Summer Game Fest 2023 Live News Rundown

Here we are again y’all. We’re at the equivalent of Christmas in June or “Faux-E3” as Keiran calls it. Another year has passed, and we’re back to Summer Game Fest. In the absence of E3, showcases have already taken place including Guerilla Collective’s showcase on Wednesday, and Sony’s showcase from a few weeks back. Now, Geoff Keighley is back with another live show. This time there’s no pre-show, so we can just dive right into the 3+ hour event.

To start, the show kicked off with a surprise reveal that I was not expecting. The Prince of Persia franchise is back! Now, as far as I’m aware the Sands of Time Remake is still in the works, but this new game, (titled Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown) does things a little differently.

Similarly to classic Prince of Persia games, The Lost Crown is a side-scrolling action-platformer (possibly Metroidvania?) where you play as one of “The Immortals” trying to save the Kingdom’s captured Prince. I am incredibly excited for this to be released on January 18^th, 2024 for all current major platforms. More about The Lost Crown will be shown at the Ubisoft Forward event, so stay tuned for our coverage of that.

The next segment gave us our first major glimpse of Mortal Kombat 1’s gameplay. We got an extended look at the game, including the story, gameplay, and a few gruesome fatalities. Liu Kang (now a god after MK11) is gathering warriors for a new Mortal Kombat tournament. This includes some familiar faces and some that might be familiar but look different (I can’t be sure).

The gameplay seemed to transition seamlessly from cutscene to combat, but that could have been done specifically for the event, so it is hard to tell. We even got to see a younger Raiden, which is a very interesting prospect. This new timeline is fascinating.

We also got a few new glimpses of things like Kameo fighters and various characters on the roster. Mileena and Kitana have a new storyline (sort of) as well, which is interesting. I’m very excited about the September 19^th release date of Mortal Kombat 1 now. Ed Boon also took the stage, giving a variety of details about the game as well.

The next segment was very interesting to me, coming hot off the heels of the release of Diablo 4. Path of Exile 2 took the stage, showcasing gameplay footage of the upcoming sequel to 2013’s popular ARPG. While we only saw a short glimpse, the footage also revealed that more details will be shown on July 28^th. I’m very curious about what is to come from that moving forward.

Street Fighter 6’s dev team took some time for Summer Game Fest, with an announcement for a crossover with the upcoming game Exoprimal. It is listed as the first “Capcom Collab” which tells me that there may be more crossover promotions coming. The crossover will happen this Fall, though no specific date was given. Exoprimal will be released on July 14^th as well.

After that announcement, we got more details on the Nicholas Cage collaboration with Dead by Daylight. The Nicholas Cage Dead by Daylight crossover will be coming in July, and Nicholas Cage himself showed up to give a bit more detail and context. Apparently, Nicholas Cage is a Sadako fan (from The Ring) which made him want to be in Dead by Daylight after seeing her appear in the Ring DLC.

He also explained that he plays an “exaggerated” version of himself in the game, that thought he was going to film a movie and instead winds up in the Fog. I’m not going to lie, this segment was simultaneously hilarious (unintentionally) and insane in the most fun way possible. I’m not normally a Nick Cage fan, but this segment has me curious about his DLC when it launches on July 25th. That segment was a little awkward toward the end though.

Next up was a world premiere trailer for The Witcher’s 3^rd season, which happens to be Henry Cavill’s final season as Geralt. I’ve made it no secret that I’m not sold on the Liam Hemsworth recasting, but this season looks decent at least. The casting is superb, and I love the progression of Ciri becoming a Witcher. I’ll give it a watch at least.

After that interlude came a trailer for Witchfire, which will be coming to Early Access on September 20^th. Witchfire is a shooter with a gothic aesthetic created by the developers of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It looks interesting so far, and I’m curious to see what the Early Access period offers.

We also had a short commercial break of sorts, containing commercials for Crossfire Sierra Squad which releases this August, as well as a variety of other gaming-adjacent products. After that interlude, they transitioned smoothly into the next segment about our favorite blue hedgehog.

Sonic is getting a fresh new side-scrolling adventure with absolutely gorgeous 2.5D visuals. Sonic isn’t alone though, you’ll be able to play as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy on this new adventure as well. New abilities were shown like climbing up waterfalls, as well as special stages and even a few boss fights. Sonic Superstars will be released on all major platforms later this Fall.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Summer Game Fest (or Gamescom/Game Awards for that matter) without Hoyoverse having some form of presence. This time, we got a glimpse at Honkai Star Rail’s newest character, as well as the upcoming PlayStation release. Honkai Star Rail will be coming to PlayStation 5 during Q4 of 2023.

After a short period of silence from the team, we got new information on Lies of P, the Pinocchio-inspired Souls-Like game. The new trailer revealed the September 19^th release date and showed off a few more enemies, characters, and environments. I’m curious about this one, but Souls-Likes are hit or miss for me, so I’ll wait till it comes out and see what folks think. There is also a demo available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.

