Everything to know about Summer Game Fest 2023

In this article, we will give you an overview of what to expect from Summer Game Fest 2023.

Summer Game Fest is a digital, cross-industry festival that showcases the latest and greatest in video games. Launched in 2020 by Geoff Keighley, the creator of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest unites game platforms, publishers, developers, and media outlets for a season of events, announcements, demos, and surprises for video game fans around the world.

In this article, we will give you an overview of what to expect from Summer Game Fest 2023, including its main showcase event, its partner events, its Play Days preview event, and how to watch and participate in the festivities.

Also read: What to expect from PlayStation Showcase on May 24

The Main Showcase Event

The main attraction of Summer Game Fest 2023 is the live showcase event hosted by Geoff Keighley on Thursday, June 8 at Noon PT / 3 pm ET. The event will stream live from the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles and feature world premieres, gameplay reveals, special guests, musical performances, and more from some of the biggest names in the industry.

The main showcase event of Summer Game Fest 2023 is expected to last for about two hours, according to Geoff Keighley. In an interview with IGN, Keighley said that the show will be “tighter and more focused” than last year’s event, which ran for nearly three hours. He also said that the show will have “a lot of surprises” and “three or four things that are pretty big for the audience”. He did not reveal any specifics, but he hinted that some of the announcements will be related to games that have been in development for a long time.

Some of the confirmed participants include Activision, Bandai Namco, Capcom, EA, Epic Games, PlayStation, Sega, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Games, and Xbox. The event will also feature the gameplay debut of Street Fighter 6 , the highly anticipated fighting game from Capcom.

The showcase event will be followed by Day of the Devs, a curated showcase of indie games from iam8bit and Double Fine Productions. The event will highlight some of the most creative and innovative titles from independent developers around the world.

The Partner Events

In addition to the main showcase event, Summer Game Fest 2023 will also feature a number of partner events from various game platforms and publishers. These events will take place throughout June and beyond and will offer more announcements, trailers, gameplay demos, and interviews for upcoming games.

Some of the confirmed partner events include:

Meta Quest Gaming Showcase (June 1): A showcase of exclusive new games coming to Meta Quest VR headsets.
Guerrilla Collective (June 6-13): A series of livestreams and a physical event featuring dozens of indie games from Guerrilla Collective and its partners Black Voices in Gaming and Dames 4 Games.
Tribeca Games Festival (June 9): A selection of upcoming games nominated by Tribeca Film Festival, featuring exclusive trailers and developer interviews.
Wholesome Games Direct (June 10): A cozy showcase of over 70 indie games that are uplifting, thoughtful, or relaxing.
Future Games Show (June 10): A showcase of over 40 new game trailers from GamesRadar , including world premieres.
OTK Games Expo (June 10): A showcase of 30 games hosted by popular Twitch streamer Asmongold and panelists Emiru and Esfand.

Xbox Games Showcase/Starfield Direct (June 11): A double feature event featuring Xbox’s biggest annual media presentation followed by a dedicated showcase for Starfield , Bethesda’s upcoming sci-fi RPG.
Ubisoft Forward (June 12): Ubisoft’s live showcase featuring what’s next for its franchises and new announcements.

PC Gaming Show (June 11): PC Gamer’s annual showcase featuring new games, trailers, interviews, and surprises for PC gamers.
Steam Next Fest (June 16-22): A week-long celebration of upcoming games on Steam , featuring hundreds of free demos, livestreams, and chats with developers.

The Play Days Preview Event

Play Days is a special invite-only preview event for media and influencers that takes place in Los Angeles after the main showcase event. Produced by iam8bit , Play Days offers hands-on access to some of the most anticipated games featured at Summer Game Fest 2023.

While Play Days is not open to the public, fans can still enjoy plenty of coverage from the event online. Additionally, game publishers and platforms will offer free digital demos of select games to fans during the Summer Game Fest season.

How to Watch and Participate

Summer Game Fest 2023 will be available to watch for free on all major livestream platforms including YouTube , Twitch , Twitter , TikTok , Steam , and many others. Fans can also sign up for event alerts via email or text or add the calendar that will be updated as events are announced.

Fans can also co-stream Summer Game Fest 2023 on their own channels by signing up here . Co-streamers will get access to high-quality feeds without commentary or branding as well as exclusive assets and giveaways.

For those who want to attend Summer Game Fest 2023 in person, public tickets for the main showcase event at YouTube Theater in LA are available at Ticketmaster . However, keep in mind that this event is a livestream show of upcoming games with trailers and special guests. It does not feature hands-on consumer gameplay.

What We Expect to See

Summer Game Fest 2023 promises to be a thrilling event for video game fans, as it will feature some of the most anticipated games of the year and beyond. While we don’t know everything that will be shown, we can make some educated guesses based on the confirmed participants and previous announcements.

Here are some of the games and announcements that we expect to see at Summer Game Fest 2023:

Street Fighter 6 : The gameplay debut of the long-awaited fighting game from Capcom is confirmed to be part of the main showcase event. We hope to see more of the new characters, mechanics, modes, and stages that will make this the most exciting entry in the series yet. We also hope to learn more about the game’s release date and platform availability.

summer game fest 2023

Diablo 4: The long-awaited return of Blizzard’s action RPG franchise is confirmed to be part of the main showcase event. We hope to see more of the game’s classes, skills, loot, world, and story, as well as its release date and platform availability.

summer game fest 2023

Mortal Kombat 1: After weeks of rumors and teasers, Mortal Kombat 1 has finally been revealed in an official trailer that showcases its reimagined world. As hinted at the end of Mortal Kombat 11, this new installment will reboot the iconic franchise with familiar characters in a world remade by the now ascended Liu Kang, the Fire God.
Pikmin 4: Nintendo’s charming strategy game series is expected to be part of Nintendo Direct, and we hope to see more of its gameplay, features, and modes. We also hope to learn more about the game’s release date and platform exclusivity.

summer game fest 2023

Final Fantasy 16: Square Enix’s flagship RPG series is expected to be part of Square Enix Presents, and we hope to see more of its gameplay, story, and characters. We also hope to see how the game will balance its action-oriented combat with its traditional elements.

These are just some of the games and announcements that we expect to see at Summer Game Fest 2023. Of course, there will also be plenty of surprises and reveals that we can’t predict. That’s part of the fun of watching a live event like this. So mark your calendars and get ready for a summer celebration of video games!

When and where can I watch Summer Game Fest 2023?

You can watch Summer Game Fest 2023 on Thursday, June 8 at Noon PT / 3 pm ET on all major livestream platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, TikTok, Steam, and many others. You can also attend the main showcase event in person at YouTube Theater in LA by buying tickets at Ticketmaster.