Every summer 2023 gaming showcase: full schedule of live streams

This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

Summer is one of the most exciting times to be a gamer, as it’s when most video game developers and publishers tease what’s coming next. For years, this was all centered around E3, but since that show went away during the COVID-19 pandemic, publishers have switched things up and held a variety of reveal-focused live-stream events over the course of the entire season. This year is shaping up to be no different, especially now that E3 2023 is canceled.

On May 24, Sony kicked things off with a PlayStation Showcase that revealed games like a Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake and that Bungie is reviving the Marathon series. In June, though, the number of showcases ramped up. From Meta to Microsoft to gaming’s main man Geoff Keighley, a lot of live-stream events have already taken place, and there’s more to come in August. It can be a lot to keep track of, but we’re here to help. This is every important, announcement-filled video game live stream happening over the course of summer 2023.

PlayStation Showcase: May 24

The PlayStation Showcase kicked things off this year on May 24. The livestream was packed with new game announcements, including Haven Studios’ Fairgame$, Konami’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Bungie’s Marathon, Firewalk Studios’ Concord, Arrowhead Studios’ Helldivers 2, and Square Enix’s Foamstars.

Meta Quest Gaming Showcase: June 1

The first major announcement-filled livestream of June was the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, where we got a look at a lot of games coming to the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, and the newly announced Meta Quest 3. The biggest reveals of this event included Samba de Amigo, Bulletstorm VR, and Asgard’s Wrath 2.

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak: Final Digital Event: June 7

On June 7, Capcom revealed a lot of new information on the Bonus Update for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This was also the final digital showcase dedicated to Monster Hunter Rise and its expansion, so Capcom also held a developer roundtable where they discussed the game and expansion’s developments.

Guerrilla Collective Showcase: June 7

Those who enjoy indie games tuned into the Guerrilla Collective Showcase on June 7. This will likely turn out to be one of the best summer showcases for indie games, as a wide variety of developers and publishers will show off what they have in the works via new announcements and trailers. Highlights included Europa, Demonschool, Sticky Business, and Gori: Cuddly Carnage.

Summer Game Fest: June 8

Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest showcase returned yet again on June 8, and it was a surprisingly packed showcase. We got new looks at known games like Mortal Kombat 1, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Alan Wake 2. That said, it also featured some surprising new announcements, like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Sonic Superstars, and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.

Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition: June 8

Just as Summer Game Fest returned on June 8, the Days of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition that directly follows it is also coming back. This showcase put the spotlight on upcoming indie games. Specifically, it featured Beastieball, Hyper Light Breaker, Simpler Times, Viewfinder, Hauntii, Cart Life, Helskate, Henry Halfhead, Cocoon, Ete, Summerhill, Eternights, Retro Gadgets, Mars First Logistics, and Saltsea Chronicles.

Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy: June 8

Devolver Digital loves to inject a little bit of insanity into the video game reveal season every year, and 2023 is no different. On June 8, it aired Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy. This year’s show was centered around Volvy, a totally real gaming mascot that Devolver claimed has been present for over 30 years and has appeared in games like Hotline Miami and Cult of the Lamb. If you know anything about Devolver’s shows, you know things with Volvy get weird. If you’re just concerned about games, Devolver showed off Baby Steps, Human Fall Flat 2, The Talos Principle II, and Wizard with a Gun.

Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2023: June 9

On June 9, YouTube creator LauraKBuzz held the Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2023. It included 15 games that are accessible for disabled players. Some of the games featured include Mythwrecked, Skye Tales, Space Boat, and Stories of Blossom.

Tribeca Games Spotlight: June 9

The Tribeca Festival once again held a game showcase to highlight its selections this year. This showcase gave us new looks at seven games: A Highland Song, Chants of Sennaar, Despelote, Goodbye Volcano High, Nightscape, Stray Gods, and The Expanse: A Telltale Series when it was streamed on Tribeca’s YouTube Channel on June 9.