Our next reveal was the premiere of a new game from Bandai Namco and the creator of Dragon Ball (Akira Toriyama) based on the Manga SandLand. It is set in a world where demons and humans co-exist and appears to feature both standard beat-em-up combat and mech/vehicle combat. There is no release date yet, but we know SandLand will be coming to PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Where is my Sailor Moon game Bandai?

Annapurna Interactive also gave a small tease for games coming to their showcase later this month on June 29^th. There were some familiar games there, but the showcase also promises their biggest announcement yet. I’m sure we’ll have coverage for you when the time comes.

Throne and Liberty took the stage next, a Free to Play PC and Console MMORPG from the dev team at NCSoft and Amazon Games. The game looks ambitious, and if I didn’t have enough things to occupy my time I might sink my teeth into an MMO, but my backlog is already immense. Throne and Liberty will release at some point in the future on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.

In case you weren’t already aware, Geoff took the next moment to announce that the next Steam Next Fest is coming on June 19^th. There will be a ton of demos there, so keep an eye out for anything that might interest you. This was also a great way to introduce Nexon’s new Free to Play game Warhaven, which has a demo coming for the Next Fest. The trailer was impressive and visually interesting, only time will tell if the game is any good when it releases this Fall.

Another commercial break came, giving advertisements for Party Animals’ September 20^th release date, new content for Dying Light 2, Crash Team Rumble’s June 20^th release, and Samsung Gaming Hub. I understand the need for commercials in a live event, but I wish they’d give some warning to those of us writing these news roundups.

Alan Wake II got some time in the spotlight next, with Sam Lake (from Remedy Entertainment) taking the stage. Alan Wake II is Remedy Entertainment’s first pure Survival Horror game and will feature two protagonists with a 50/50 split between them. They’ll explore two different worlds, but their stories are connected. Sam Lake revealed that players will be able to choose to switch between protagonists at different points in the story.

Alan is trying to escape The Dark Place after the events of the first game. Meanwhile, Saga is an FBI agent that finds her way to Bright Falls. I wonder if this will have more overt connections to Control and the FBC. Lake also mentions that you don’t have to play the first game to understand and enjoy Alan Wake II. We also got to see some raw gameplay footage of Saga’s story early in the game. Alan Wake II will be released on October 17^th, 2023.

Warhammer Space Marine 2 showed off its first glimpse of the Co-Op campaign in the next segment. I’m not really a Warhammer guy, but the co-op gameplay is impressive looking, and the visuals are gorgeous. Warhammer Space Marine 2 will release this Winter for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Developer Brave at Night also presented a new trailer for Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, which looks to be an interesting and immersive Kingdom ruling sim. You can wishlist it now, and it will be released on Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox consoles in 2024.

John Carpenter (Horror Icon), Saber Interactive, and Focus Entertainment have collaborated on a new game called John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. Toxic Commando is a co-op FPS shooter where you take on hordes of mutated enemies either from an armored vehicle or on foot. The vehicle seems to have a large focus here, but the premise is interesting. Toxic Commando will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S next year.

The next segment focused on Baldur’s Gate III, which will be getting its full 1.0 release this August. They showed off a new trailer featuring a new antagonist voiced by Jason Isaacs. He plays Gortash, a secondary antagonist that aims to take control of Baldur’s Gate. Baldur’s Gate III will be released on August 31^st, 2023.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also got some time to shine after its appearance at the PlayStation Showcase. They showed off some box art, as well as more about Kraven and Venom. They also confirmed that Venom will not be Eddie Brock’s version, which makes me wonder if it will be Flash Thompson or some other version. Though they do hint that this is an original story, so it might be someone new.

The creative director also revealed that they’ve doubled the size of the city compared to Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales. The release date was also revealed, confirming an October 20^th, 2023, release date.

Next up came new information on Palworld, a survival crafting game that allows you to collect mysterious creatures called Pal. We saw this game a while ago, and it went viral for being Pokemon with guns. Palworld will be coming to Early Access in January of 2024.

They also showcased the new expansion to Black Desert Online, taking place during Korea’s Joseon dynasty. The trailer showcased new bosses, presumably new classes, and more. The Land of the Morning Light expansion will be released on June 14^th.

A new Lord of the Rings game is on the horizon. Hopefully, it fares better than Gollum… too soon? This new game is Dwarven-focused and will showcase a time when the Dwarves were digging to try and reach the mines of Moria. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be released this Fall for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. I’m a little concerned about it releasing so soon, considering how much of a disaster the Gollum game was.

The next announcement was for Ever Crisis, the Final Fantasy VII mobile game that was delayed last year. I’ve been wanting information on this for ages, since it aims to tell not only the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation story (including Before Crisis) but also will tell new stories that are divergent from the main one. It looks to be a perfect accompaniment to the FFVII Remake trilogy.

