The show will lean heavily on previously announced titles
Each summer, the games industry gathers itself into a moment of collective attention — a threshold between what has been announced and what is yet to be imagined. Summer Game Fest 2022, hosted by Geoff Keighley on June 9th, serves as that threshold: a curated livestream where publishers, developers, and audiences briefly share the same anticipation. It is less a trade show than a cultural signal, marking the season when the industry turns to face its audience and says, here is what comes next.
- With E3 gone dormant, the industry has no single stage — and Summer Game Fest is the closest thing left to a shared opening ceremony.
- Geoff Keighley has tempered expectations, warning that most of the show will spotlight already-announced titles rather than deliver a wave of surprises.
- Still, confirmed appearances from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Gotham Knights, Cuphead, and Marvel's Midnight Suns give the event real weight for audiences already tracking those releases.
- Immediately after the main stream, Day of the Devs hands the spotlight to independent studios — including a new reveal from Monument Valley creator ustwo games.
- The show streams simultaneously across YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook, with select IMAX theaters also carrying the feed for those who want the full spectacle.
Summer Game Fest returns on Thursday, June 9th at 2 p.m. Eastern, with host Geoff Keighley leading a ninety-minute to two-hour livestream he's describing as a cross-industry showcase. The event streams across YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook, and will even appear in select IMAX theaters across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Keighley has been upfront about the show's shape: it will lean on previously announced titles more than brand-new reveals, though he's promised a handful of surprises. The confirmed lineup — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Gotham Knights, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Marvel's Midnight Suns, One Piece Odyssey, and The Callisto Protocol — represents the games the industry most wants audiences watching right now.
What sets Summer Game Fest apart is what comes after. The moment the main stream ends, iam8bit and Double Fine Productions take over with Day of the Devs: SGF Edition, a showcase devoted entirely to independent games. Monument Valley developer ustwo games is set to unveil something new, joined by other indie studios with trailers and announcements of their own.
The event carries weight beyond its runtime. With E3 effectively gone, Summer Game Fest has become the unofficial starting gun for the industry's summer announcement season — a sprawling calendar of publisher events and community showcases that extends well into July. Keighley's presence as curator gives the whole fragmented season a center of gravity. Thursday at 2 p.m. EDT is when the conversation begins.
Summer Game Fest returns Thursday, June 9, at 2 p.m. Eastern time—11 a.m. on the West Coast—with host Geoff Keighley steering what he's calling a "cross-industry showcase of announcements and games." The livestream will run somewhere between ninety minutes and two hours, streaming across YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook. If you prefer to watch on a screen larger than your monitor, select IMAX theaters in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. will carry the feed, though most people will probably just tune in from home.
Keighley has already set expectations: the show will lean heavily on previously announced titles rather than being a parade of surprises. That said, he's promised "a couple of new game announcements" and some undisclosed reveals mixed in. The confirmed lineup includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Gotham Knights, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Marvel's Midnight Suns, One Piece Odyssey, and The Callisto Protocol. These are the anchors—the games people are already watching for, now getting their moment on stage.
What makes Summer Game Fest distinct from the old E3 model is its structure. The main event is just the opening act. Immediately after the livestream wraps, iam8bit and Double Fine Productions take over with Day of the Devs: SGF Edition, a showcase dedicated entirely to independent games. This is where the smaller studios get their turn. Monument Valley developer ustwo games will unveil something new, and there will be fresh trailers, updates, and announcements from other indie creators.
The timing matters. Summer Game Fest has become the de facto replacement for E3, which went dormant after 2022. Publishers and developers have scattered their announcements across a dozen different showcases throughout June and July, each one competing for attention. This Thursday's event is the unofficial kickoff—the moment when the industry collectively agrees to start talking about what's coming next. Keighley's role as curator and host gives the event a sense of coherence that the fragmented summer schedule otherwise lacks.
For anyone tracking the gaming calendar, this is the signal that the season has begun. The full slate of summer showcases—publisher events, community-run presentations, and everything in between—extends well beyond Thursday, but Summer Game Fest is where the conversation starts. Tune in at 2 p.m. EDT if you want to see what's being prioritized, what's being revealed, and what the industry thinks you should care about next.
Notable Quotes
A couple of new game announcements and some surprises, though the show will primarily focus on previously announced games— Geoff Keighley, host
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Summer Game Fest matter if most of the games shown are already announced?
Because announcement and showcase are different things. A game can be known to exist without anyone understanding what it actually is. This is where developers show you the thing in motion, explain the vision, let you feel the weight of it.
So it's not really about surprises?
Not primarily. Keighley was honest about that. There will be a couple of new reveals, sure, but the real value is in the curation—he's saying these are the games worth your attention right now. That's a form of authority.
Why does the indie showcase come after, not before?
Structurally, it lets the big publishers anchor the conversation first. But it also means indie games get their own space, their own moment. They're not competing for attention in the same room.
Is this replacing E3 permanently?
It's functioning as a replacement, yes. E3 tried to be everything to everyone. This is more honest—a livestream, some reveals, then a separate indie event. Smaller, more focused.
What happens if nothing surprising gets announced?
Then people will say the show was predictable. But that's not really the failure point. The failure would be if the games shown didn't feel significant, or if the presentation felt hollow. The substance matters more than the shock.