You remember E3? That giant, loud, sweaty convention that basically dictated our entire personality every June? It's gone. Dead. Honestly, most of us have moved on, but there’s still this weird lingering expectation that one single show has to "save" gaming every year. Enter Geoff Keighley.
The Summer Game Fest 2025 wasn't just another livestream. It was a massive, three-day gauntlet that proved the industry is finally finding its footing after years of delays and awkward "work-from-home" transitions. If you missed the chaos at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles last June, you missed a lot. People keep saying "nothing happened," but they're wrong.
What Really Happened at Summer Game Fest 2025?
Basically, the show kicked off on June 6, 2025, and it didn't stop for 72 hours. While the main stage gets all the glory, the real story was the sheer volume of "shadow drops" and surprise pivots.
Remember the collective gasp when Lies of P: Overture didn't just get a trailer but was actually released that same day? That’s the kind of energy we’ve been missing. It wasn't just about CG trailers; it was about playable code.
The Big Announcements You Might Have Slept On
Everyone is talking about the heavy hitters, but the nuance is in the details. Here’s the breakdown of what actually landed:
- Resident Evil Requiem: Capcom finally dropped the "RE9" codename. It's officially Resident Evil Requiem, and it's coming February 27, 2026. This is a massive shift for the series, moving into a setting that looks suspiciously like a decaying Mediterranean coastal town.
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach: Hideo Kojima did his usual "vague but brilliant" routine. We saw the live premiere, and it confirmed the June 26, 2025, release. It's weird. It's beautiful. It's Kojima.
- Dune: Awakening: Funcom’s open-world survival game finally felt "real." They showed off the advanced access and confirmed the June 10 launch. If you want to get eaten by a worm, your time is now.
- The Outer Worlds 2: Obsidian stole the show during the Xbox segment. It’s still got that cynical, corporate-dystopia humor we love, but the scale looks significantly larger than the first game.
The Xbox and PC Gaming Show Flex
Microsoft didn't play around this time. The Summer Game Fest 2025 schedule placed the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, June 8, and it was a relentless barrage.
We got another look at Fable, which is still targeting a 2026 window. Then there was Gears of War: E-Day. Honestly, seeing a younger Marcus Fenix in 4K is enough to make any long-time fan a bit emotional.
The PC Gaming Show followed immediately after, featuring over 50 games. It was a bit of a marathon—maybe a little too long for some—but for the Steam Deck crowd, it was a goldmine. Seeing Yakuza Kiwami 3 confirmed as Steam Deck Verified right out of the gate was a nice touch.
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Why the "Play Days" Mattered More Than the Stream
If you weren't on the ground in LA, you missed the "Play Days" from June 7 to 9. This is where the real opinions are formed. It's one thing to see a vertical slice of Crimson Desert on a screen; it's another thing to actually feel the combat.
Reports from the floor suggested that Crimson Desert feels less like a traditional RPG and more like a high-octane character action game. The developers at Pearl Abyss are claiming you can traverse the entire continent in two hours on horseback. That sounds ambitious. Maybe too ambitious? We'll see.
What Most People Get Wrong About SGF
The biggest misconception is that Summer Game Fest is just a "Geoff Keighley show." It's not.
It’s an umbrella. Underneath that umbrella, you have the Wholesome Direct, Day of the Devs, and even the Future Games Show. Each one caters to a different vibe. If you only watched the main two-hour kickoff, you missed Mina the Hollower getting an October 31 release date. You missed the announcement of Jurassic World Evolution 3.
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Gaming is fragmented now. You can't just watch one stream and think you've seen the whole year.
Practical Steps for Catching Up
If you're just now diving back into the news, don't try to watch everything. You’ll burn out.
- Watch the 4K VODs: Don't settle for the blurry livestream clips on social media. Capcom and Xbox both uploaded high-bitrate versions of their trailers.
- Check the Demos: A ton of games, like MIO: Memories in Orbit and Acts of Blood, dropped demos on Steam and PS5 during the fest. Play them yourself.
- Track the 2026 Window: A lot of the "big" reveals from SGF 2025—like Mortal Shell 2 and Game of Thrones: War for Westeros—are actually slated for 2026. Adjust your hype accordingly.
The industry is leaning heavily into the "slow and steady" approach. We’re seeing fewer cinematic teasers for games five years away and more concrete gameplay for titles launching within eighteen months. It’s a healthier way to do things, even if it feels a little less "explosive" than the E3 days.
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Go download the Lies of P: Overture update if you haven't yet. It's arguably the best thing to come out of the entire weekend.