David Bridges
As we step into early June, the excitement for video game events is palpable! Rising from the remnants of E3, Geoff Keighley‘s Summer Game Fest has emerged as the premier gaming event of the year, slightly surpassing the Game Awards held in December. Unlike the previous event it has replaced, the Summer Game Fest adopts a more inclusive approach, showcasing an extensive range of games from both AAA developers and indie studios through a series of engaging livestreams. The Summer Game Fest 2025 features a remarkable lineup of 15 unique events that will take place from June 3 to June 9 — you can explore the complete Summer Game Fest 2025 schedule here — and we are currently in the midst of this exciting programming.
Our dedicated team is on the ground in Los Angeles, while a larger group of writers is tuned in remotely, covering the various livestreams. Anticipate game previews, insightful interviews, and real-time reactions over the next few days (with the in-person segment running from Saturday to Monday), along with a plethora of new trailers and release date announcements in between.
Throughout this event, we are diligently curating the most significant announcements right here, providing links to more detailed coverage where available, organized chronologically for your convenience.
Mark Your Calendars: Tuesday, June 3 Unveils Major Gaming News
Key Highlights from State of Unreal: Updates on The Witcher IV and Fortnite AI Features
This year, Epic Games strategically aligned its renowned Unreal Fest conference with Summer Game Fest, following a successful event in the fall of 2024. The conference took place in Orlando, Florida, from June 2-5, featuring over a hundred developer sessions centered around the Unreal Engine. The standout event was the State of Unreal, which kicked off the official Summer Game Fest schedule. Among the impressive tech demos and announcements, we received significant updates on Epic’s Fortnite and CD PROJEKT RED’s upcoming title, The Witcher IV.
The Witcher IV made its initial debut at The Game Awards last year, but details have been scarce since then. At the State of Unreal, we were treated to a real-time tech demo showcasing Unreal Engine 5.6 on a base PS5. The approximately 10-minute presentation featured a blend of captivating gameplay and cinematic sequences, revealing a vibrant and densely populated world. A technical highlight from this demo was the Nanite Foliage, an extension of UE5’s Nanite system, which enables the rendering of foliage without the common graphical issue of detail pop-in that often disrupts gameplay experiences. In terms of gameplay, the demo showcased a bustling town inhabited by hundreds of NPCs, creating an immersive environment that felt alive, surpassing the achievements of the previous installment, The Witcher III.
In contrast, Fortnite‘s presentation was somewhat underwhelming. Following the controversial inclusion of a Darth Vader AI character, Epic Games announced that players will soon have the ability to create their own AI NPCs within the game, a feature expected to launch later this year.
Exciting Developments: Wednesday, June 4 Features PlayStation State of Play
PlayStation State of Play: Marvel Tōkon, Silent Hill f, and Lumines Return
In an effort to kick off the festivities early, Sony scheduled its third State of Play presentation of the year ahead of the main events at Summer Game Fest. This stream was packed with over 20 game announcements, including an unexpected hardware reveal, making it a standout event by Sony’s standards.
The spotlight was primarily on Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, an innovative new game from PlayStation Studios that combines beloved Marvel superheroes with striking anime-inspired visuals. The game features a unique 4 versus 4 fighting mechanic and is being developed by Arc System Works, renowned for their work on the Guilty Gear series. Set to launch on PS5 and PC in 2026, the announcement also included Project Defiant, a wireless fight stick designed to support both the PS5 and PC, also arriving in 2026.
In addition to these exciting reveals, a slew of release dates were announced, including Sword of the Sea (scheduled for August 19), Baby Steps (launching on September 8), and Silent Hill f (set for September 25). Furthermore, the much-anticipated Final Fantasy Tactics remaster is confirmed for September 30, along with the aspirational “2026” release date for Pragmata, which was first teased alongside the launch of the PS5. Kudos to Capcom for keeping the hype alive!
Wrapping up the presentation were several smaller announcements, including the reveal of a new installment in the Nioh series, titled Nioh 3, expected to arrive in 2026; Suda51’s latest project, Romeo is a Dead Man; and the much-awaited return of Lumines in Lumines Arise, developed by the team behind the critically acclaimed Tetris Effect.
