This Friday, June 7, the Summer Game Fest kicks off, the big video game event with conferences, presentations of games that we hope will be new and a look at what the future has in store for players.
E3 is no more, but has the former great video game show found its replacement – in the absence of a successor? The years have not yet been enough to tell, but the Summer Game Fest, organized by former journalist Geoff Keighley, is trying to fill the void left.
This year again, as since the cancellation of E3 in 2020, it is he who will take center stage, at the helm of the new meeting of the video game industry which has kept its good old habits from June . This Friday, June 7, he will orchestrate his opening conference of the Summer Game Fest (SGF) from the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles (at 11 p.m. Paris time).
Déjà vu and “a little more”
The (long) two-hour show should allow us to discover the future pearls of consoles and PC. But the person announced it himself: it may be of a lower caliber than in previous years and we should not expect much new developments. In an interview on Twitch, he admitted that there will “definitely be some new announcements, but a lot of it will be focused on existing games that have new updates for fans.” We should see dawning on the horizon Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree which arrives at the end of June or even have a preview of the new extension of Destiny 2: Final Form available since June 4.
To this will be added new features already revealed – and presented in the announcement trailer – such as Monster Hunter Wilds Or Astrobot during last week’s Playstation State of Play, or even additional announcements around Kingdom Come 2, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero and undoubtedly Black Myth: Wukong which we await with as much impatience as questions.
Perhaps Xbox will let the SGF know the first information on the update of Starfield after its lackluster launch last year. But who will be the surprise of this year as was Alan Wake 2 last year. The event has around fifty partners announced, one of them must have a secret game quickly available to reveal. There are particular rumors of the return of the license Dragon Age.
No surprises to expect from Summer Game Fest
Bad news for fans, Geoff Keighley also listed the titles that will not be part of the party like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the long-awaited remake which could be pushed back to 2025, Kingdom Hearts 4, Judas or The Wolf among us 2. There will also be no Dantesque “One more thing” to be expected as he had the habit of drawing one out at the end of the conference. If you were hoping for images of GTA 6it will be necessary to iron.
For the organizer of the SGF, 2024 is a less exciting year than 2023 and many major titles will not arrive until next year. This is his explanation put forward for a show to which he himself gives, although known to be easily euphoric, “only an 8/10”.
It must be said that 2025 will already see the arrival of the ogre of Rockstar Games and that the big names are honing their weapons behind the scenes to counter the hegemony over video games that is emerging. Playstation held its conference and, without offending Astrobot, does not have any major exclusivity for the end of the year. The only ones with aces up their sleeve are Xbox and Ubisoft. And both are holding their own conference with the Xbox Showcase on June 9 (7 p.m. Paris time) and Ubisoft Forward the next day (9 p.m.).
Xbox and Ubisoft in ambush
Like last year, even if this year they seem to have agreed to go under the Summer Game Fest banner, the two publishers could well attract all the Californian limelight with their events.
Xbox has planned major announcements in addition to the next one Call of Duty Black Ops 6 which will even have its dedicated event just after the conference. We are waiting to see new images of Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circleof Fable or Avowed who had made a strong impression, but have been somewhat missing since. Microsoft also promised surprises. With around thirty studios in its bag, and a place to be made in Bethesda as well, we expect no less from the American publisher.
For its part, Ubisoft has cartridges to fire. It’s called Star Wars Outlaws, the game revealed last year and which will be released on August 30, but also the next Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the epic in feudal Japan in November. But we also hope for something unexpected from the French publisher who, to everyone’s surprise, presented the excellent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. We know that Xdefiant or The Division Resurgence will be on the program. We would especially like news of Beyond Good & Evil 2, but also the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time whose development has been confirmed.
The Summer Game Fest program
If the opening conference and the Xbox and Ubisoft meetings are the highlights of the month of June, other developers and organizations are also holding their events. Note in particular Devolver, the publisher with meetings each crazier than the last, which should provide information on The Plusky Squire or Baby Stepsstrange sound walking simulator disjointed, during his Devolver Digital. If you like feel good games, don’t miss the Wholesome Direct on June 8 with, each year, its share of titles that make you think, make you happy, do good, without ever the slightest trace of violence.
Thursday June 6
- Guerrilla Collective (7 p.m. French time)
Friday June 7
- Summer Game Fest Showcase (11 p.m.)
- Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition (right after)
Saturday June 8
- Devolver Direct (2h)
- Future of Play Direct (5 p.m.)
- Wholesome Direct (6 p.m.)
- Latin American Games Showcase (7 p.m.)
- Women-Led Games (8:30 p.m.)
- Future Games Show Summer Showcase (9 p.m.)
Sunday June 9
- Guerrilla Collective (2h-7h)
- Xbox Games Showcase (7 p.m.)
- Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Direct (right after)
- PC Gaming Show (10 p.m.)
