Each year, Day of the Devs hosts a showcase around Summer Game Fest to highlight some of the wildly creative indie games in development around the world. The organizers of Day of the Devs revealed to GameSpot that the non-profit received over 1,700 submissions for this year's Summer Game Fest showcase. That massive list of submissions was ultimately narrowed down to 20 titles, diverse in genre and developers, that make up the showcase.

Titles included range from a Yooka-Laylee racing game to a hilarious friendslop game about fighting zombies while boating down a lazy river. We also got release dates for highly anticipated indies like Screenbound and the 1.0 launch of 33 Immortals.

If you missed this year’s show live, we’re here to help. Here’s everything that was featured at Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest 2026 Edition in order of appearance.

Blood Dungeon

Messhof, the indie studio behind Nidhogg and Wheel World, kicked off the showcase by revealing Blood Dungeon. It’s a fantasy dungeon-crawling platformer take on Vampire Survivors. In Blood Dungeon, players scurry around constantly shooting at enemies as they explore levels and unlock new weapons and improvements. It features one of the funniest run cycle animations we’ve ever seen in a game, and it’s out later this summer.

Tenebris Somnia

Argentinian developer Saibot Studios and New Blood Interactive appeared next to show off Tenebris Somnia. This survival horror game blends pixel art action with spooky live-action FMV scenes. Saibot proudly declared it didn’t use any generative AI during production, leaning into practical effects for many of its live-action scares. Faith developer Airdorf also played a critical part in the game’s development as executive producer. Tenebris Somnia is set to release on October 16.

Mr. Records

Hot off the heels of Mixtape comes another amazing-looking music-driven game. In Mr. Records, gameplay is split into two parts. In one, players are transported to a different world while listening to a record and have to make their way through platforming challenges to the rhythm of the music. In between those levels, players manage a record shop. It’s basically Moonlighter by the way of Rhythm Heaven. Mr. Records will be released in Q1 2027

33 Immortals

Thunder Lotus Games launched 33 Immortals into Xbox Game Preview in March 2025. Since then, it has been building on the game, in which teams of up to 33 players can team up to fight their way through the action-roguelike. Thunder Lotus sponsored this year’s event and used it as an opportunity to confirm a June 10 release date for 33 Immortals’ 1.0 launch. When it releases, it’ll be available through Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox Series X|S.

Dreadmoor

Kyrgyzstan-based developer Dream Dock Studio revealed Dreadmoor, a fishing game with supernatural elements. In it, players must maintain a fishing boat as they sail through a post-cataclysm fantasy world, encountering eclectic characters and creatures as they do. Based on our first look at the game, fishing will be a particularly involved process in Dreadmoor, as the bait, line material, place where you cast all impact what you reel in. Dreadmoor will be released on Steam in Q4 2026.

Threads of Time

Retro enthusiasts will be happy to know that we got another look at Riyo Games’ Threads of Time during the showcase. The latest trailer showed off The Needle, a “timeship” that players use to explore different eras, Chrono Trigger style. They also confirmed that you can prevent the extinction of dinosaurs in the past to see how the creatures evolve in the far future as a result. This turn-based RPG still lacks a release window on PC or Xbox Series X|S.

N Plus Infinity Times Two

Metanet Software announced a successor to its N+ series of platformers, which sports the ridiculous name N Plus Infinity Times Two. While the gameplay is similar to previous N+ titles, this one focuses on competitive multiplayer across five modes. There will still be a single-player campaign where players can get a feel for the game’s mechanics, though. N Plus Infinity Times Two will be released in 2027.

Into the Unwell

Those who like the rubberhose-inspired animation of Mouse: P.I. For Hire should take note of Into the Unwell from She Was Such A Good Horse and Coffee Stain Publishing. It’s a co-op action roguelike that leans into the over-the-top animation style of classic cartoons as they fight and claw their way through a difficult roguelike. Into the Unwell will launch on Steam next year.

Bub

One of the most personal games shown off was Paperfrog’s Bub. It’s a love letter to New York City and the personal journeys artists go through. It also reflects one of the developer’s own struggles after they were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis mid-development. Bub will launch sometime in 2027.

Lazy River

Fans of silly co-op games might want to keep an eye on Lazy River, a new video game from Secret Hitler creator Mike Boxleiter. It takes place in a space water park and tasks players with building a raft and fighting zombies as they make their way along the cosmic lazy river and scavenge for supplies. It’s exactly the kind of quirky co-op game that has been all the rage lately, so keep an eye on Lazy River when it begins early access on Steam in 2027.

