It’s Summer Game Fest season and there are tons of showcases over the next couple weeks to get excited about. Here’s a handy schedule of what’s to come.
Summer is here and even though E3 has been long buried, that still means it’s game trailer/reveal season thanks to Summer Game Fest and a veritable cornucopia of gaming showcases. Once again, we’ll have boots on the ground for the SGF fun/festivities, but that doesn’t change there fact there are a whole bunch of livestreams to keep track of.
Here, I’m rounding up the big showcases, when they’re happening, and how you can watch. So get ready to mark your calendars.
[Note: Some of these we only have basic info on, and will update with appropriate links to watch as they become available.]
May 28th
Sure, SFG proper doesn’t start until June, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get the fun started a little early.
Thinky Direct
When: 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT
Where: YouTube, Twitch, and Steam
If you love puzzle/problem-solving games, this is the showcase for you which promises an hour-long showcase with over 40 games designed to make you think.
Insider Gaming Showcase
When: 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
With 55 games on display, the Insider Gaming Showcase is designed to be a straight-forward, no fluff, stream. The main purpose is to put the spotlight on lesser known/smaller titles that could aid those teams with funding and much needed visibility. Expect some world premieres and first looks all around.
Indie Quest
When: 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET
Where: YouTube
This is the one old-school RPG/JRPG fans are going to want to tune into. With 30-ish games being featured, including five brand new reveals, it promises a little bit of everything. From turn-based goodness, 2D/3D adventures, the Indie Quest showcase is sure to be a love-letter to the origins of the genre.
June 1st
Midsummer Nights Scream
When: 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET
Where: YouTube
Put on by the Horror Game Awards, the Midsummer Nights Scream showcase is devoted entirely to the spooky genre. Coming in around two hours, they’ve promised over 100 games being showcased. That’s an insane amount, and if you love horror games, there’s no doubt you’ll find something to pique your interest.
June 2nd
PlayStation State of Play
When: 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Sony’s annual Summer showcase returns and has already promised eager gamers a fresh look at Insomniac’s Wolverine game. On top of that, expect some all new reveals from Sony’s stable of developers (maybe that new God of War game?) and some other fun surprises.
June 4th
Latin American Games Showcase (LAGS)
When: 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
The Latin American Games Showcase is back for its SGF edition. Bringing updates on games coming from Latin American developers, the stream will feature over 80 titles along with “15 release date reveals and nine world premieres.”
Women-Led Games Showcase
When: 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Later that same day, gamers will be able to enjoy the Women-Led Games Showcase, which—as the name implies—spotlights titles from women-led/majority-women dev teams. Briana White (Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth), Rebecca Ford (Warframe Creative Director) and Megan Everett (Community Director) will host the event.
June 5th
Summer Game Fest
When: 2 PM PT / 5PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Hosted (as always) by Geoff Keighley and GameSpot’s Lucy James, the flagship showcase of Summer Game Fest will bring two-hours of game reveals, updates, and hype-inducing footage. Aside from the PlayStation and Xbox events, this is the showcase to watch for AAA madness.
Day of the Devs
When: 4PM PT / 7 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
The annual indie game showcase returns to bring players all the updates on the hottest indie titles. From the “biggest” indie titles to updates on highly anticipated ones, or spotlights on smaller games you may not have heard about yet, there’s always something worthwhile to discover.
June 6th
Southeast Asian Games Showcase
When: 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Much like LAGS for Latin devs, SEAGS puts the spotlight on games from Southeast Asian developers and the many games they have on the horizon.
Wholesome Games Direct
When: 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
This has quickly become one of my favorite streams over the years. Putting the focus on the cute (i.e. wholesome) games, there are always fun things shown here. Not to mention the oodles of cozy games we get updates on. Hopefully this year also brings an update on the long-gestating Witchbrook.
Story-Rich Showcase
When: 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
This is a brand new showcase this year, coming from Fellow Traveler. As the name implies, the focus will be on story driven games and will feature around 26 different titles.
Future Games Show: Summer Showcase
When: 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
With veteran voice-actors, Alix Wilton Regan and Troy Baker, hosting the annual showcase, this year’s Future Games Show promises to be a big one. On top of reveals and fresh trailers, an extended look at the upcoming sci-fi RPG, Exodus, will be shown immediately after.
Gayming Pride Parade
When: 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Another new showcase this year, this one puts the focus on LGBTQ+ and creators. Considering how rough the LGBTQ+ community is having it lately, it feels like a great way to come together and show off how incredible their stories/games can be.
June 7th
Xbox Games Showcase / Gears of War E-Day Direct
When: 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook
Coming off of an executive shake-up and more than a few questionable decisions, XBOX has a whole lot to prove this year. They’ve been working overtime to try and regain the trust of gamers, so it stands to reason they’ll be pulling all the stops for this year’s annual showcase. Plus, Gears of War fans are getting a special E-Day Direct immediately after.
PC Gaming Show
When: 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
PC gamers have plenty to look forward to every year with the annual Gaming Show. As someone who loves RTS games, this one never disappoints and I suspect we’ll get some other good reveals/surprises to boot.
June 9th
Access-Ability Summer Showcase
When: 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET
Where: YouTube, Twitch
Coming in at the tail end of the primary SGF festivities, the annual Access-Ability showcase returns to shine a light on accessibility features and designs in upcoming games. For those of us who believe everyone deserves to get in on the fun of gaming, this is an important one to support.
With a couple weeks to go, there may be more added to this list. We’ll be sure to update with any announcements as they come in. In the meantime, which of these showcases are you most excited to watch?