Wholesome Direct: June 10

Cozy games that trade in intense combat and dark themes for more lighthearted aesthetics are a growing trend in the game industry, and they even have a dedicated gaming showcase. During a June 10 live stream, Wholesome Games showed footage and announcements from 70-plus indie games, including Mineko’s Night Market and Beastieball. There was also the surprise release of Smushi Come Home.

Future Games Show: June 10

GamesRader+ held another Future Games Show on June 10. It featured more than 40 new trailers for games coming out across all major gaming platforms. Some highlights from the show included new trailers for Highwater, Lords of the Fallen, and Life By You, as well as the announcements of The Precinct and VR Wallace and Gromit game The Grand Getaway.

OTK Games Expo: June 10

Streamer-run media company OTK held its second annual OTK Games Exp on June 10. This event was hosted by content creators Asmongold, Emiru, Esfand, Mizkif, and Sodapoppin and it featured new trailers for games like Atomic Picnic, Gangs of Sherwood, and Alien Hominid Invasion. OTK also used the event to reveal its new publishing label Mad Mushroom.

Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature: June 11

On June 11, Microsoft held two showcases back-to-back. First was the Xbox Games Showcase, which featured a killer lineup of titles, including Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Fable, South of Midnight, Star Wars Outlaws, and more. Immediately after that came the Starfield Direct, where Bethesda Game Studios’ provided a meaty deep dive into its sci-fi RPG ahead of its September release.

PC Gaming Show: June 11

On June 11, PC Gamer held yet another PC Gaming Show. The primary purpose of this showcase was to highlight upcoming indie and AA games intended to release on PC over the coming months. It featured the reveals of titles like Last Train Home, Stampede: Racing Royale, and Islands of Insight, alongside new trailers for games like Frostpunk 2.

Ubisoft Forward: June 12

On June 12, Ubisoft held a Ubisoft Forward Live event. It didn’t reveal any brand-new games at this show. Instead, it used the showcase to give extended gameplay showcases for titles like Prince of Persia: The Last Crown, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Capcom Showcase: June 12

On June 12, the third annual Capcom Showcase was held. The Street Fighter 6  publisher used the show to give us new looks at titles like Exoprimal and Dragon’s Dogma 2, replay the trailers for things like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and even give us a gameplay debut and delay announcement for Pragmata.

Xbox Games Showcase Extended: June 13

Following up Microsoft’s two June 11 presentations was Xbox Games Showcase Extended on June 13. This live stream was slower-paced and gprovided deeper dives into some of the games shown off during the June 11 live stream, like Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and 33 Immortals. It also contained some smaller-scale announcements, like DLC for High On Life and a major update for Hi-Fi Rush.

Guerrilla Collective Presents Dames 4 Games and Black Voices in Gaming: June 13

Guerrilla Collective followed up its previous showcase with more programming on June 13. It began with the Dames 4 Games showcase, which highlighted women who work in the video game industry and the games that they make, like Wrestle Story, Sanya, and Dead Pets Unleashed. After that came the Black Voices in Gaming show, which did something similar for game developers from the Black community while promoting games like Breeze in the Clouds, RollerGirl, and Coreupt.

UploadVR Showcase: June 14

Following up the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase was the more indie-focused Upload VR Showcase which highlighted some of the smaller and more experimental VR titles on the horizon. That includes games like Barbaria, MADiSON VR, B99 Overclocked, Mindset, and more.

Grasshopper Direct: June 14

Grasshopper Manufacture, the Japanese studio founded by eclectic developer Suda51, held a showcase of its own on June 14. The showcase featured “exciting new announcements from Goichi “SUDA51” Suda and the rest of the Grasshopper Manufacture team.” Namely, we saw more of the remaster of Shadows of the Damned that was announced alongside this event.

RGG Summit Summer 2023: June 15

RGG Summit Summer 2023 took place on June 15, and Sega developer RGG Studios gave us new looks at the games it is working on. That included Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which got a November 8 release date at Summer Game Fest, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which got a new trailer and an early 2024 release window at the Xbox Game Showcase.

