While the sting of E3’s death can still be felt, June remains a massive month for video game reveals, announcements, and world premieres. Things have already begun but the next big swing of the season comes from Summer Game Fest. Unlike the long-running, exclusive-focused streams from platform holders, Summer Game Fest features announcements from a wide range of developers and publishers of varying sizes. The list of attending companies has already been revealed and so we’ve used it as the basis for some predictions. What can you expect to see at Summer Game Fest 2024? Read on for our best educated guesses.
The Big Three
Sony may have only recently held its own summer State of Play broadcast, and the Xbox Game Showcase arrives in just a few days, but both platform holders are confirmed to be part of Summer Game Fest. Despite this it’s unlikely that we’ll see any bombshells. The most significant headlines are usually reserved for their own first-party shows.
At 2023’s Summer Game Fest we were treated to a substantial Spider-Man 2 trailer. This year’s show, then, could be where Spider-Man 2 DLC makes its debut. An expansion has yet to be officially confirmed but the original game went big with an additional three-part campaign, and the nods towards Carnage in the base game certainly seems a logical pathway towards DLC. Beyond that, there’s potential for follow-ups on last week’s State of Play, such as a little more from Astro Bot or Concord. That’s as much as we’d realistically expect, but there’s always a chance that the much-rumoured LEGO Horizon Adventures could turn up. Just don’t waste your time manifesting that Bloodborne PS5 remaster. We’ll eat a saw cleaver if that happens…
As for Xbox, the sensible bet is on updates and partnerships. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s newest season has already launched, but there’s always room for another IP crossover. Similarly, SGF 2023 featured new Xboxes with Porsche branding, and it’s this kind of thing we expect to see.
Nintendo is, as ever, a no-show, and so you’ll need to hold out on an official Nintendo Direct later in the summer. But Steam is confirmed to be part of the show. The fact that it’s Steam rather than Valve has us thinking this won’t be a game, so not the recently leaked Deadlock. Perhaps a new Steam Deck update or accessory?
AAA Major Players
So if we’re not expecting much from the first-party platform holders, what about the mega publishers and veteran AAA developers? 2K plans to reveal “the next iteration in one of its biggest and most beloved franchises”. While I imagine a new BioShock is at the top of that list for most of us, with a new Borderlands movie fast approaching there’s logic in a new entry in the long-running looter-shooter franchise. But when it comes to “biggest and most beloved”, the answer could be Civilization, 2K’s 4X strategy behemoth that’s been running since 1991.
We know Atlus’ Katsura Hashino and Shigenori Soejima will be part of the show for Metaphor: ReFantazio, which also has its own presentation happening shortly after Summer Game Fest. Prepare yourself for new information on the latest from the director of Persona 5.
It seems like Capcom’s big focus for the coming months will be Monster Hunter Wilds, and after our first look at State of Play we know that SGF will provide an new trailer and monster reveal. Of course, we’ll also be hoping for some news on what’s next for Resident Evil, be that RE9 or the rumoured Code Veronica and Zero remakes, but right now that feels unlikely. More realistic is DLC for recent games, such as season 2 of Street Fighter 6 or an expansion for the brilliant Dragon’s Dogma 2.
It’s a year made up of numbers above 1993, which means Electronic Arts will be publishing a few annualised sports games soon. There’s a reasonable chance of EA Sports FC 25, then. But the sports game we’re really hoping to see is the long-awaited reboot of Skate, and EA seems to be teasing as much with this unusual retro website that launched earlier this week.
We also expect some non-sports EA games, perhaps starting with a new Battlefield. We know that EA’s Motive Studio is hard at work on an Iron Man game, so maybe Tony Stark will drop by? But we think it’s safe to say that our biggest hopes are pinned on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A full reveal of BioWare’s next RPG has been promised for summer 2024, and hopefully it’s at least approaching a return to form.
League of Legends developer Riot Games will be at the show, and with Arcane season 2 coming later this year there’s a very good chance we’ll get a trailer for the spectacular Netflix series. But it also feels the right time for Riot to go big on 2XKO, the League of Legends fighting game that’s been in development for several years now. Could a beta launch be coming soon?
