Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2023 (or ‘Keigh-3’ as it’s known in some circles) was a major showcase of upcoming video games that kicked off a month of additional publisher presentations, and set the landscape for the future of video games both big and small, known and unknown. It takes over from E3 as the industry’s most prominent showcase.
It featured several new trailers and looks for already-announced games, like Mortal Kombat 1, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Alan Wake 2, and Like A Dragon Gaiden, as well as a release date reveal for Spider-Man 2.
There were a few brand-new game announcements too, including a new 2D Prince of Persia game, and a Sonic The Hedgehog throwback game called Sonic Superstars.
Also, Nicholas Cage was there.
You can get a condensed rundown of everything that was shown at the Summer Game Fest 2023 showcase below.
Read: Summer Game Fest 2023 – Schedule of events and showcases
Table of contents
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Ubisoft kicked off Summer Game Fest with the reveal of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a 2D action platforming game with an edgier-looking prince, wielding dual swords with a fast and flashy combat style. We see him battle several beasts, and use some of the powers he had in The Sands of Time. We’ll see more of it at Ubisoft Forward.
It’ll be released on 18 January 2024.
Mortal Kombat 1
NetherRealm Studios followed Ubisoft with an extended look at Mortal Kombat 1, via a better look at the gameplay and story, which involves a completely rebooted version of the Mortal Kombat Universe.
Kicking off with a fight between a brand new version of Kung Lao and Sub Zero, we see Fire God Liu Kang (who gained world altering powers at the end of Mortal Kombat 11) recruit several familiar characters to a new cause (after brutally beating them in several fights, of course). However, these versions of the characters have never interacted with each other before, and have brand new narrative relationships. For example, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are now brothers, rather than bitter rivals.
Read: Mortal Kombat 1 gameplay details explained, characters revealed in new trailer
We see a young Raiden and Johnny Cage for the first time, as well as sisters Kitana and Mileena kick off a new version of their sibling rivalry. We also see characters like Sonya, Kano, and Kenshi. It appears there will be about 24 characters at launch, based on an early look at the roster screen.
We also see glimpses of the new ‘Kameo’ system, a tag team system that allows players to call in for assist attacks, as well as several new gruesome fatality finishers. In a presentation following the trailer, creator Ed Boon revealed that the roster of Kameo fighters will be completely separate from the playable character roster – though some characters will have a presence on both.
Path of Exile 2
New Zealand’s Grinding Gear Games then showed off a brief first look at the sequel to their popular action RPG, Path of Exile, which has been long in development. More of the game will be shown on 28 July 2023.
Street Fighter 6 X Exoprimal
Capcom then had a bit of a weird announcement for its upcoming dino shooter Exoprimal, revealing that robotic versions of Street Fighter characters Ryu and Guile would be in the game.
Nicholas Cage and Dead by Daylight
This was followed by Nicholas Cage taking the stage as part of his collaboration with asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, Dead by Daylight, where he plays an exaggerated version of himself.
He talked a bit about how he got involved, and the process of recording voiceover lines and grunts for games, which was a new experience to him. He seems to be doing well. We’re happy for him.
The Witcher on Netflix
The cast of The Witcher then briefly introduced an action-packed trailer for Season 3 of the Netflix show, which will see Geralt (Henry Cavill) searching for Ciri (Freya Allen), fighting all manner of monsters, and growing an emotional attachment.
Witchfire, Crossfire Sierra Squad, and Remnant 2
A new trailer for the first-person shooter called Witchfire was then revealed, revealing an early access launch date. It involves a Victorian-era-inspired world with guns, monsters, and magic.
It was quickly followed by a trailer for Crossfire Sierra Squad, a VR first-person shooter launching in August on Meta Quest.
A trailer for Remnant 2 was next, the third-person shooter roguelike series, which mixes steampunk-looking technology with hard sci-fi elements for a cooperative experience.