Prove You’re Human

2026's Day of the Devs showcase also provided us with another look at Sunset Visitor’s sci-fi game Prove You’re Human. Its segment mainly focused on Mesa, the AI personified by a giant head who believes they’re human. We got a look at the impressive animation and programming work required to make Mesa as expressive as they are, which is critical as Mesa is such an important character in the game. Prove You’re Human is in development for PC and has no release window.

Ithaca

French studio Pixel Hunt debuted Ithaca, a narrative-focused RPG that follows an environmental rights lawyer who decides to drive to Ithaca after kidnapping the boss of a large oil company. From there, players have a lot of narrative-impacting choices to make as they uncover what’s going on. A Kickstarter campaign for Ithica has begun, with Pixel Hunt hoping to release the game sometime in late 2027.

Screenbound

Cresent Moon Games’ Screenbound previously went viral for its clever gameplay conceit, which sees players simultaneously playing a 2D game on a handheld console as they move through a 3D world. At Day of the Devs, we saw both a platformer and a The Legend of Zelda-style adventure game split between 2D and 3D. We also learned that it will launch on September 10 and that a new demo is now on Steam.

Shot One Figthers

Just as Absolum explored what a classic beat ‘em up would be like as a roguelite, Shot One Fighters asks the same question of fighting games. It got a new trailer at Day of the Devs, highlighting the different combos and special moves players can unlock as they play through the game. This game doesn’t have a release window, but its Kickstarter is coming soon.

Apple Crumble

German developer Happy Broccoli Games revealed Apple Crumble. It’s described as a “creepy, cozy walking sim” in which players must figure out who’s trying to murder their grandma at her 84th birthday party. Apple Crumble will be released on Steam sometime later this year.

Slap Out Of It!

Turbo Button, a studio previously known for VR games, announced a new PC and console game featuring Ben Starr. As you can probably tell from the title, you have to slap anything and everything you see to solve puzzles and progress through the game. Slap Out Of It will be released sometime next year.

Super Yooka-Laylee Kart

Playtonic Studios revealed the next Yooka-Laylee game, and it’s not quite what you’d expect. Rather than another platformer, it’s a kart racer clearly inspired by Super Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit that features characters from across the Yooka-Laylee games. It looks like a fun back-to-basics kart racer in comparison to Mario Kart World. Currently, Super Yooka-Laylee Kart is only confirmed for PC and has no release window, although Playtonic announced it will hold online playtests for the game prior to launch.

Into the Fire

Polish studio Starward Industries provided another look at Into the Fire, its survival extraction game where players rush into a city decimated by a volcano and demons to search for and save any survivors. Into the Fire is set to enter early access on Steam before the end of 2026, although you can also sign up for pre-release playtests right now on Steam as well.

Trine 6: Together In Time

Frozenbyte revealed Trine 6: Together in Time. It’s the latest in a long-running series of co-op 2D puzzle-platformers set in a fantasy world. If you enjoyed previous games in the series, it looks like this sequel will continue to deliver on that same formula. Trine 6: Together In Time will release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 on September 25.

When Sirens Fall Silent

The final game featured in this June’s Day of the Devs showcase was When Sirens Fall Silent, a new game from Italian developer LKA Studios. This psychological thriller follows a rookie police officer investigating a serial killer, and the game eventually escalates to feature supernatural elements while also addressing serious topics like addiction and human trafficking. When Sirens Fall Silent also features a branching narrative that changes depending on how players solve cases. When Sirens Fall Silent will come out in 2027.

Just like Mario and Donkey Kong before it, the Yooka-Laylee franchise is expanding to a new genre: kart racing. Playtonic Games announced Super Yooka-Laylee Kart during the Summer Game Fest as part of Day of the Devs 2026. 

A debut trailer showed off the racer, which looks very similar in style to classic kart racers like the original Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. That means pixel-art character sprites racing on 3D tracks for a cool retro style. Within that visual structure, though, Playtonic promises a modern racing experience, including up to eight-player local split-screen multiplayer, online multiplayer, a deep story campaign, and the ability to create custom races and tournaments with tons of toggles.

https://youtu.be/CslH_nwqIxo

The trailer also teases a central mechanic in Super Yooka-Laylee Kart: a Rage meter that builds throughout a match and enables big swingy payback opportunities. Coins collected during races also have a tactical element, as they can be spent between races for perks or saved for other advantages. 

Playtonic says it is planning a series of beta tests for Super Yooka-Laylee Kart's online modes, and encourages would-be racers to follow the studio for news on sign-ups. Currently the game is planned for release on PC, with other platform announcements to come.

33 Immortals has been available via early access for some time, but if you've been itching to experience the full game, you needn't wait much longer. Announced as part of Summer Game Fest and Day of the Devs, 33 Immortals' 1.0 release arrives on June 10.