Nintendo Direct: June 21

Another Nintendo Direct took place on June 21, giving us a deep dive into Nintendo’s surprisingly packed fall lineup. Mario is set to dominate the Switch’s lineup this fall, as a Super Mario RPG remake, WarioWare: Move It!, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder were all announced. Titles like Pikmin 4 and Detective Pikachu Returns also flesh out the Nintendo Switch’s 2023 exclusives lineup.

Sonic Central 2023: June 23

Sega held a Sonic Central livestream on June 23. There, it revealed more details about Sonic Frontiers‘ next update and Sonic Superstars in addition to highlighting a bunch of brand partnerships featuring the blue hedgehog.

Behind the Sims: June 27

EA and Maxis held another Behind the Sims live stream on June 27. During that time, the developers revealed more information about The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack, updates for The Sims Mobile and The Sims Freeplay, and Project Rene, the next entry in the long-running series. Project Rene, in particular, is shaping up to be a gorgeous-looking title that’s playable across PC, consoles, and mobile.

Annapurna Interactive Showcase: June 29

Boutique indie game publisher Annapurna Interactive announced it would hold another showcase during the Summer Game Fest kickoff live stream. The Annapurna Interactive Showcase then took place on June 29 and featured a bunch of intriguing announcements. Cocoon, Thirsty Suitors, and the Xbox version of Stray all got release dates, while games like Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, To a T, Ghost Bike, and Lushfoil Photography Sim all got announced.

Limited Run Games Showcase: July 12

Limited Run Games held its third annual showcase on July 12. During this live stream, the physical games publisher and distributor revealed not just the next games it’s releasing physical copies of, but some new games and remasters as well. For example, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is a new platform inspired by the terrible The Legend of Zelda Phillips CD-i games. On the remaster side of things, Ocean Software’s Jurassic Park games are coming to modern platforms alongside remastered collections for series like Tomba and Gex.

Indie Live Expo Summer Spotlight: July 31

On July 31, Indie Live Expo will hold its first event Summer Spotlight showcase. According to a description of the event, it will feature “indie developers and publishers, showcasing announcements from around the world. Enjoy reveals of never-before-seen games, updates to fan-favorite titles, and the debut of new developers joining the indie scene.”

THQ Nordic Digital Showcase: August 11

Jumping to August, we can expect the third annual THQ Nordic Digital Showcase at 12 p.m. PT on August 11. The Embracer Group-owned game publisher has confirmed that the showcase will give us new looks at Alone in the Dark, Outcast 2, and Trine 5, in addition to some world premiere announcements.

Destiny 2 Showcase: August 22

During the PlayStation Showcase in May, Bungie actually revealed that it will be holding an event of its own at a currently undisclosed time on August 22. On that date, it will hold a Destiny 2 Showcase focused on giving us details on the game’s next expansion, The Final Shape.

Gamescom Opening Night Live: August 22

Geoff Keighley’s annual Gamescom showcase returns at 11 a.m. PT on August 22. Like Summer Game Fest, Gamescom Opening Night Live is yet another place where developers of all shapes and sizes from different corners of the industry will show off their upcoming games ahead of this large European gaming trade show.

Into the Infinite: August 23

Tencent is throwing its hat in the summer gaming showcase ring as well. Its Level Infinite publishing label will hold Into the Infinite: A Level Infinite Showcase at 10 a.m. PT on August 3, with the description of the event stating that it would feature “will feature first-look trailers, updates on existing games, long-awaited announcements, and giveaways.” Specific games haven’t been confirmed for the event, but it will likely feature upcoming Level Infinite titles, such as Stampede: Racing Royale and Synced.

Future Games Show @ Gamescom: August 23

Keighley isn’t the only one planning to hold two showcases this Summer. GamesRadar+ has also confirmed that another Future Games Show will take at 11 a.m. PT on August 23. The showcase going to feature over 40 trailers for games coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and VR.

RGG Summit Fall 2023: September

At the end of its summer summit, RGG Studio confirmed that it would hold another presentation later on in September. We’ll once again likely learn more details about Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth there, as we’ll be closer to the release of both titles. This showcase does not yet have a specific date or time; we just know that it will take place sometime during September.

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