Geoff Keighley, producer of The Game Awards and E3, has revealed Summer Game Fest, a months-long event meant to highlight what's new to games in the absence of E3.
Calling it "a new kind of video game event," Summer Game Fest will be an all-digital celebration beginning in May and running through August, ostensibly to fill the gap left by shows like E3 and Gamescom being canceled or postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event promises to be a multi-platform presentation and has already teased partnerships with many publishers and studios, including 2K, Activision Publishing, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Bethesda, Blizzard Entertainment, Bungie, CD Projekt Red, Digital Extremes, Electronic Arts, Microsoft (more details coming next week), Sony Interactive Entertainment, SQUARE ENIX, Private Division, Riot Games, Steam and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
In-game events, new looks at upcoming games and surprises are all in store, said Keighley. As has happened last winter at The Game Awards, there will also be an organized effort to let players get hands-on with new games from the safety and comfort of their own homes. For now, Steam's demo event, Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition, will run from June 9-14 with an Xbox event to follow at an unannounced date. Other similar demo events are in the works too.
Programming for the various digital shows will be hosted on publisher channels such as official Mixer, YouTube, Twitch and other social media channels. The Summer Game Fest will have its finale event during the digital Gamescom showcase on August 24. The first of these events kicks off next week with Microsoft's announced Inside Xbox special which will focus on third-party content coming to Xbox Series X.
Curious fans are encouraged to check the schedule and other goings-on at the festival website. The Summer Game Fest joins a growing list of channels through which video game companies are hoping to spread the word about projects in a year without E3. IGN has announced its own showcase, Summer of Gaming, will arrive in June, while GamesRadar and other Future-owned outlets will host Future Game Show in June as well. Meanwhile, The Escapist is putting together an Indie Game Showcase for this summer.