That date applies to both the PC versions--across both Steam and Epic Games Store--as well as the Xbox Series X|S version. It existed on Xbox previous as part of the Xbox Game Preview program, with functions similarly to Steam Early Access.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOH4jKB4SQg

"After over a year of community feedback and optimization during early access, [33 Immortals] 1.0 introduces the complete 33 Immortals experience, including all three fully playable worlds, the long-awaited final-boss encounter, and a variety of new content and improvements throughout the game," Thunder Lotus said in the official announcement.

33 Immortals is a very different game from Thunder Lotus' previous release, Spiritfarer, which was decidedly less violent. In 33 Immortals, you and 32 others battle dangerous bosses, essentially distilling the MMO-raid experience down to just the best moments.

N++ is an absolutely stellar game. I even like the unconventional name and appreciate developer Metanet Software's continued embrace of the N name first used for its original Flash creation more than two decades ago. But it's also a name that comes with some issues, perhaps best demonstrated by the game's name on Steam being followed by "(NPLUSPLUS)." So what do you do when you're making a multiplayer follow-up and need to come up with a name?

"It's always been hard for us to name these things," Metanet's Raigan Burns said when asked about the name of the newly announced N+ Infinity Times Two. "We think N was absolutely the perfect name for the original game, but unfortunately, we had a serious search-engine problem, to the point where if you go into Steam or Xbox or PlayStation and type N++, it's really hard to find our game."

It's a problem that a developer like Remedy has also no doubt dealt with; using a single, common word like "Control" is going to make your game a nightmare to search for. (I can also personally attest, as someone involved with providing feedback on the search functionality on the recently relaunched GameSpot website: Search is hard!)

Metanet was aware of the potential issues with the name for N+ going into its release, yet it was only once the game became publicly available that the extent of the problem became clear.

"It was upsetting because it was a thing we were aware of," Burns said. "When you're making a PlayStation game, there's a parallel, private version of the store. And so in that version of the store, we were the first search result when you search N++. So everything was fine until launch day. And then, [on] launch day, we discovered, oh, the public version of the store, for some reason, search works differently, and we're like on the fifth page of results. Anyways, you know, live and learn. It's just, I mean, this entire series is a process of learning from our mistakes. It's like the development of the game parallels the way the game actually plays."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jhy9HNs-u0

Having had that experience, Metanet had a lot to consider with the name for what would ultimately become N+ Infinity Times Two.

"Part of it was just like, what do we want to call this one? We went through N to the power of N, and like every symbol over the years, we've tried it. We've tried thinking of it."

Setting aside the complexity of trying to search for NN, other ideas were considered, including a hilarious alternative for a game focused on multiplayer. "At one point, this game was called M for multiplayer," Burns said.

"We even toyed with the idea of abandoning N as a moniker and just calling it something like The Ninjas. Because as much as we have this awesome fan base, statistically, 99% of people haven't played an N game in their lives, and we definitely designed this one to be the Super Mario World, where it caters to the fans of the series, but it also serves as a great jumping-off point for anyone who's never played one of these games before. So we were thinking if we call it N [Something], we're going to have a Godfather 3-type problem where we don't want to give people the impression that you need to have previous experience with the series. ... N++ was for our hardcore fans. It was absolutely, 100% a love letter to the people who have been playing for a decade."

A race to the finish in N+ Infinity Times Two

One of Metanet's desires for the name was thus to convey Infinity Times Two can appeal to a wider audience.

"It's not like I'm stuck for six hours on the same level trying to beat it. It's multiplayer. So it's like every couple minutes, the level's over, there's a winner, and then you're on to the next level. So it's a totally different kind of vibe. We exhausted every possibility. We didn't have a name we liked."

In came producer Nick Suttner, who suggested something like N Infinity. That was initially deemed to be "kind of boring," although it served as the springboard to the eventual name.

"I think Mare [Sheppard, N co-creator] had the idea of, okay, N++ was serious. We're silly people, and it had some silliness, but it was a bit serious. This one, we're really trying to embrace the fun in this [and] our silly personalities. So why not lean into the absurdity of--the whole series at this point is a bit surreally comical. So, N+ Infinity Times Two, we think, has just the right amount of playful, tongue-in-cheek, kind of self-deprecating humor that we like, while also communicating it's a different proposition than other sets of things. It's a bit unique, it's quirky, it's weird."

But just what does that "Infinity Times Two" refer to, aside from presenting players with another question of what to search for exactly (N+ Infinity x2? N Plus Infinity Times Two?)? I wondered if Metanet considered it due to the way the game emphasizes replayability and the infinite nature of a multiplayer experience.

"Not until just now," Burns says. "But that is a wonderful angle that we're certainly going to integrate into our understanding of it."

