Summer Game Fest 2025: What new game announcements to expect and how to watch

Engadget

2 days ago

As if early June wasn't already going to be a wild enough time in the gaming world with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, that's also when a whole host of showcases takes place as part of Summer Game Fest. Along with the two blockbuster events — Summer Game Fest Live and the Xbox Games Showcase — there are a bunch of other ones in store, including the always-delightful Day of the Devs.
There could be even more on the docket. There's always a chance that Nintendo and Sony will run a Direct or State of Play, respectively, over the next few weeks. Ubisoft hasn't yet announced a Forward event for this year either — perhaps because it has delayed a bunch of big games and isn't ready to talk about them. We haven't yet heard about a Devolver Direct either (c'monnnn, we need Baby Steps and Skate Story release dates already!).
As things stand, SGF is slated to run from June 6 until June 8. With E3 officially dead (organizer Entertainment Software Association is planning an industry-focused event for next April instead), SGF is now the de facto replacement and the biggest event for announcements and updates this side of Gamescom in August.
We'll update this preview as more details about the showcases emerge, including additional events in the SGF nebula. We'll embed videos for each stream as they become available as well.
Engadget will be on the ground in Los Angeles for the in-person side of SGF, which is for media and creators. We'll be bringing you hands-on impressions of many of the games that are featured during SGF Live.
Most folks will be keeping up with everything from home, though. To that end, here's a breakdown of how to watch Summer Game Fest 2025 and what to expect from the extravaganza (we're bound to get a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date this time, right?!?!). Summer Game Fest Live — June 6, 5PM ET
Day of the Devs — June 6, 7PM ET
Wholesome Direct — June 7, 12PM ET
Women-led Games Showcase — June 7, 1PM ET
Latin American Games Showcase — June 7, 2PM ET
Green Games Showcase — June 7, 4PM ET
Xbox Games Showcase — June 8, 1PM ET
Putting aside our annoyance at the timing of this showcase — late on a Friday evening in the UK and right when many folks on the East Coast are clocking out for the weekend — Summer Game Fest Live is one of the bigger events in early June. It starts at 5PM ET and will run for two hours.
Organizers are promising "spectacular new video game announcements, surprises and reveals." That's pretty compelling, especially since host Geoff Keighley (rightfully) downplayed expectations ahead of last year's show.
We do know about a few games that will appear. SGF Live will include a fresh look at Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, a Soulslike action RPG from Leenzee, a studio based in China. That game will arrive in July. Open-world MMORPG Chrono Odyssey will make an appearance as well.
Oh, and Hideo Kojima will be there, of course. SGF Live takes place just a couple of weeks before Kojima's Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arrives, so we'll likely get another peek at that game. Perhaps some of the other projects Kojima's working on will get some time in the limelight too. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
Keighley has also released an initial list of partners for SGF. It includes big names such as PlayStation, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox, Steam, 2K, Epic Games and Square Enix. On the list is IO Interactive, so perhaps we'll get more information about the James Bond game that the Hitman studio has been working on for several years. Embark Studios is there as well, and given that there's a lot of hype around its upcoming extraction shooter, Arc Raiders , there'll be high hopes for a release date for that one. On top of that, it might be a little too early for another peek at The Witcher 4 after the reveal trailer at The Game Awards in December. But CD Projekt Red will be at SGF, so you never know...
You can watch SGF Live on more than 20 platforms, including YouTube (that stream will be available in 4K at 60 fps), Twitch, X, TikTok, Steam and international services. The event will stream live from the YouTube Theater, and you can attend in person, if you like.
In any case, we'll be bringing you all the major news from Summer Game Fest Live. We just can't promise we won't have an adult beverage with an umbrella next to us while we're covering the event.
Immediately after SGF Live ends, the YouTube and Twitch streams will segue into the summer 2025 Day of the Devs stream. This indie-focused showcase invariably has a fantastic lineup of games worth keeping an eye on.
Among the games making appearances are Possessor(s) from Heart Machine and "nightmarish RPG" Neverway from Coldblood and co-publisher Outersloth. We'll also see something from House House ( Untitled Goose Game ) — presumably the co-op "walker-talker" Big Walk that was revealed in 2023. In all, this edition of Day of the Devs will feature 20 games.
Last year's show included 2024 game(s) of the year contender UFO 50 , the very intriguing platformer Screenbound , survival climbing game Cairn , the delightfully kooky-looking Building Relationships and sci-fi mystery Phoenix Springs . My Steam wishlist somehow expands quite significantly after each Day of the Devs showcase. Weird how that always happens. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
Definitely don't overlook the smaller events that take place during SGF, as you can always find plenty of treats among them. One such event is the Wholesome Direct, which will feature around 60 cozy games. It will include world premieres, demo announcements and updates from publishers and developers including Playstack, btf Games, ustwo games and Wētā Workshop (whose Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game arrives in July).
This one does what it says on the tin. It's a showcase featuring games from women-led and majority-women studios. Women-led Games will feature 39 titles, including world premieres and release dates.
The Latin American Games Showcase will feature more than 50 games, all of which are from Latin American developers, oddly enough. Expect world premieres, game update news and more from this one.
Watch on YouTube
The Green Games Showcase is a new addition to the lineup for 2025. This will focus on the game's industry's "growing commitment to the environment." It will feature games that make direct contributions to green initiatives. Other titles in the showcase center around sustainability, and some are designed to raise awareness or drive action regarding environmental causes.
Amazon Games, Skybound Games and Team17 are among those taking part. The stream will include a Q&A about how games can inspire meaningful action on climate change. There will also be a fundraising drive to help plant 50,000 trees.
What's the over/under on the number of times the phrase "day one with Game Pass" will appear on this stream? That's one phrase you can definitely expect to hear, but Microsoft will have plenty to share here. It's the biggest Xbox showcase of the year. There will be reveals and updates from across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard.
Games that the company has in the pipeline include Fable (2026), Perfect Dark, Gears of War: E-Day, Everwild, State of Decay 3, Clockwork Revolution, Hideo Kojima's OD and Contraband . It feels a little early for an update on The Elder Scrolls 6 since that game is still years away. But we may find out more about those other games and some we don't yet know about, such as whatever Double Fine and Toys for Bob are working on.
I have my fingers crossed for more info on the Blade game that Arkane Studios is working on. It's a reasonably safe bet that we'll see something about the next Call of Duty here as well. There's always going to be space for offerings from Microsoft's partner studios and publishers too. Plus, you never know, we might get a peek at what Halo Studios has been cooking up.
One game we'll definitely hear more about on June 8 is The Outer Worlds 2 . That's getting its own time in the spotlight, with a dedicated event that will start as soon as the main Xbox Games Showcase ends.
Meanwhile, several publishers and other organizations are hosting their own shows around SGF. Here's when those will take place: Access-Ability Summer Showcase (featuring games made by disabled developers and the accessibility options in each title) — June 6, 11AM ET, YouTube and Twitch
IGN Live — throughout June 7 and 8
Southeast Asian Games Showcase — June 7, 3PM ET To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
Future Games Show — June 7, 4PM ET (featuring more than 40 games) To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
PC Gamer 's PC Gaming Show — June 8, 3PM ET (with 50-plus games)
Phew. Get ready, gamers. Details on many, many new games are coming your way very soon.