With its own show coming just a few days later, it seems likely that Ubisoft won’t go big for SGF. While we may get trailers that tease bigger reveals for Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows at Ubisoft Forward, it’s more likely that we’ll see something from the company’s smaller games. BattleCore: Arena will have just gone into early access, so perhaps a promotional launch trailer? Meanwhile XDefiant is currently in pre-season, so maybe we’ll get news on what to expect from the shooter’s first main season.
“But what about Beyond Good and Evil 2?” we hear you cry. And to that we say: it’s good to keep dreaming.
WB Games is confirmed to be attending, and we know that it’s bringing Batman: Arkham Shadow with it. Announced last month, it’s a Meta Quest 3 VR exclusive addition to the Arkham games canon. Beyond that, it seems sensible to expect a new character or update for the recently relaunched MultiVersus. There’s also chance of a look at season 2 of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which rumours suggest will introduce Mr. Freeze to the roster. Looking further ahead, we may also finally get news on Monolith’s Wonder Woman game, which was announced back in 2021.
We recently learned that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is in development, and with publisher Deep Silver confirmed to be at Summer Game Fest we’re betting on a new trailer for the historical RPG. There’s also a chance we’ll see more from Metro Awakening, the VR post-apocalypse shooter that’s scheduled for later this year.
A cryptic message from the Alan Wake 2 Twitter/X account indicates something from Remedy will be announced as part of the show. We can’t wait to see what kind of twisted DLC adventures await for Alan and Saga.
With the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC so close you can taste it, it seems logical to assume Bandai Namco’s presence at SGF means a new trailer full of disgusting bosses. The more likely reality is that it’ll be something connected to Bandai’s online project, Blue Protocol, built in collaboration with Amazon Games, who is also part of the show. It’s worth holding out some hope for Little Nightmares 3, though. It may have been recently delayed, but it was first revealed at gamescom’s Opening Night Live. And so there’s a chance that, with both shows being organised by Geoff Keighley, the relationship may deliver a new look at the spooky co-op platformer. As for something that will definitely be there, look no further than Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
Mid-Size Developers
Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive have Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 coming out this September, so a gory look at some fresh Tyranid splattering seems likely. Then there’s the equally violent-looking John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, also from Saber. Revealed this time last year, maybe it’s time for another look at the ‘80s-inspired undead shooter.
Despite Take Two’s best efforts, the beleaguered Private Division marches on with two games currently in development. Moon Studios’ No Rest for the Wicked has hit early access, and so maybe there will be an update on new features coming to the ARPG. Then there’s the Lord of the Rings cosy game, Tales of the Shire. Due to launch this year, we wouldn’t say no to a brief little visit to Hobbiton in the form of a new trailer.
Less quaint a setting is the planet of Arrakis and its perpetual war for the possession of spice. A story cinematic trailer has been promised for Funcom’s Dune: Awakening, the MMO set in Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi world.
Arc Games might bring us a new look at the long-awaited Hyper Light Breaker from Heart Machine, as well as perhaps a look at something new for Remnant 2, of which two of the promised three DLC packs have been released so far. Level Infinite will also be in attendance, perhaps giving us some mobile time-travelling in the shape of Assassin’s Creed Jade, or an update on what new things to expect from fantasy survival game, Nightingale.
Then there’s Torn Banner Studios. Could a Chivalry 3 reveal be marching in, or something completely new from the developer? Pocketpair will present some “long awaited features” for breakout hit Palworld, SNK has Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves to show off, and S-Game might show us more of Phantom Blade Zero – the stylish sword-based steampunk-infused martial arts game revealed last year.
A couple of years ago, some ex-Blizzard folks revealed their new RTS Stormgate at Summer Game Fest. History looks to repeat itself in 2024 because Uncapped Games, headed up by former StarCraft developer David Kim, is set to unveil its new game at the show. The project is promised to be a “paradigm shift for the RTS genre.”
Developer Team Jade has confirmed that a new trailer for Delta Force Hawk Ops will drop during the show, so you can expect the rattling assault rifles of modern warfare to light up, too.