Pre-Registration is available now for Ever Crisis on Android and iOS devices. Additionally, a closed beta test will run from June 8^th to June 28^th in certain regions. We still don’t have a release date, but the trailer they showed looks gorgeous. I kind of hope it eventually gets a PC release or even a Switch version.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden came next, revealing new information on this gorgeous and haunting game. The new trailer showcased some moral choices, combat, and more. Banishers has an “End of 2023” release window on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name got a new trailer as well. This was previously announced by Ryu Ga Gotoku last year, but now we get to see more of what the game is like. After the events of Yakuza 6, Kiryu becomes a secret agent of sorts, codenamed Joryu. This new job description comes with new gadgets, stylish combat, and new elements that aren’t familiar to the franchise’s normal gameplay.

Mysteries abound in this prequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which will be released on November 9^th, 2023 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. Additionally, this game will have some sort of connection with Like a Dragon 8, which will star Kiryu and Ichiban together.

A new underwater narrative game called Under the Waves will be released for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox Consoles on August 29^th, 2023. The trailer gives a bit of information about the game’s narrative, but it is relatively mysterious so far. It looks beautiful though.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone showed off its 4^th multiplayer season next. There is a new location, which includes a Medieval castle for players to explore and fight in. Season 4 goes live on June 14^th, 2023. This segment also revealed a collaboration between Xbox and Porsche for the car company’s 75^th anniversary. Xbox has designed limited-edition Xbox Series X|S consoles inspired by various Porsche sports cars. The consoles aren’t for sale, but you can win one from this site. It isn’t really my thing, but car folks will love it.

The next segment showed off more of Fae Farm, a cozy farm sim developed by Phoenix Labs. While it was previously only announced for Nintendo Switch, the developers have announced that it is also coming to PC when the game releases on September 8^th. They showcased a bit of gameplay too, and the game looks cute, cozy, and a lot of fun.

Marvel Snap players got some treats in the next segment, with Second Dinner’s Chief Development Officer Ben Brode coming on stage to talk about some new things coming to the hit mobile game. Next week, the game is getting a new mode called Conquest Mode, which is a new highly competitive mode.

After that weird and slightly awkward segment, we got a reveal for a new game called King Arthur: Legends Rise. It is a cross-platform PC and Mobile action game that will have Arthur (and other Arthurian characters) taking on dark creatures that wish to destroy the world. I’m not totally sold on all these games in the style of Raid: Shadow Legends, so we’ll see what happens when it launches.

Wayfinders also got a new trailer and will be coming to Early Access this summer on PC and PlayStation consoles. The game looks interesting so far, but this teaser wasn’t quite enough to sell me on it just yet. You can also download the Unreal Editor for Fortnite now and create new maps and content.

A new trailer for Star Trek: Infinite was shown as well. The Borg seems to be a big threat, but more will be shown on Picard Day, June 16^th, 2023. Star Trek fans won’t have long to wait.

The Twisted Metal series also got an official trailer, with Will Arnett and Anthony Mackie starring in the film. It is kind of hilarious to see the new Captain America get punched in the face by Sweet Tooth, but I’m not exactly sold on this adaptation. It will be streaming on Peacock on July 27^th.

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a new hack-and-slash RPG with a tactical twist. You’ll be able to rewind time and fight alongside duplicates of yourself to defeat enemies. You can wishlist Lysfanga now, and it will release sometime in 2023.

Immortals of Aveum has been talked about quite a bit lately, but it took the stage at Summer Game Fest to give us just a little more info. Darren Barnett (the lead actor) showed off a bit of gameplay. Immortals of Aveum will be released on July 20th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox consoles. The trailer looks epic, stylish, and climactic. I’m very curious about this one.

Today, Chapter 4 of Fortnite’s third season (subtitled Wilds) is launching. During the Summer Game Fest Live, they debuted the cinematic trailer to preview the season. There is a hidden jungle in the center of the island. There is also a collaboration with Transformers, as well as new creatures like Dinosaurs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a Jurassic World collaboration in the future.

Optimus Prime joins the battle in this new chapter, along with a new battle pass full of interesting characters and cosmetics. If you’re a Fortnite fan and you like Transformers, you won’t want to miss this. The grand finale of this Summer Game Fest presentation was mind-blowing though, with a brand-new trailer for a highly anticipated game.

If you read my news article about the marketing for FFVII: Rebirth earlier this week, this might not come as a surprise. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth got a new trailer, and it is stunning. We get a glimpse of Cosmo Canyon, Bugenhagen’s Observatory, Red XIII, and even a voiceover of Tifa questioning Cloud’s account of the events in Nibelheim.

They also showed off a glimpse of combat, the introduction of the Turk Elena, Yuffie, and Red XIII working together in combat, and a huge mystery. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth will be available in Early 2024 on two discs. That last bit doesn’t surprise me. With FFXVI releasing this year, and FFVII Remake having two discs on PS4, I expected this game to be bigger and take up more space.

With that, the Summer Game Fest Live event ended. This was a fantastic showcase of games, and I absolutely cannot wait for a lot of these games to be released. Normally I have complaints about Geoff Keighley’s shows, but this one was solid. If you want to watch the full presentation, check it out below.