Sonic Superstars
Sega then announced a brand new Sonic The Hedgehog game, which appears to pay homage to the 2D Sonic games, only with a 3D art style. Playable characters include Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose.
Honkai Star Rail
A new trailer for the popular gacha game Honkai Star Rail was shown, celebrating its upcoming release on PlayStation 5. It’ll arrive in Q4 of 2023.
Lies of P
A release date was shared for Lies of P, an upcoming Souls-like game where you play Pinnochio in a Victorian reinterpretation of the story, which features several horrific monster designs and some fetching architecture.
It’ll be released on 19 September 2023, and a demo is available on all platforms now.
Sand Land
A trailer for Sand Land, a game based on the manga series by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), was then revealed. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic desert world, where you play the demon prince Beelzebub on a quest to find water.
Throne and Liberty
The new open-world MMORPG from NCSoft and Amazon Games was then shown, featuring a high fantasy world with towering beasts, large environments, and the ability for protagonists to shapeshift into animals, like birds!
It’ll be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Warhaven
A trailer for a new game from Nexon was then revealed, that features flashy medieval-style battles against hoards of enemies in trepidatious environments.
This was followed by a brief series of trailers for Party Animals, as well as a content update for Dying Light 2, and also Crash Team Rumble.
Alan Wake 2
Remedy’s Sam Lake then took the stage to talk about the much-anticipated thriller, Alan Wake 2. Described as Remedy’s ‘first survival horror game’, it will feature both Alan Wake and his co-protagonist, FBI Agent Saga Anderson, in equal measures.
Read: Saga Anderson is the co-protagonist of Alan Wake 2
It’s being treated as a standalone experience, as you begin the game playing as Saga, investigating a series of ritualistic murders, and uncovering the mysteries of the author Alan Wake, who is trapped in the Dark Place. It sounds like you’ll be free to switch between the characters throughout the game, and unravel the intertwined story as you like.
A brief gameplay demo was then shown, featuring Saga investigating a dark forest early on in the game. She stumbles across an abandoned, dilapidated rest stop, where she’s ambushed by a terrifying-looking cultist, wielding an axe. She’s shown using her torch to expose a weak point through the darkness enshrouding the assailant, and firing away.
Once he’s taken care of, she unlocks a freezer in the same way, discovering a human heart.
Alan Wake 2 will be released on 17 October 2023.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
A gruesome-looking trailer was then shown for the sequel to the beloved Space Marine. It’s a third-person cooperative shooter set in the Warhammer 40K universe. It’ll be released in Winter (Northern Hemisphere).
Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall
A trailer for a sequel to Yes, Your Grace was then shown, a game where you play as the ruler of a kingdom, and must make decisions, brought to you on your throne by your advisors, to manage your kingdom.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
From Saber Interactive, Focus Entertainment, and horror cinema legend John Carpenter comes Toxic Commando, a first-person shooter seemingly about a squad of mercenaries taking on hoards of zombies and other monstrosities, both on foot and from the safety of their armoured vehicles. It looks like a Left 4 Dead-style cooperative shooter. It’s arriving in 2024.
Baldur’s Gate 3
A new trailer for the upcoming RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 showed off a new antagonist, Gortash, voiced by Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter). The game is arriving 31 August 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Insomniac’s Creative Director Bryan Intihar then took the stage to talk a bit more about the studio’s upcoming sequel, revealing the box art and talking about its villains – Kraven and Venom – though he suggested there will be more. He also revealed that the Venom of this universe will not be Eddie Brock, which is an enticing revelation for Spider-Man fans.
Read: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 release date announced
A release date for the game was also announced: 20 October 2023. It will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Palworld, Black Desert Online, and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
We then got a new look at the hilarious Palworld, essentially a Pokemon game where the Pokemon can wield guns. Early Access for the game will begin in January 2024.
A trailer for a new Black Desert Online expansion that draws inspiration from Korean folklore was then shown. It’s called Land of the Morning Light.
