E3 2021 Awards Show is coming back for the virtual event

E3 2021
(Image credit: ESA)

The E3 2021 Awards Show will debut on June 15, the final day of the virtual event.

As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter earlier today on June 1, the E3 2021 Awards Show will be taking place in exactly two weeks time on June 15. This is the final day of the four-day virtual event, which kicks off near the end of the previous week on June 12, and runs through the weekend.

"For this year’s event, we are collaborating with editors at some of the world’s leading video game media outlets to create the Official E3 2021 Awards Show, recognizing the show’s most anticipated games," ESO president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said to The Hollywood Reporter. Right now, the award categories themselves for the show haven't been unveiled, but Pierre-Louis' comments seem to point to the Most Anticipated award returning.

As for who'll be deciding which awards at handed out to which games, there'll be a panel made up of journalists from four outlets: IGN, PC Gamer, Gamespot, and us here at Gamesradar. Staff across the four sites will be voting for the awards that will then be handed out on June 15 at the end of the virtual showcase.

E3 2021 is taking place entirely online this year, a change from last year in 2020 when the event was outright cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. So far, a number of big-name publishers have confirmed to be present at the four-day event, including the likes of Xbox, Ubisoft, and Square Enix, each of which will host a showcase of their own at some point between June 12 and 15.

Earlier today, official Halo Infinite key art made its way online ahead of Microsoft's highly-anticipated showcase on June 13. While there were Spartans obviously present for the new art, the Master Chief himself was suspiciously nowhere to be seen. Could Halo Infinite's showcase at E3 2021 be skipping out on including the iconic Halo character?

For more on what you can expect from E3 2021, as well as when to tune in to catch all the big announcements and reveals, head over to our full E3 2021 schedule guide for more.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.