Mario will forever be the preeminent face of the platformer genre, but for as much as I've loved the series, there's no doubt about what one platformer I'd pick to be stuck with on a desert island: N++. The definitive 2015 version of the long-running N series was a true accomplishment; it's staggering both in terms of the quality and depth of its platforming action, and the sheer scope of the game itself, featuring thousands of hand-crafted levels, plus a level creator. 

When I first heard that a new N game was in development, I was genuinely confused as to how Metanet Software could do anything more with it. Indeed developers Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns are also of the opinion that they can't really improve on what they've already done in that space, and they also find themselves "kind of bored with the basic format of single-player platformers." And so the answer to what's next is quite simple: multiplayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jhy9HNs-u0

Multiplayer is not new to the series, but in more fully embracing it with the curiously named N+ Infinity Times Two, it's allowed Metanet to go "perpendicular" in continuing to expand on N. N++'s best-in-class platforming appears to be intact here, based on a presentation and hands-off demonstration attended by GameSpot. The same can be said for N++'s distinct minimalistic visual style, which Burns says leverages a "cutting-edge vector-rendering system that has the equivalent of 256x anti-aliasing, which is a bit crazy" and was originally built for N++. This is what Metanet says allows for the "incredibly subtle" character movement that makes the N games feel so good.

Despite those elements carrying over here, the change to multiplayer is sure to be a controversial one, given that N has first and foremost been all about single-player platforming, dating back to the series' origins as a Flash game in 2004. My initial reaction was one of slight disappointment as someone who prefers solo games to multiplayer ones, though my feelings changed as the presentation continued. For one, that's because there will be a "full" single-player campaign, although the exact scope of it was not immediately clear. But more importantly, the new multiplayer modes look like a lot of fun.

That probably won't come as a surprise given the quality of what Metanet has put out over the years; its history as a small developer that remained fixated on perfecting N over the course of so many years does not suggest it was forced by investors to chase trends and jump on the online-multiplayer or live-service bandwagon. But what I did find surprising were some of the inspirations for Infinity Times Two, which included more expected games like TowerFall but also Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., and Quake 3. 

In terms of those multiplayer modes, which support 2-4 players (with the ability to train solo), there is a mix of co-op and competitive, with some modes being new to the franchise, while others Metanet claims are new to gaming entirely. Co-op will be detailed at a later time, but we did get a glimpse of a few competitive modes. Racing involves navigating to the exit as quickly as possible, which is straightforward enough and was compared to 2D Fall Guys, but with the added wrinkle that you can get a rocket launcher to ruin your opponents' day. Team Tag has a team of ninjas accumulating score by staying alive, while hunters try to explode those ninjas by making contact with them. Other modes include Co-Op, One-Up, and Trials.

There are "5+" modes promised, and more have been prototyped and could eventually see the light of day. Metanet plans to add new levels and other content post-launch, and possibly new modes, though Burns made two things clear: They won't add modes just to increase a number and risk watering down the overall experience, and they don't want to nickel-and-dime fans. An update cadence on par with something like Rocket League is not the goal (nor does it seem possible, given Metanet's size), and both Burns and Sheppard don't enjoy the feeling in other games that they are "in a factory farm being milked for money." Burns deemed indie games to not be about money, but instead to make "the best possible experience." Beyond what Metanet builds itself, a level editor (with cross-platform sharing) offers the potential for "effectively infinite content."

Multiplayer action in N+ Infinity Times Two

Metanet also believes Infinity Times Two's three-button control scheme lends it to being very casual- and party-friendly; it should be relatively easy for anyone to pick up and play. But given this is all built on N++'s platforming--known for its high skill ceiling thanks to the momentum-based movement, wall-jumping, and fall damage--Metanet also thinks there is tournament-level, highly competitive play possible. 

Multiplayer was available in N++, but by crafting the core experience around multiplayer, it has seemingly unlocked entirely new ways to play, as well as new ways to design levels. "There's an entire world of new possibilities once you change the core conversation from the single-player context of a level designer and a player conversing to a multiplayer context where it's players conversing together and the level design becomes more of a conversation starter, rather than the focus," Burns explains. 

Asked about surprises they discovered in focusing on multiplayer, Sheppard says, "Multiplayer modes have made us super excited about level design again because there is so much more possibility and so much more to do with the levels, because the whole concept of them is different. Thinking of them as a place for conversations between players and a lot of dynamic things to take place, thinking of them as a background for that, is a very different way to design levels. Each multiplayer mode has such different requirements that the things we need to think about when creating spaces [are] completely new and revolutionary for us."