This was followed by a trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, a game where you play as a dwarf, digging and fighting underground.
Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis
A trailer for a new mobile game from Square Enix, Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, was then shown, which features a homage to the original art style of Final Fantasy 7, highly detailed turn-based combat scenes, and several new characters. A playtest is coming soon.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
From Focus Entertainment comes Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, a third-person action game where you embody two characters simultaneously, one of whom exists in the spirit world. You’ll use them both in combat, and the narrative seemingly involves their complicated relationship.
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
A trailer for the new game in the Yakuza / Like A Dragon series was then shown, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The game’s details were leaked prior to the event.
We got a new look Kiryu’s new fighting style, a taste of the plot, as well as a glimpse of a new location called ‘The Castle’. The game will be released on 9 November 2023.
Under the Waves
A trailer for the upcoming narrative adventure game set underwater, Under the Waves, was then shown. You’ll play a lone protagonist, who comes to believe he might not be alone beneath the water.
It arrives on 29 August 2023.
Call of Duty: Warzone
A brief hype reel for a new Warzone Map, Vondel, was then shown. Seemingly inspired by Europe, it features a castle, soccer field, and other points of interest. The battle royale is launching its fourth season in mid-June.
Faefarm
Faefarm is a new life simulator inspired by Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, and it got a new trailer during Summer Game Fest to announce its arrival on
Marvel Snap
Ben Brode from Second Dinner then took the stage to talk about Marvel Snap, and to announce the game’s ‘biggest update ever’, with a new game mode called ‘Conquest’, a competitive version of its Friend Battle Mode feature.
He also revealed a new commercial featuring comedic voice actor SungWon Cho. The game is already available, of course.
Trailers, Trailers, and More Trailers
A series of trailers then followed, including one where you play King Arthur, Wayfinders, a new game from the creators of Battle Chasers, and a trailer for the Unreal Editor in Fortnite.
This was followed by a trailer for a new multiplayer Stellaris game from Paradox, as well as Space Trash: Scavenger, and Star Trek: Infinite.
Twisted Metal
Actor Will Arnett then introduced a clip of the upcoming TV series adaptation of PlayStation’s Twisted Metal, which featured antagonist Sweet Tooth (voiced by Arnett and embodied by ROH’s Samoa Joe) as he gets into a rendition of ‘The Thong Song’ with Anthony Mackie.
The series begins streaming on 27 July 2023.
Lysfanga
A trailer for a new game called Lysfanga was then shown, a top-down action RPG that lets you rewind time, which creates duplicate versions of yourself and your previous actions each time. It’s coming to PC in 2023.
Immortals of Aveum
Actor Darren Barnet then introduced some new gameplay footage for Immortals of Aveum a magic-themed shooter developed by Call of Duty alumni, and published by EA Originals.
It showed the protagonist on board an enormous, kaiju-style mecha as it comes under siege. It looks suitably over the top.
The game arrives on 20 July 2023.
Fortnite Wilds
The cinematic trailer for the next season of Fortnite, called Wilds, then premiered. This update to the game will introduce crossover characters from Transformers, including Optimus Prime.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Finally, Square Enix revealed a first look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, showing the world outside of Midgard, which encompassed the entire first game.
Lush green environments, the town of Nibelheim, and other biomes were shown, as well as characters like Yuffie, Red XIII, and Elena. New looks at some of the iconic original scenes from Final Fantasy VII remade in this modern interpretation were also shown, including Tifa’s fateful encounter with Sephiroth as a youth.
Read: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date window revealed in new trailer
Given the way that Remake completely rewrites the fabric of the original story, it will be very interesting to see how Rebirth unfolds.
It’ll be released in early 2024 on two Blu-Ray Discs in its physical edition, which is seemingly a first in this generation. It suggests the game will be quite big, to say the least.
Read: Summer Game Fest 2023 – Schedule of events and showcases
