With E3 2021 set to take place later this month, Nintendo has revealed its virtual trade show schedule. And it looks like a lot of software is planned.

In a tweet, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Direct live presentation for E3 will take place on June 15 at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time / 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The event will likely be live streamed on YouTube and Twitch channels. The presentation will last 40 minutes and will primarily showcase games that will be released in 2021. This will be followed by a three-hour live treehouse where Nintendo employees will go in depth about the new games.

Nintendo has stated that the presentation will focus solely on software, thus nullifying rumors that a Switch Pro will be announced at the event.

Granted, Nick Baker, co-founder of XboxEra.com, claimed that the Switch Pro would be announced this week. If so, Nintendo could conceivably announce the Switch Pro before E3, which runs from June 12 to June 15, and talk about the software at the E3 event instead. Still, it would be odd to announce new hardware and not mention it in a 40-minute press conference. So it seems safe to suspect that the Switch Pro will not be announced anytime soon.

The E3 Direct will likely be streamed live on Nintendo's YouTube channel and Twitch channel; we recommend watching on Twitch, as you can pause and rewind on YouTube.

Given that 2021 has been a light year for Nintendo software so far, Nintendo is expected to focus on unveiling new gameplay and announcing software. Details on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Mario Golf Super Rush, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Pokémon Legends, Arceus, and Splatoon 3 will no doubt be announced: Arceus, Splatoon 3, Project Triangle Strategy, and Bayonetta 3.

Another game that we expect to appear in some form is Metroid Prime 4. The development of this game is in limbo as Nintendo Japan has struggled to put the game together and has turned production back to the original developer, Retro Studios in Austin, Texas. The game had to essentially start over from scratch, and with the Covid-19 pandemic, development appears to have been slow. It would be nice to see a teaser for the next game, but it would not be shocking if it is not announced during E3.