Indies, Art House, and Smaller Projects
Devolver has its own show, for which we can logically expect the majority of its reveals to be saved for, but that seemingly won’t stop it from showing us something new at SGF. A recent tease points in the direction of another new game from Heart Machine – the developer of the Hyper Light series. Outside of that, we can perhaps expect new looks at other upcoming Devolver projects such as the action-packed Anger Foot, charming The Plucky Squire, and ludicrous Baby Steps.
Annapurna Interactive is as consistent an indie publisher as there is, having given us the likes of Cocoon, Stray, and Thirsty Suitors in recent years, and the critically acclaimed puzzler Lorelei and the Laser Eyes already in 2024. But with Bounty Star, Flock, Ghost Bike, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, and Silent Hill: Townfall all coming up, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more than one trailer from Annapurna at this year’s show.
Blumhouse is gearing up to reveal its first game. Common sense would lead us to think it’s a horror game, but will it be based on one of their many film franchises? Jason Blum stated that the publisher is more interested in original projects at this stage, so maybe don’t expect an Insidious, Paranormal Activity, or The Purge game just yet. Either way, it will likely be one of the scarier trailers of the show.
Speaking of horror, we know that Bokeh Game Studio is partnered with the show, so surely that means a new look at Slitterhead, the new disturbing-looking creation from Keiichiro Toyama, the man behind Silent Hill, Siren, and Gravity Rush.
Also slated to appear is Thunderful, who could well give us a look at gameplay of the recently announced SteamWorld Heist 2. We can expect Innersloth to give us an update on the Among Us animated TV show, and Jyamma Games may well show off a new trailer for upcoming Italian-styled soulslike, Enotria: The Last Song.
Multiplayer and Free-to-Play
Already confirmed for the show is the official launch date reveal for The First Descendant, Nexon’s free-to-play looter shooter that can be played solo or in co-op.
NetEase has a couple of games that may make an appearance. Hero shooter Marvel Rivals could get a new trailer or character reveal ahead of its closed beta in July. Where Winds Meet, meanwhile, could give us another glimpse of gameplay following a brief showing at last week’s PlayStation State of Play.
HoYoverse is gearing up for the launch of the stylish action RPG Zenless Zone Zero on July 4, so a fresh look to build up the hype seems logical. We also wouldn’t be shocked to see some Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail seasonal updates.
Epic and Embark are both listed as partners, so sneak peeks at what is coming up for both Fortnite and The Finals respectively might make an appearance. Amazon Games is also furthering its push into the online gaming space and has both Throne and Liberty (co-created with NCSoft, another confirmed SGF attendant) and Blue Protocol (the joint project with Namco Bandai we mentioned earlier) in development. New trailers for both wouldn’t be a surprise.
Potential Surprises
Now, we aren’t going to list every big upcoming game that could show us something new on Friday, but here are a few we think might just surprise us.
We’d really love Judas to make an appearance. Initially revealed at the Game Awards 2022, Geoff Keighley recently sat down with IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey and Judas director Ken Levine for an extended chat about how Ghost Story Games’ new roguelike-ish, BioShock-y shooter works. A new look at gameplay certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
Hollow Knight fans have been suffering for a long time now and would surely love nothing more than to see that Team Cherry logo pop up at the beginning of a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date trailer. Will it happen? We may as well make this prediction for the 39th showcase in a row.
IO Interactive’s James Bond game Project 007 was announced back in 2020. We certainly wouldn’t say no to spying a look at that in action.
Could Skydance Interactive give us another look at Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra? The Amy Hennig Captain America and Black Panther action-adventure looked stunning the last time we saw it, with a trailer showing off the power of Unreal Engine 5. We could watch that all day, so a little more would be very welcome.
Is it time for the wild-looking DokeV to make a return? From Korean developers Pearl Abyss, the colorful open-world action-adventure was last seen at gamescom Opening Night Live back in 2021 but has been silent ever since.
And, finally, it wouldn’t be a Geoff Keighley show without some Hideo Kojima speculation. While it may be too soon for another epic Death Stranding 2 trailer, could we get some more info on the Jordan Peele-related project OD? Whatever the case, it’s surely far too early for a look at Physint. Hideo might not even be there. There’s a first for everything.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. Simon Cardy is IGN’s Senior Editorial Producer.
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