Developing these levels proved to be a learning process, as Metanet found it needed to reduce the number of corners and allow people to freely move through them. Its usual approach of including hazards and enemies actually took away from the fun of a mode like Team Tag. That led to an "incremental process" of removing many of these obstacles because "it's just not fun if you're chasing someone, if they get killed by running into a mine or something," Burns says.

"Team Tag levels are nothing like the levels in any other modes, and they're very much like Quake 3 levels where dead-ends are very rare, linear things are very rare. It's all about loops. Things we never thought about, like the topology--since there are two people chasing, if you have an intersection, it's two-way vs. three-way vs. four-way, it's a thing we never had to think about in the context of the games before. It's really cool." 

Metanet doesn't claim to be the first-ever 2D multiplayer platformer, but the team doesn't feel any previous ones "really, fully committed." Instead, they tend to play more like single-player games that just happen to have multiple players alongside each other. Fun as that might be, "Truly multiplayer-focused 2D platforming is a completely unexplored universe."

Infinity Times Two's soundtrack was also emphasized as a point of emphasis, with Metanet having spent almost 1,500 hours over two years listening to clips of songs to find what they liked. (UK Garage music was the main reference this time around, as opposed to N++'s "burling techno.") As a developer known for having hand-crafted thousands of N++ levels, it's not shocking to hear Burns say they "can't stand" the algorithm-driven society that has become so prevalent and instead resorted to "brute forcing" this solution for assembling a soundtrack. As with levels and modes, more songs could come after launch, too. 

While I'm eager to get my hands on Infinity Times Two to see how it feels for myself, it speaks to the pedigree of Metanet that I so quickly did a 180 on my initial reaction to the game's concept not being what I would have asked for. I'll surely devour the single-player campaign, but I look forward to roping my friends into the multiplayer as well. More than anything, I'm just happy to have something new to do within the excellent framework of N++ platforming.

N+ Infinity Times Two is set for release sometime in 2027 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2. Public playtests are scheduled to come at some point prior, and you can join Metanet's Discord for a chance to take part.

This year’s Summer Games Fest brought a surprise in the form of a reveal of the next game from Stellar Blade developer Shift Up much sooner than. The game is Stellar Blade: Blood Rain and looks to continue on the high octane action delivered by the highly popular 2024 game.

The game revealed in a highly stylized and action packed trailer shows a new protagonist exploring a dystopian cyberpunk world fighting grotesque monsters with Stellar Blade’s signature stylish flair. While the first game focused on swords as its main form of offense and defense, Blood Rain seems more melee focused showing the new playable character throwing around some fisticuffs and a gratuitous moment in the form of our new protagonist removing her jacket to showcase the game’s jiggle physics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhdh_LspRHk

Developer Shift Up has confirmed the game is in “early development” and while the first game was PS5 exclusive, don’t expect Blood Rain to be as exclusive as this entry will not be published by Sony, and Shift Up “will transition to a first-party service model. This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively.”

For some idea of what to expect, read our review of the first Stellar Blade.

A lot of fantastic-looking indie games were featured at 2026's Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition showcase this year, but Mr. Records from developer Neil Broadhead and publisher Wired Productions was a particular standout in a post-Mixtape world.

Mr. Records is about an old man named George who runs a vinyl record shop and can transport himself to another world when he listens to music. In a Moonlighter-like setup, players must manage the record shop during the day, matching music to customers for whom it would be a good fit. At night, however, George and the game's players are whisked away to a different world where they have to jump and react to what's coming at them to the beat of a song.

Unlike Mixtape, all 45 songs in Mr. Records are original compositions by Charles Bardin and Valentin Ducloux. The pair have previously composed games like Headbangers: Rhythm Royale and A Musical Story. Its Day of the Devs segment features many of these tracks, including 'Shine', 'Power of Imagination', 'The Sausage Blues', 'First Glance', 'Pieces of You', and 'No Need for Men'.

Although the lack of licensed music means Mr. Records won't play into nostalgia as much as Mixtape did, the game still looks like it will explore the meaning music has for people and how it allows us to make connections. With an art style reminiscent of Thank Goodness You're Here, a split gameplay concept like Moonlighter, rhythm-based action like Rhythm Heaven, and a deep focus on our emotional connections to music like Mixtape, Mr. Records seems like an appealing blend of some fantastic games.

The developers expect Mr. Records to be about four hours long, split between what the developers call "musical journeys," managing the record store, and chilling in George's bedroom. Songs will have both normal and hard versions to give the game more replay value.

Mr. Records is slated for release on PC sometime in the first quarter of 2027. Make sure you check out GameSpot's Day of the Devs roundup to learn about everything that was announced.

