Summer Game Fest 2025: What new game announcements to expect and how to watch
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
7 hours ago
- CNET
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Hands-On: Trying Out Real-Time and Mega-Evolution Fights
I wandered the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center days before it would be flooded with tens of thousands of fans for the 2025 Pokemon World Championships, looking for a tucked-away room to get a taste of a game diehard Poke-nerds would give anything to see. For a brief 20 minutes, I got to play Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Let's be clear: My time with the upcoming game -- split into two 10-minute sessions -- was hardly enough to reveal every way Z-A will build on its predecessor. The groundbreaking 2022 title Pokemon Legends: Arceus brought the storied monster-training franchise into an open world set in its distant past -- a wilder, less civilized era when Pokemon roamed the land largely unchecked. Playing a brief demo of Pokemon Legends: Z-A at Pokemon World Championships 2025. David Lumb/CNET Instead, Pokemon Legends: Z-A brings the series into the present -- a shift that's stirred mixed feelings among fans. In my brief hands-on, though, I spotted some promising tweaks to the Arceus formula, especially on the Switch 2 (docked mode, to be exact), where I saw no performance hiccups. The first 10-minute slice of Pokemon Legends: Z-A focused on trainer battles in a sprawling city. I started with a four-monster team which included familiar faces like Chikorita, Mareep and Weedle, and entered the Battle Zone. There, I could challenge (and be challenged by) other trainers. All of it was part of the mysterious, eponymous Z-A Royale, a competitive league where I began at the very bottom: Z grade, naturally. Combat with a trainer's Pokemon, showing the attack log on the right, moves on the bottom-right, your current Pokemon's HP and status on the mid-left and benched Pokemon on the bottom right. David Lumb/CNET The twisting alleys of the Battle Zone hid trainers ready to pounce, but unlike in Arceus, battles here start instantly in the field and play out in real time -- enemy Pokemon will chip away at your HP if you don't send one of your own to fight. Holding L2 targets an opponent, and each of your monster's moves is mapped to the face buttons (A, B, X, Y), each with its own cooldown. That let me slip in stat-affecting moves like Growl between damage-dealing Tackles -- almost like injecting some fast-paced Pokemon Unite DNA into the open-world formula. Swapping Pokemon is simple: Use the directional pad to pick a benched monster, then press up to switch it in. Like any Pokemon game, trainers can catch you off guard, letting their Pokemon sneak in a few attacks before you send out your own. You can turn the tables by locking on with L2 and choosing an attack from your active Pokemon, making the Battle Zones feel almost like PvP areas. Unlike in Arceus, you can use potions and other healing items between or during battles -- just watch out, as real-time attacks don't pause while you're in menus. With my party of level-seven and -eight monsters and just a trio of trainers to beat, this Battle Zone felt like an early section designed to help players get acclimated. There's no telling how complex future Battle Zones might get -- or what other environments might allow battles between trainers (or even wild Pokemon). These areas seem tuned to the Z-A Royale competition, with beaten trainers awarding not just rank-improving tickets but also prize medals (earned for wins and forfeited for losses). Battle Zones take place at night, and at daybreak you'll receive prize money based on how many medals you've won or found lying around. David Lumb/CNET Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega-Evolution battles The second 10-minute demo, short as it was, held the flashier attraction: a Mega-Evolution battle that served as a hefty, story-driven boss encounter. While Arceus had plenty of big, strong Pokemon to encounter in the wild, Z-A's addition of Mega Evolution lets players face beefed-up versions of regular monsters in longer, more challenging fights. I started the demo chasing a legendary Zygarde in its dog-like 10% form, which led me to a city rooftop and an Absol radiating Mega Power. It's not the first time Pokemon have bristled with unstable energy -- a mysterious, professorly figure named AZ caught up to us, calling it another Rogue Mega Evolution. Just as the creature evolved into Mega Absol, AZ lent us his Lucario to battle the frenzied Pokemon. This boss battle took the lion's share of the second demo to beat, building on the real-time combat I'd experienced with trainers and adding its own unique mechanic: When I'd dealt enough damage to the Mega Absol, it would drop colorful Mega Power orbs I could collect. While dangerous to collect -- the Mega-Evolved Pokemon hurled attacks my trainer had to dodge or risk losing health -- filling the bar let me Mega-Evolve my Lucario to carve off even bigger chunks of the boss's HP. The Mega-Evolution boss battle, with the boss's HP bar at the top and Lucario's temporary Mega-Evolution moves at the bottom right. Colored Mega Power orbs spill from the boss, which players can collect to refill their Pokemon's Mega-Evolution meter. David Lumb/CNET What followed was a fun romp and a promising glimpse at the game's boss battles, with me (the trainer) darting around the small arena to dodge lunges and ranged attacks while managing Lucario's move cooldowns to chip away at Mega Absol's health. Some of those moves were damaging, while at least one other -- Protect -- nullified enemy attacks, a very neat application of an otherwise passive, classic Pokemon move. After a close shave with my health in the red, I defeated Mega Absol and won an Absolite for my trouble -- a stone that would let me attach it to my own Absol to Mega-Evolve it in a future battle. My 20 minutes with Pokemon Legends: Z-A left a lot of questions unanswered about the upcoming game, which comes out Oct. 16. Would it have the Breath of the Wild-style open-world exploration that made Pokemon Legends: Arceus such a success? What other changes are in store for the switch to a modern-day setting? But at least I can satisfy fan curiosity about the real-time combat: It's engaging, fast and rewards quick thinking to maximize type advantages. Still, plenty of stones remain unturned for Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
