up these games below, and we'll continue to update this with additional titles as companies share more details about their plans.

If you'd prefer to potentially set yourself up for disappointment, check out our E3 rumor roundup. Several of those rumors and leaks have already proven to be accurate, but it remains to be seen if the next-gen Xbox, for instance, will be announced during Microsoft's E3 press conference. With E3 in somewhat of an upheaval (Sony won't be at the show, for instance), we might need to recalibrate our expectations to some extent.

Rocksteady's New Game

The new project from Rocksteady--the acclaimed developer behind the Batman Arkham games--remains a mystery, and unfortunately, that won't be revealed at E3. Game director and co-founder Sefton Hill confirmed as much on Twitter in order to prevent any disappointment when the game doesn't end up being a surprise showing during one of the event's press conferences.

"A number of you have asked so we wanted to let you all know up front that @Rocksteadygames won't be showing at E3 this year," he wrote on Twitter. "We’ll be watching as fans but remaining in London, hard at work on our next big project. Enjoy the show!"

If you're hoping this is a swerve, that seems unlikely. This is very similar to the messages he sent out before both E3 2018 and The Game Awards, neither of which ended up showcasing anything from Rocksteady.

Skull & Bones

In its financial earnings, Ubisoft said it has three unannounced games coming early next year. But at the same time, it delayed another of the games that was already known. Skull & Bones, the high seas pirate combat game, has been pushed back to 2020, and it won't be shown at this year's conference. Ubisoft told GameSpot, "For new IPs, it is common to have evolutions of creative vision and this requires more development time."

Elder Scrolls 6 or Starfield

Bethesda is holding its games showcase once again this year, but two of the most intriguing teases from the last one aren't ready to show in more detail quite yet. Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield were both announced last year as long-term projects, so it's not too surprising that they aren't making an appearance--especially since Bethesda tends to focus its conferences on games that are releasing in the fall.

The Last of Us 2, Dreams, Or Anything Else From Sony

One of the biggest changes to this year's show is the total absence of PlayStation, which announced that it wouldn't be at this year's show at all. That means no press conference, no booth, and no first-party Sony games. PlayStation boss Shawn Layden said the show hasn't kept up with the needs of the industry, calling it "a trade show without a lot of trade activity." Sony has suggested it will use other avenues to make its announcements, including its new State of Play videos. The company also began to detail its plans for the next-generation PlayStation.

A New Nintendo Switch Console

Rumors have been circulating for months that Nintendo is planning at least one and possibly two hardware revisions for the Nintendo Switch. One, a simpler model to reduce costs, and the other, an upgrade for power-users. The cheaper version is still said to be aiming for this year. But Nintendo has ruled out announcing any new hardware at E3 this year, and its Nintendo Direct showcase announcement specifically says it will focus on Nintendo Switch software through 2019.

EA Games, Technically

While not pulling out of the event altogether, Electronic Arts has made itself more E3-adjacent than a part of the show proper. For the fourth straight year, EA will be holding its own event called EA Play at the Hollywood Palladium the weekend before E3. It won't be holding a formal press conference this year, but it will be holding multiple live streams that are likely to house any of the company's announcements. As always EA Play is free, and those in town for E3 are likely to attend it as well, so it's essentially just extended the event.

Beyond Good And Evil 2

Skull & Bones isn't the only high-profile Ubisoft that'll be missing E3 2019; the publisher has confirmed that Beyond Good and Evil 2 will likewise skip this year's show. That doesn't necessarily mean there won't be news on it soon; Ubisoft will broadcast a Space Monkey Livestream just before E3, on June 5. However, in the words of the development team, "This year, as we are focusing on core development milestones, we will not be attending E3 2019."