Street Fighter 6 has unveiled its new roster of fighters for its fourth year during Summer Game Fest 2026, and Final Fantasy 7's Tifa is joining the fight.

Although no gameplay footage was shown during this announcement, the AVALANCHE member's appaearance will be based on her new design in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series while Materia will also be a mechanic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dxDjF_dOXc

Also announced in Street Fighter 6's season 4 roster are three all-new characters in the series: Bosch, Yasmine and Arjun. This will make this season's roster the first with no returning characters in the series.

Bosch, nonetheless, will be familiar, as he was a new character in Street Fighter 6 who was your player-character's rival in the game's World Tour mode. Yasmine is set to release on August 3, Arjun in the fall, while Tifa is planned to release in early 2027, and Bosch in Spring 2027.

Square Enix has officially unveiled Final Fantasy Revelation at Summer Game Fest 2026. The final chapter in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy takes an open-world approach that has you flying the Highwind airship all over the planet, and is set to release simultaneously on all platforms in Spring 2027.

The trailer didn't reveal too much about the story of Revelation, but did suggest that a big part of the game will be about chasing down and destroying WEAPONS--giant monsters created by the planet in FF7 to protect it from calamity. Check it out below.

https://youtu.be/PH3ox5krci8?si=RFdRmqM-zTsv2gO_

In addition to the trailer, Square Enix provided a closer look at Revelation's gameplay, including how you'll use the Highwind to move around the open world. When you reach a destination, you'll leap off and parachute to the ground, making it easy to quickly get anywhere you want to go.

Revelation is also seeing more adjustments to the Remake trilogy's battle system. You'll still be able to swap between characters on the fly and swap between real-time fighting and accessing menus to fire off magic spells or use items--but in that second Tactical mode, you'll now be able to fire off a number of orders to all your party's characters, creating powerful synergies between attacks and magic. We'll also see characters like Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine fully join the party in Revelation.

In the months leading up to its reveal, Square Enix and the team working on the game had begun to tease players with new ideas and locations for the threequel. A trip to Wutai is on the cards--and maybe even space--is on the cards, snowboarding is making a return, and the popular card game Queen's Blood will also be expanded in Part 3. As for the game's title, director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed back in January that a name for the final chapter had been locked in, and Square Enix is also looking to tighten up the overall story.

The previous game in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, was first released as a timed exclusive on PS5. It rolled out to PC a couple of months later, and it eventually made its way to Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S this year.

Rebirth saw even greater deviations from the original storyline of Final Fantasy 7, as the narrative introduced a new multiverse where multiple timelines exist simultaneously, new plot beats for characters like Zack Fair, and changes to the ultimate fate of Aerith following the showdown with Sephiroth at the Forgotten Capital.

A new Sonic Racing: Crossworlds trailer has unveiled some unexpected crossovers, including with classic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. All 52 users who have written Sonic/Eva fanfiction on the hosting website Archive Of Our Own took a collective breath in.

The brand deal was revealed as part of a Sonic 35th anniversary hype reel at Summer Game Fest 2026. The trailer showed other, perhaps more predictable collaborations like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem, upcoming fighting game Avatar Legends, and monster icon Godzilla.

This story is developing.

After multiple years in early access, the legally distinct Pokemon-like game Palworld is getting its 1.0 version very soon.

Palworld 1.0 will launch on July 10, developer Pocketpair announced during Summer Game Fest today.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our passionate community who has stayed with us through this journey. We are fully committed to delivering a deeper, more evolved, and definitive Palworld experience worthy of a full launch," the developer said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKum7LqFi1s

Coinciding with the 1.0 announcement, Pocketpair announced that Palworld is currently 25% off on Steam, bringing it down to $22.50.

Palworld originally launched on PC and Xbox in January 2024, becoming a gigantic success and breaking records. It came to PS5 in September 2024.

Palworld is not available on Nintendo Switch. Nintendo sued Pocketpair in 2024 on patent infringement accusations. The game was updated in 2025 with "compromises" due to the legal matter.

If there's one title that's defined my life in gaming, it's Virtua Fighter. I've adored the series since I was a young arcade-going teenager, and even now, 30 years later, I'm still going to fighting game events across the country to support my favorite game series of all time. My affection for the gameplay, the characters, and the overall design of Virtua Fighter has only grown over this time, but there's still one thing I've always wanted from VF: a proper focus on story. And now, it finally, finally looks like I'm getting that in Virtua Fighter Crossroads, which had a new trailer debut at Summer Game Fest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9_pg896v6s&feature=youtu.be

Yes, there is lore in the manuals. Yes, there's the Virtua Fighter anime, and it's pretty fun. Yes, there's Virtua Quest, which I did play through--more than once, even! But Virtua Fighter has always been first and foremost about the fighting, with character personalities being evoked through fisticuffs moreso than dialogue. Most of the games don't even have endings beyond a credits roll--a fact that's made the series a hard sell to my brother-in-law, who loves the wild lore of the Mortal Kombat titles.