Sony Lost Big On KPop Demon Hunters' Record Success, Says Report
KPop Demon Hunters Netflix While KPop Demon Hunters is almost exclusively associated with Netflix as it sets record after record across two different industries, streaming and music, few may know who actually developed and produced the film, Sony Pictures Animation, the studio behind Enter the Spider-Verse (you may see some similarities to that style here). The film is a colossal hit, so surely that must be working out great for Sony, right? Well, not so much. According to industry fixture Matt Belloni, the problem is how this original deal was structured. Sony made KPop Demon Hunters for $100 million, then sold the rights to Netflix. Now, reports are that Sony will end up making just $20 million in profit on the deal thanks to those terms, as anything that happens from here, that's all Netflix, since they own the property. KPop Demon Hunters Netflix At the time, that probably sounded like a deal that was just fine. It's a good movie, it would be fed into the Netflix conveyer belt of content, be watched, and everyone will praise it for a weekend and move on. But the rest is history, of course. As I write this, Kpop Demon Hunters remains the #1 movie on Netflix seven weeks after release, something we've never seen before. It has been elevated to Netflix's second most-viewed movie ever, and it has its sights set on #1, Red Notice . It has placed at #1 on almost every top music chart with its fictional group HUNTR/X's track Golden, most recently achieving the ultimate prize, landing at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first Kpop group to do so, and the first girl group to do so since Destiny's Child. Netflix reportedly views KPop Demon Hunters as its ' Frozen ' equivalent, Disney's billion dollar franchise. While KPop Demon Hunters is not making bank at the box office, it's a huge success in Netflix terms and that will spawn at least a trilogy of movies, and there are rumblings of a live-action adaptation or even a stage show. Live-action may seem a bit goofy and antithetical to the concept, but the singing voices of the three girls are essentially those characters in real life, appearance-wise, so that helps. As for Sony, its involvement in what happens from here is unclear. Netflix, of course, needs someone to make these future movies, and while Sony largely missed out on the success of this first film, I imagine that will not slip away the second or third time around. We have no announcements of what's coming next for KPop Demon Hunters , and that may be why. I've asked Sony for comment and will report if I hear back. Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram . Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I test headphones for a living — and these are my favorite wireless earbuds for true audiophiles
Look, I know that buying a pair of wired earbuds for $100 is going to sound better than the likes of the WF-1000XM5 and the rest of the best wireless earbuds. Wired options are capable of carrying a higher-quality signal, and the space once taken up by batteries and Bluetooth modules can be better used for drivers and other assorted audio bits and bobs. I thought you'd never be able to get audiophile sound out of wireless buds — until I was lucky enough to try out some very premium earbuds from US manufacturer Noble. My world was turned upside down — amazing sound, epic features, all packed into some very slick-looking earbuds. Wireless convenience with the sound I crave from earbuds, so that I can listen critically when I'm out and about. Turns out the problem was about spending lots of money — although there is a cheaper pair that gets very close. If you're looking for "good sound", you're going to be fine with the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds and the Sony WF-1000XM5. They feature a warm and welcoming sound signature that forgoes control and fidelity for comfort and listenability. Bass heads will prefer the Bose's low-end grunt, while most people will be served well by the more restrained Sony buds. What we're looking for is something wholly different. We want a more open soundstage, more detailed highs, rounder mids, and a more controlled low-end. Generally, that's something you'll only find in a pair of wired earbuds. It's a sound profile that audiophiles prefer for critical listening, the idea being to get as close to the artist's intent as possible. I haven't had much luck finding a sound like that in wireless buds. They're generally aimed at more casual listening, which would make sense. I've gotten close with buds from Sennheiser, but there's still been something missing — until I get to earbuds from Noble. With their jewel-like shells and green aluminum charging case, the Noble Fokus Rex5 look like they're worth every part of their $449 price tag. They're a stunning pair of buds, and they feel like they could be run over by a tank and still work for my critical listening sessions. They've got loads of battery life, a comfortable fit, and blah de blah... we're here for the sound. