(Pocket-lint) – Summer Game Fest will return in 2023, with a live showcase event to kick off the action on Thursday 8 June.
It will be streamed live from the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles and will also invite a live audience for the first time.
It’s not the only big gaming event planned for next summer, however, with E3 to return as well. So, what is Summer Game Fest and will we have two competiting events running simultaneously in 2023? Here’s everything we know about it so far.
What is Summer Game Fest and when does it start?
Born from the pandemic and global lockdowns, Summer Game Fest started in 2020 to fill the void left by a cancelled E3.
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It ran from May to August and featured publisher announcements, in-game events and an opening livestream that crammed in bundles of game info and trailers.
The show also ran in 2021 and 2022, with individual keynotes from publishers and developers to round off the action.
Now it’s coming back, but with a twist. Not only will the main kickoff showcase have a live audience for the first time, it will run alongside E3 in 2023.
The main Summer Game Fest showcase will take place on Thursday 8 June. An exact start time and other related events are yet to be revealed.
You can keep up with the latest schedule and news on the Summer Game Fest homepage.
Summer Game Fest 2023: How to keep track
Traditionally, a number of key events from major publishers and brands have tied into Summer Game Fest – including the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase.
It’s not yet known whether that will be the case again, whether they’ll tie their flag to the mast of E3 instead, or maybe support both.
We’ll update with any confirmed third-party events here when possible.
What to expect during Summer Game Fest
In previous years, other publishers and games companies have supported Summer Game Fest – not least by giving trailer exclusives to host Geoff Keighley for announcement during the showcase stream. Here’s a list of previous partners to give you an indication of what you can expect in 2023.
- 2K
- Activision
- Amazon Games
- Amazon Prime Gaming
- Annapurna Interactive
- Bandai Namco
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Capcom
- Devolver Digital
- Dotemu
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- Finji
- Frontier
- Gearbox Publishing
- Hi-Rez Studios
- Inner Sloth
- Koch Media
- Mediatonic
- MiHoYo
- Netflix
- PlayStation
- Psyonix
- Raw Fury
- Riot Games
- Saber Interactive
- Sega
- Square Enix
- Steam
- Tencent Games
- Tribeca Festival
- Ubisoft
- Warner Bros. Games
- Wizards of the Coast
- Xbox
More could be announced throughout the event.
Writing by Rik Henderson.
