E3 2021: Square Enix Presents Round-Up — Life is Strange, Marvel’s Black Panther & More

E3 2021 is well underway with some of the biggest developers lighting up the stage with oceans of well-rounded titles. Square Enix, of course, had their moment in the spotlight today with their official showcase, which went on to touch base with a few titles that were unveiled back in March. One of these, of course, was Life is Strange: True Colors, as well as the Remastered Collection, which fans of the series have been requesting ever since the second instalment settled back in 2018.

On top of the usual speel, Square Enix went on to announce quite the collection of games, with a few surprise nuggets embedded along the way. Even with a rather short amount of time to explore the works of the celebrated team, fans were able to get the gist of what's going on behind closed doors. And, true to their word — there is a lot to look forward to over the course of 2021 and beyond. But what exactly did Square share with us tonight? Well, here's everything you need to know to be in the loop.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Release Date: October 26th 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Square Enix kicked off their showcase with quite the marvel tonight. Speaking of which, Guardians of the Galaxy was the first title to make the cut for their E3 panel. And boy, just from glossing over the gameplay reveal and nooks and crannies of the plotline — we were immediately drawn into the events that flushed out on screen. With a lengthy action-packed showcase that explored the network of familiar protagonists, Square teased Marvel fans all over the globe with one heck of an opener.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

Release Date: TBA

Platforms: Android, PC

The earliest Final Fantasy chapters from the SNES era have been plucked from the barrel and are finally en route to mobile devices later this year. Spread over six lengthy instalments, Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster will extract the raw material from the nineties entries and forge a flawless timeline of unbeatable classics. Unfortunately for us, Square Enix hasn't quite let the release date slip for the mobile collection. However, if we had to put our money on it — we'd say August or September. Fingers crossed on that one, anyway.

Legend of Mana

Release Date: June 24th 2021

Platforms: Switch, PlayStation 4, PC

1999 classic, Legend of Mana, will be coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC on June 24th. That's about as much we know at the moment — seeing as Square Enix let very little slip over the glossy remake. That being said, with only eleven days left on the calendar before launch, it's likely Legend of Mana will receive a spotlight over the coming days. And if not, well — Square clearly doesn't want to shed too much detail on it. Only time will tell on that one.

Marvel's Avengers — Cosmic Cube, Wasteland Patrol

Release Date: 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

The creative minds behind Marvel's Avengers have touched base on a slew of updates that are expected to roll out from this month onwards. From Cosmic Cube to Wasteland Patrol, the beloved superheroes will be back in action for another series of explosive tales. With another wave of abilities to acquire, even more gear to hoard, and a boatload of missions to conquer, the following updates will most definitely keep players shovelling through for months on end. But wait — there's more.

Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther War for Wakanda

Release Date: 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Yes — he's finally here. After chewing at Crystal Dynamics' ankles for eight months straight —  Black Panther will finally join the Avengers. Making his grand debut with War for Wakanda, the devilish superhero will receive his own action-packed story arc that will ultimately coincide with the Avengers base game. And the best part, amazingly enough, is that it's completely free for those who have already swept up Marvel's Avengers.

Hitman Sniper: The Shadows

Release Date: June 13th 2021

Platforms: Android, iOS

Good news, mobile gamers: Square Enix has announced another entry to the Hitman Sniper timeline. After six years of idling on the back-burner, the Montreal-based studio will be stepping back into the game for another series of nail-biting bullet storms and stealth scenarios. Although Agent 47 appears to have been dropped from the roster, the spin-off game does narrow in on a lot of interesting points that we're curious to absorb. Five new assassins with unique backstories to bolster them, for one. And then, of course, the new environments and criminal network that Square refused to explore in greater depth during the reveal. It's all there — and we can't wait to see it.

Babylon's Fall

Release Date: December 31st 2021

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC

Although slated for a December launch, it is incredibly likely for Square's hack and slash newcomer to be shoved back a notch or two. Of course, we'd love nothing more than to tuck into the next-level dungeon crawler with a band of co-op buddies. However, as it stands, there's very little to go on, and we're therefore left to scrounge whatever details Square Enix has left behind. Like breadcrumbs, we're only able to follow a set amount while biding our time for the big reveal. And as for today, well — we know that the game will launch on PlayStation 4 and PC. The rest will no doubt follow in due course.

Life is Strange: True Colors

Release Date: September 10th 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Life is Strange is back — and it is looking fantastic. True Colors, which will follow the much-loved superpower recipe that made the first two entries famous, will look to reignite the flame and rekindle our love for teenage drama and relatable bliss. Oh, and indie folk. Obviously. Square Enix will be back at the helm to deliver another powerful message with one of their most respected timelines ever released. And, to place a cherry on top — Life is Strange will also be releasing its remastered collection later this year, with the original sequence and Before the Storm DLC redesigned in stunning 4K.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Release Date: 2022

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Topping off the relatively short presentation, Square Enix unveiled the Final Fantasy origin tale, Stranger of Paradise. Booted with an ocean of hack and slash gameplay, the trailer went on to unravel a rather cryptic plotline that left streamers hooked by the heartstrings. Although refusing to give a great deal away in terms of plot and character development, Stranger of Paradise did pose a lot of questions that we were determined to have answered. The bad news is, of course, we won't really know until next year.

Ready for more E3? We'll be covering each showcase to deliver the latest news, trailers and announcements.