But with RGG Studios at the helm, that's changing. I'm finally going to get a chance to see the characters I've loved for decades developed, their stories expanded, their motivations and personalities explored. That's really exciting. Plus, with the game being set some time after Virtua Fighter 5, the writers have a lot to play with in terms of character development during that lengthy gap. I'm eager to see how all of my old favorites look after the timeskip--including, of course, my best girl Vanessa--and how their fighting gameplay has evolved to match their narratives.

I'm still kind of weirded out about the F-bombs in the trailer, though. I'm not totally sold on the design of the new guy, Cielo, yet either. But I have a lot of hopes. And if this is what will get more people coming to tournaments and digging deeper into VF's top-class combat, I'm all in.

Welcome back, Virtua Fighter. I've never been more ready.

I loved 007 First Light when I reviewed it a few weeks ago, but I was glad Bawma, the pirate portrayed by Lenny Kravitz, didn't get much screen time. Unfortunately, he's getting more screen time soon, as IO Interactive has announced during Summer Game Fest that a new story mission is on the way, and it focuses on the surprisingly rizz-less Bawma.

https://twitter.com/summergamefest/status/2063022230255374414

IO didn't mention whether the new mission comes with a price tag, though sitting through more of Kravitz's janky line reads is a high enough price, I feel.

Alongside the new Bawma mission, the game's content roadmap for 2026 has been revealed, with several other beats to look forward to if you can't get enough of IO's original take on Bond.

007 First Light roadmap

The game's side mode, TacSim, will be adding new challenges and upgrades, and similar to your favorite TikTok pranksters, Bond will be getting his very own smartglasses as a new gadget.

007 First Light roadmap

The Switch 2 version is still on the way, as well as photo mode, new game plus, and a technical upgrade that will allow for path tracing. You'll also want to have the game ready to boot up on October 5, as IO will be celebrating James Bond Day with an in-game reward.

A brand-new story and gameplay trailer for Star Wars Zero Company was shown during Summer Game Fest Live, giving us our first real look at the turn-based-tactics game's narrative and its cast of original characters. The trailer showcased gameplay for the upcoming Star Wars game as well, including how your choices can shape the roster of your squad.

In a nice surprise, the trailer ends with the reveal that Anakin Skywalker will be in the game as well, likely as a prominent unit that will work alongside the titular Zero Company in certain missions. Narratively, that does make a lot of sense. Anakin was known as a bit of a rebel during the Clone Wars who engaged in unorthodox tactics and led missions that bent or outright broke the rules of engagement, and it sounds like Zero Company was built around values like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxLUZ1omFA8

Star Wars Zero Company is in development at Bit Reactor, and its gameplay style should feel familiar if you've played the recent XCOM games. Hawks, the leader of a gun-fire-hire group called Zero Company, must get them to set aside their differences in order to take down a galaxy-killing threat.

The game takes place toward the end of the Clone Wars, right before the events of Revenge of the Sith. As seen in the new trailer, the war has begun to create cracks in multiple organizations and begun splintering both sides of the civil war. Zero Company itself is composed of individuals mostly from the Republic, but there are a few ex-Separatists in there too.

Patrice Desilet, the creator of Assassin's Creed, has announced 1666 Amsterdam at Summer Game Fest. It's his first game in seven years.

1666 Amsterdam is a third-person, dark, story-led action-adventure where you play as Noa the Collector, who has the power of witchcraft to investigate demonic entities during the day before facing them at night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nUzNiiCi2Q

Interestingly, this means the Assassin's Creed creator has a witch game going head-to-head with Assassin's Creed Hexe, also a witch-focused game.

While there is currently no release window confirmed for 1666 Amsterdam, you will get to play it before Ubisoft's upcoming title, as Panache Digital Games has also dropped a prologue demo of the game on Steam and Epic Games Store, which offers around 30 minutes of gameplay.

The studio's last game was Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, originally planned as an episodic survival game, though the studio lacked the funds to fulfil that vision.

As part of Summer Game Fest, developer Innersloth announced a brand-new Among Us game--it's called Among Us Story: On Guard.

"Live life as a Crewmate in this dangerous narrative adventure through space. As Guard, you're in charge of shipwide security and everything is fine. Until there's a MURDER?! Prove your innocence before the Impostor gets to the rest of the crew… and you," reads a line from the game's description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkQrwf8sfaY

The game invites players to "meet the Among Us universe in a whole new way" by playing as the Guard, the person responsible for security on the ship. Players need to identify the impostor and also complete tasks by uncovering clues. 

