Summer Game Fest announced for June, just as E3 2021 rumors heat up

By Giovanni Colantonio April 2, 2021

Summer Game Fest is officially returning in June. The digital video game showcase was announced one day after a new set of rumors emerged about E3’s own digital 2021 plans.

Summer Games Fest was founded last year by Geoff Keighley. The four-month event served as a way for developers to show off their game announcements last summer after E3 2020 was canceled. Keighley previously said that the event would return this year, but now we have some firm details on what it will entail.

The showcase starts in June, though no exact date was given. It’ll highlight both AAA and indie games over the course of different events. The first confirmed event is Day of Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition. Co-produced by Double Fine and iam8bit, the digital showcase will feature exclusive news and gameplay reveals. Developers can currently submit their games for consideration.

More details on what developers are participating in the show and the planned schedule are coming over the next few weeks. Fans will be able to tune in via major streaming platforms, such as Twitch.

The announcement comes just as more confusion has set in about the future of E3. A new report from VGC says that the ESA is planning on rebranding E3 as the Electronic Entertainment Experience for its 2021 digital show. According to the report, it has considered introducing some form of paywall for the show, which could be how fans access hands-on demos.

E3 took to Twitter to deny the rumors, tweeting, “E3’s 2021 digital show is a free event for all attendees. We’re excited to fill you in on all the real news for the event very soon.” No official details about the show have been revealed otherwise, except that it will take place from June 15 to June 17.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 finally gets its fall release date at Summer Game Fest

Spider-Man Peter Parker and Miles Morales fighting Kraven and henchmen

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 officially has a release date. During the Summer Game Fest, Insomniac Games revealed that the game is scheduled to release on October 20 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The stream also featured a few new details about the game, including new information about its villains.

Spider-Man 2 recently appeared at the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, so it wasn't surprising that there wasn't any new footage at the Summer Game Fest. However, Insomniac presented new concept art, including one with Peter Parker and Miles Morales fighting side by side and another with the two Spider-Mans fighting Venom.

Gaming

Everything announced at Summer Game Fest kickoff 2023

Key art for Mortal Kombat 1 shows Liu Kang.

Geoff Keighley returned today with his third Summer Game Fest kickoff showcase. This showcase featured titles big and small from all corners of the video game industry. We got new looks at games like Mortal Kombat 1, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Alan Wake 2, trailers for the new seasons of Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and even the announcement of games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Sonic Superstars.

Like previous Summer Game Fest kickoff showcases, this live stream was quite dense, with lots of games to keep track of. Don't worry if you think you missed some featured games, though, as we've rounded up every announcement made during the Summer Game Fest kickoff showcase.
Prince of Persia returns with The Lost Crown next January
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Reveal Gameplay Trailer

Gaming

Summer Game Fest Kickoff 2023: how to watch and what to expect

The official artwork confirming Summer Game Fest's return on June 8, 2023.

With no E3 happening this year, there's a massive void to fill. Developers have tons of video games to reveal, but nowhere to show them. That's where Summer Game Fest comes in.

Organized by Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley, Summer Game Fest essentially acts as a modern replacement for E3. It's a series of live streams and in-person events that loosely mimic the idea of a standard E3 season, giving gaming fans plenty of news to chew on. It all starts with the Summer Game Fest Kickoff stream today, where Keighley will showcase tons of new games from most of gaming's biggest players.