Four split-up days of video game announcements is a lot of news to take in (and write about), but considering Summer Game Fest was a four-month-long ordeal last year, I’m glad to see host and producer Geoff Keighley has downsized the event in 2020.
The schedule Keighley announced today on the show’s official website has divided Summer Game Fest into four tentpole events: the Kickoff, Ubisoft Forward, Steam Next Fest, and EA Play Live. The first three presentations have a definitive start time, but one hasn’t been confirmed for EA Play Live just yet. Here’s a rundown of the full schedule:
Kickoff Live
This is basically the Summer Game Fest’s catch-all for everyone who isn’t the headliner of the other events. It will be hosted by Keighley, feature several world premiere trailers and announcements. Oh, and Weezer is performing, too. The event will, er, kick things off on June 10 at 11 a.m. Pacific Time.
Ubisoft Forward
Ubisoft will be hosting a showcase of its own as part of Summer Game Fest on June 12 at noon Pacific Time on June 12. This will double as the company’s E3 presentation, which is happening the same week. There’s not much in the way of details of what Ubisoft is planning to show, but you can probably expect news reveals and trailers for games like The Division Heartland.
Steam Next Fest
On June 16, the Steam Next Fest will begin. The initial presentation will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific and it will feature games among a list of “hundreds of demos” that will be playable for six days following the show.
EA Play Live
Unlike the other three showcases, EA Play Live won’t be coming in June. Instead, Electronic Arts is prepping for a show on July 22. No start time has been announced as of this writing, but expect new looks at games like the next Battlefield (which will be getting a proper reveal sometime next month), and maybe, if we’re lucky, something more on the next Dragon Age.
In other news:
- Report Says Ubisoft Has Done Little to Address Workplace Harassment Allegations
- I Don’t Know What’s Happening in this Guilty Gear Strive Story Trailer and at this Point I’m Too Afraid to Ask
- Bioware’s Not Opposed to Adding Mass Effect 3’s Multiplayer to Legendary Edition
The full list of companies taking part according to Summer Game Fest’s website includes the following: 2K, Activision, Amazon Games, Annapurna Interactive, Blizzard Entertainment, Capcom, Devolver Digital, DotEmu, EA, Epic Games, Finji, Frontier, Gearbox Publishing, Hi-Rez Studios, Innersloth, Koch Media, Mediatonic, MuHoYo, Bandai Namco, Psyonix, Raw Fury, Riot Games, Saber Interactive, Sega, PlayStation, Prime Gaming, Square-Enix, Steam, Tencent Games, Tribeca Games, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., Wizards of the Coast, and Xbox. Nintendo is notably absent, but is signed on to take part in E3 2021, so there will still likely be a Nintendo Direct happening that week.