There isn't much more to go on right now, but you can wishlist the game now on Steam. A free demo will be released on June 15.

Also at Summer Game Fest, Innersloth announced that all 10 episodes in the animated Among Us TV series are now streaming on Paramount+.

After a domain for Guild Wars 3 was updated, fans began to believe an announcement for the anticipated MMO sequel was imminent. The game was officially announced as part of Summer Game Fest 2026. A beta is set to launch in Fall 2027. Guild Wars 3 will release on both PC and PlayStation 5, making it the first game in the series to be playable on console.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITPzxITngqA

Technically, the Guild Wars 3 domain was purchased way back in 2004, before the original game was released (thanks GamesRadar). However, eagle-eyed fans spotted that domain got an update on June 5, 2026, just one day before Summer Game Fest started.

The trailer specifies that the footage is in-engine, though no specific UI or gameplay elements are shown. In it, an armor-clad character rides a massive, multi-colored, and horned mount. The same character bounds up a steep stone wall with magical boots and witnesses a flying axolotl-like creature. Some other examples of player-characters are briefly seen, including a bear wearing plate armor, a little goblinesque creature (probably an Asura), and a humanoid woman.

Both the original game and its sequel have had a long run. Since its initial release in 2012, Guild Wars 2 has gotten continual updates, including an expansion titled Visions of Eternity in October 2025. Gear Wars Reforged, a remaster of the first MMO, launched in December 2025.

As part of Summer Game Fest today, developer That's No Moon--a studio founded by former Call of Duty and Naughty Dog developers--announced its first game, and it's not what anyone expected.

The game is called Crossfire, and it's the latest attempt from Korean publisher Smilegate--which funded That's No Moon--to make Crossfire popular in the West. That's No Moon recruited a big name, The Boys and Call of Duty actor Claudia Doumit--to star in the military shooter.

The developers at That's No Moon understand that Crossfire is going to be divisive, and they are OK with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCqw26hm0ko

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Crossfire launched back in 2007, and has been very popular in South Korea. In fact, it was the most popular FPS on the planet for a period of time.

A Crossfire game for the West, CrossfireX, was released in 2022, but shut down a year later. Alan Wake developer Remedy built the game's single-player.

The new Crossfire game, which is simply titled Crossfire, is in the works now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game does not have a release date yet.

That's No Moon was founded in part by Taylor Kurosaki, who previously worked on the Call of Duty and the Uncharted franchises.

At Summer Games Fest, the newly announced Paramount Games Studio has revealed that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin--previously in the works at THQ Nordic's Black Forest Games--is now in development at Platinum Games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RnIOj126E

This isn't the first TMNT game from Platinum, though we're hoping that it will be better than the studio's previous attempt. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan was met with largely negative reviews in 2016, in stark contrast to the studio's usually excellent action games.

Unlike some of the more family-friendly takes on the TMNT, The Last Ronin takes place in a dark future where the Foot Clan reigns and three out of the four turtles are dead. That leaves the remaining brother to take up the arms of his fallen siblings for one last battle against Shredder's grandson.

The Last Ronin was originally published in 2020 and it marked the creative reunion of TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who collaborated on the story for the first time in decades. The miniseries was scripted by Eastman and Tom Waltz and illustrated by Esau Escorza, Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, and Eastman. It proved to be so popular that additional Last Ronin comics have been published and a novelization was released earlier this month.

In 2023, The Last Ronin's video game was announced and described as a God of War-inspired single-player game. The Last Ronin was also in development as a live-action film before Paramount canceled the project in late 2025.

A celebrity-filled cast grows even more.

Stranger than Heaven, the new game from Sega's RGG Studios, already has a star-studded cast with big names from both the Eastern and Western music and acting scenes. One of the latest cast additions, however, is definitely a head-turner: the likeness of beloved rapper Tupac Shakur. Tupac was a beloved musician before his murder in 1996, and his popularity has only grown since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVDWs_yaf2Y

Snoop Dogg, who also plays a major role in the game, commented on Tupac's addition during the Summer Game Fest presentation, saying "The Tupac estate, my son and myself ... we work very closely together, so it just made sense to put him in this game. His likeness, his spirit still lives on."

Tupac isn't the only departed cast member taking a role in Stranger than Heaven, as the likeness of beloved Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara (of Battles Without Honor or Humanity fame) is also appearing in-game. In addition, several famous Japanese actors and voice actors were newly announced to be appearing in the game in various roles: Takashi Ukaji, Takaya Kuroda, Kohei Tsuji, and Yasukaze Motomiya. A release date of January 15, 2027 was also confirmed.