A Day of Rest: Thursday, June 5 with No Events
Thursday: A Pause in the Action for Summer Game Fest
Interestingly, no events were scheduled for Thursday during the Summer Game Fest. This break could be attributed to the observance of Arbor Day in New Zealand, or perhaps everyone was simply engrossed in playing the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.
A Thrilling Showcase: Friday, June 6 at Summer Game Fest Live
Summer Game Fest Live: Major Reveals Including Resident Evil Requiem and Stranger Than Heaven
Historically, the opening night streams of the Summer Game Fest have been met with mixed reactions, often feeling lackluster. However, this year’s presentation marked a significant improvement, particularly due to the reduction of mobile game and MMO advertisements that previously cluttered the show. While fans eagerly awaited the elusive Half-Life 3 and the Silksong reveal, the event still delivered some monumental announcements.
One of the most significant announcements was the reveal of the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise, titled Resident Evil Requiem. This upcoming game promises a tonal shift from its predecessor, Resident Evil Village. Fans are hopeful that it will reinvigorate the series in a manner similar to how Resident Evil VII revitalized interest after the mixed reception of Resident Evil 6.
Additionally, Sega’s studio Ryu Ga Gotoku provided more information about Project Century, which now has the title Stranger Than Heaven. The reveal included a jazzy new trailer that showcases this intriguing new direction for the series.
Beyond these major announcements, there were also sequels announced for several mid-tier games, including Atomic Heart, Code Vein, and Mortal Shell, along with a spiritual successor titled Scott Pilgrim EX, a beat-em-up that continues the legacy of the beloved Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game from 2010.
Numerous other exciting announcements were made during the show, including:
Spotlight on Indie Games: Day of the Devs Featuring Blighted, Snap & Grab, and Escape Academy II
As is tradition, the kickoff show was succeeded by a Day of the Devs stream, which highlighted smaller projects and indie games. You can catch the full stream here.
Escape Academy has been a staple on our list of the best couch co-op games for quite some time, and now it has a sequel in the works. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School promises to retain the engaging co-op escape room experience while expanding into a fully 3D school campus for players to explore. As long as the puzzles maintain the same level of fun as the original, it seems like a surefire hit.
The studio behind Semblance, Nyamakop, is back with a new game titled Relooted, an engaging heist game that takes a unique spin on its premise. In this fictional world, museums in the West are filled with artifacts looted from African nations during the colonial era. However, in Relooted, the colonial powers have committed to returning these items, but complications arise as numerous artifacts still end up in private collections. Players are tasked with stealing these items back, presenting a thought-provoking narrative that challenges historical injustices.
Here are some additional games that piqued our interest:
Additional Notable Announcements: Ball x Pit, Hitman, and 007 First Light
Following the Day of the Devs, Devolver Digital took the stage with a presentation that was somewhat more subdued than their usual energetic showcases, centering around a single game: Ball x Pit. This upcoming title comes from Kenny Sun, an indie developer known for the sleeper hit Mr. Sun’s Hatbox. Ball x Pit appears to blend elements of Breakout with base-building mechanics, and a demo is currently available on Steam.
Next up was IO Interactive, the creative force behind the Hitman series, who delivered a presentation reminiscent of classic E3 showcases filled with awkward moments, poorly paced demos, and repetitive trailers. For anyone who has been following game company presentations for two decades, it was a nostalgic experience.
Amidst the humorous mishaps, the show featured valuable content, including an extensive demo of the new James Bond-themed mission in Hitman, an announcement about the franchise’s expansion to iOS and tabletop platforms, and a sneak peek at MindsEye, an upcoming game from former GTA producer Leslie Benzies, which IOI is set to publish.
Stay Tuned for More: Weekend Highlights from Xbox and Beyond
Now that you’re up to speed, there’s a wealth of news expected this weekend, particularly from Xbox on Sunday. We will continue to update this article throughout the weekend and beyond, but for the latest announcements from Summer Game Fest 2025, be sure to check our front page.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