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. And what sound it is. There are five drivers inside, each dealing with a different part of your music. The bass, while not as loud as other, more established options, is extremely well controlled and deliciously deep. That means you can spend more time hearing all the little low-end details, like bass guitar strings being plucked and wobbly synth parts. Classical music timpani are impactful and clear as well — you can feel the drummer hitting his drum. The mids are wide, with loads of definition for guitars and other instruments. Heavy chugging riffs out of my favorite music have just the right amount of edge to be crunchy without being uncomfortable on the ear — epic stuff. The highs are detailed, making for perfect cymbal crashes and soaring electric guitar solos. Wind instruments in classical arrangements sound sublime as a result. I can't think of a better way to illustrate their audiophile credentials than to show you how easy it is to pick out the finer details of a track with them. We'll use Bobby Caldwell's Love Won't Wait because I like it. The chirping cymbals stand out as the song begins, the smooth drum beat bringing the first semblances of funk. The bass introduces itself, and you can hear the guitarist's fingers dance across the fretboard. The orchestra joins the fray, and each instrument in the horn section is easy to pick out. Bobby starts to croon, and the earbuds reveal the crest of each breath as he sings. The saxophone around 2:11 is smooth, living firmly in the left of the mix. The soundstage (which is how 'wide' your music sounds) places instruments well between the ears, and makes the ensemble sound as big as you'd hope. $449 well spent in my eyes. Note: as a revealing set of buds, these are designed with out-and-out bass performance in mind, so bass heads need not apply. You'll want what comes next... The Rex5 are a very expensive pair of earbuds, make no mistake — but they sound incredible. If you're looking for the best-sounding pair of wireless earbuds without compromise, these are they. If the mega-expense of the Rex5 is too much for you, then you'll want to look at the less-expensive Fokus Amadeus. That doesn't mean they're cheap, however. They'll set you back $320, with solid battery life, a comfortable fit, and some pretty good ANC... again, we're all about the sound today. Where the Rex5 are all about control and high-end detail, the Amadeus uses a single driver setup to show you all the little things that are happening down low in your music. They go all the way down, with some epic sub-bass for some of the most impactful bass out of a pair of earbuds that I've ever tested. That doesn't mean the rest of the frequency range is in any way ignored or pushed aside. They're still very detailed, and the mid-range is very well represented for those all-important instruments. They don't sound better than the Rex5, but they sound different, catering to audiophiles who want to critically listen for all the bits of bass you might otherwise miss. Again, let me take you through a listening session to give you a clearer picture. We'll go with something bassy — Becky Hill and Chase & Status' Disconnected. The depth of Becky's voice in the introduction is something to be envied — the low bits rumble with some impressive presence. Then the synths start to build, and the drums start to ramp up, before the massive bassy crescendo that shakes your skull. The dancing synths that make themselves known later, dancing from left to right. Becky's voice remains completely clear despite the heavy bass, with no signs that she's being overpowered by the low-end. The drums keep time throughout the track, smooth in delivery and controlled in impact. It's a stellar performance, and allows you to see how much variance and detail there can be in drum & bass. The Noble Fokus Amadeus earbuds bring some extra low-end to the table while keeping things easy to digest and easy to decipher. They've also got more battery than the Rex5, although they lose out in sonic detail. If you don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on some earbuds, then you're going to do well with the Cambridge Audio A100. They're not 'traditionally audiophile' and there's a bunch of true anoraks that have just turned their noses up at me and demanded I return my Audiophile Club membership card. But I'll stand by them — they're a great way to wirelessly critically listen without the need for something with a wire. They've got some excellent, controlled bass, while retaining that all-important high-end detail that we're looking for with audiophile earbuds. They're not going to hold a candle to similarly priced wired options, but for something wireless, they're better for hobby listening than just about anything else below the $250 price point. I've had loads of fun listening to them on the train and picking apart my favorite tunes – and the fact I'm less worried about them tumbling down the side of my seat just makes them all the more sweet. Let's see how they fare with a quick listen-through of Depth Of Satan's Eyes from mad occult rockers Ghost. The bass guitar hits hard and fast, not overstaying its welcome or overpowering the distorted guitars as the track kicks off. The drums are very well defined, although there's perhaps a little missing out of the very top end of the cymbals. Papa begins his unholy singing, and the buds are more than happy to reveal some extra detail, like his breathing. The synth kicks in, things become more foreboding, and they perhaps slide in behind the guitars a little too much compared to the more expensive options. As the track reaches its peak, the A100 show some dynamism as the volume changes around. The loud parts are loud enough, while the quiet parts are peaceful and calm. There's a lot for audiophiles to like about these little buds. The Cambridge Audio Melomania nab you the convenience of wireless connectivity, while retaining a solid, audiophile-friendly sound signature. They're very comfortable, too. I could write until I'm blue in the fingers about how much fun critical listening can be, but also how you don't need to go out and buy some new buds to do it. Sure, they'll reveal more detail and let you really get in deep with your music, but sometimes all it takes is a little attention. Critical listening is all about listening to music as an activity rather than a background silence filler. You'll find details you never knew were there if you take the time to appreciate your music — although I can't guarantee you won't come away wishing for more. 'Tis a slippery slope, and one without a bottom. Or a financial ceiling. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
