E3 represents a rare period in which industry bods, the press and fans are equally excited; new projects are announced and existing and upcoming titles are given glamorous progress updates. 

But some developers have jumped the gun. Some, probably wary of far too accurate leaks; others possibly attempting to create their own limelight ahead of the fanfare that is June 10-12 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Either way, there are a couple of huge games confirmed and plenty churning through the rumor mill. 

Halo 5

Confirmed:

Halo 5: Guardians

The biggest pre-E3 bombshell was that of Halo 5: Guardians, the next instalment in a franchise that seemed done and dusted with its third instalment. But, like Master Chief, the Halo series fails to die. "Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4. That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine,” Bonnie Ross, general manager at 343, explained. “Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we’ve invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the XBOX One’s hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen." Ross added that Guardians will run "at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers”.

Far Cry 4

Set for release on November 18 in the US and November 20 in EMEA territories, Far Cry 4 takes the franchise away the tropical islands that defined the previous three instalments. “Following the success of Far Cry 3, we wanted to take the franchise to the next level and create a game that will surprise players and exceed fans’ expectations,” said Dan Hay, Executive Producer. “Given the unique setting, we feel Far Cry 4 will stand out as a top first-person shooter and we’re eager to reveal more about the game in the coming months.” The first piece of artwork for the game seems to portray a new antagonist surrounded my weapons and in control of what looks like a native militia – the grenade is in the poor guy’s hand and the pink-suited dude has all the power (the pin). 

Farcry 4

Rumored:

A piece of paper floating around has seemingly leaked a load of games and upcoming demos, but without any confirmation, it’s probably not worth speculating on the ins and outs of it. Instead, you can make your own mind up by taking a look at it here. We’re pretty excited about Zelda: Shard of Nightmare, though. Everyone knows a Zelda game for the Wii-U is in the works, but this is the first time a name has been attached to it. But what sets Shard of Nightmare apart from the other rumors is this Twitter pic, which seems to add credence to the new title and presence at the upcoming E3 conference.