One thing is clear about this year’s summer gaming agenda: it is complicated. IGN kicked off the race for summer viewers announcing their June “Summer of Gaming” showcase in early April, just before E3 officially admitted it wouldn’t hold a digital event. It was followed almost a month later by GameSpot’s “Play For All” and Geoff Keighley’s “Summer Game Fest.”
Each will present programming we might have expected at E3, but unlike the summer’s traditional show, there is no central source for the schedule. We must now look to several unconnected and competing groups to get the latest on this summer’s batch of events and announcements. Which, unsurprisingly, has been a bit chaotic. With each major outlet attempting to shine the spotlight on their own content and partners, some — me included — are scrambling to get their calendars set.
If clarity is what you’re looking for, then pull up a chair. Here’s all the important dates and noteworthy news for everything gaming this summer.
May
May 7, 8AM PT – Inside Xbox, Summer Game Fest
(Watch my thoughts on this first Xbox reveal on The MinnMax Show)
May 12, 9AM PT – Sunrise #1, Summer Game Fest
(Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 remaster reveal with Geoff Keighley)
May 13, 8AM PT – PS5 Tech Demo and Unreal Engine 5 reveal, Summer Game Fest
(Plus a Keighley interview, get ready for triangles)
May 14, 1PM PT – State of Play, Summer Game Fest
(Featuring Ghost of Tsushima)
May 21, 8AM PT – Valorant Update, Summer Game Fest
(Valorant release date: June 2)
May 26, 10AM PT – Wholesome Direct
(Indie showcase with over 50 games)
May 27, 1PM PT – State of Play
(Focusing on The Last of Us 2)
May 28, 9AM PT – Outriders Broadcast, Summer Game Fest
(Update from Square Enix and People Can Fly)
May 29, 8AM PT – League of Legends: Wild Rift, Summer Game Fest
(Gameplay reveal with Design Director Brian Feeney
June
June 1, 11AM PT – GameSpot Charity Launch Stream, Play for All
(With 12PM streams everyday until June 5 then sporadically after June 9, Schedule)
June 9, 9AM PT – Destiny 2: The Next Chapter, Summer Game Fest
(Bungie reveal)
June 9, 9AM PT – World of Warcraft: Shadowlands update, Summer Game Fest
(From the dev team)
June 10, 1:30PM PT – IGN Expo Day 1, Summer of Gaming
(Pre-shows 11:45AM PT, Reveals: Merge, Fabraz, Funcom, Arcade1Up, more info)
June 11, 11:30AM PT – IGN Expo Day 2, Summer of Gaming
(Reveals: Merge Games, Unannounced game)
June 11, 1PM PT – PlayStation 5 Event
(An hour-long digital showcase focused on games)
June 12, 2:30PM PT – IGN Expo Day 3, Summer of Gaming
(Trailers: Sega/Atlus, Rockfish, THQ)
June 13, 9AM PT – Guerrilla Collective Day 1, Summer of Gaming
(An indie showcase hosted by Greg Miller, Larian shows Baldur’s Gate details)
June 13, 11AM PT – PC Gaming Show, Summer of Gaming
(Historically great place for indies)
June 13, 1PM PT – Future Games Show 2020
(GamesRadar’s digital showcase, Ikulinati making appearance)
June 14, 9AM PT – Guerrilla Collective Day 2, Summer of Gaming
(An indie showcase hosted by Greg Miller)
June 15, 9AM PT – Guerrilla Collective Day 3, Summer of Gaming
(An indie showcase hosted by Greg Miller)
June 15, 12:30PM PT – IGN Expo Day 4, Summer of Gaming
(Unannounced game reveal, Humble Bundle Indie Showcase, Scarlet Nexus gameplay)
June 16-22, 10AM PT – Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition, Summer Game Fest
(Playable PC demos)
June 16, 9AM PT – Upload VR Showcase: Summer Edition, Summer of Gaming
(All things VR)
June 17, 6AM PT – Pokémon News
(New Pokemon Snap!)
June 18, 8:45AM PT – IGN Exclusives, Summer of Gaming
(D&D Adventure Reveal 12PM PT)
June 18, 10AM PT – Baldur’s Gate 3 Live
(Live game-play session)
June 18, 4PM PT – EA Play Live, Summer Game Fest and Summer of Gaming
(EA’s not-E3 event will go digital this summer)
June 22, 7AM PT – Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC ARMS Fighters
(35 minute video with Sakurai)
June 22, 8AM PT – Day of the Devs, Summer Game Fest
(Indie & large-scale projects showcased, possible Crash Bandicoot reveal)
June 23, 8AM PT – New Game+ Expo
(Japanese games with new game announcements)
June 24 – Pokémon Presents
(Unite)
June 24 – IGN Exclusives, Summer of Gaming
(Dreamscaper (Afterburner Studios) trailer)
June 24, 10AM PT – Marvel’s Avengers War Table Stream
(Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics showcase gameplay and co-op feature)
June 25 – IGN Exclusives, Summer of Gaming
(Pre and post shows for CD Projekt Red, interview with Max Schaefer)
June 25, 9AM PT – Night City Wire, Summer Game Fest
(Cyberpunk 2077 showcase)
June 27-28 – BitSummit Gaiden
(Japanese indie showcase, A Space for the Unbound)
June 30, 3PM PT – Summer of Gaming 2020 Awards
(‘Best new game announcement’ and more to end IGN summer)
July
July 7, 10AM PT – Nacon Connect
(Publisher showcasing its games, Werewolf: The Apocalypse)
July 8, 12PM PT – Limited Run’s #LRG3
(Limited Run Game’s press conference)
July 11, 12PM PT – Devolver Digital Showcase
(Indies new and known wrapped in tongues and cheeks)
July 12, 12PM PT – Ubisoft Forward, Summer Game Fest
(Digital Showcase for Assassin’s Creed and more)
July 14, 10AM PT – Stadia Connect, Summer Game Fest
(Games coming later this year, surprises)
July 20 – Day of the Devs, Summer Game Fest
(Updates for indies and large-scale studio projects)
July 21-27 – Xbox Summer Game Fest, Summer Game Fest
(Hands-on demo Event on Xbox One)
July 22, 4PM PT – Bandai Namco: Play Anime Live
(livestream of games and anime)
July 23, 9AM PT – Xbox Games Showcase, Summer Game Fest
(1st party games, includes Halo gameplay)
August
August 1 – Tennocon 2020, Summer Game Fest
(Warframe update)
August 4-6 – GDC Summer
(Changed to all-digital event rather than postponed live one)
August 6, 1PM PT – Sony State of Play
(No big PS5 news)
August 7-9 – QuakeCon at Home
(livestreams and a few fun secrets)
August 10, 9AM PT – Night City Wire #2
(More Cyberpunk updates fro CDPR)
August 18, 10AM PT – Panel From Hell
(Baldur’s Gate III Early Access date and big news)
August 22 – DC FanDome
(24-hour DC convention, includes announcements for WB)
August 27 – Gamescom Opening Night Live, Summer Games Fest
(Gamescom will follow afterwards as a digital event)
Even More to Think About
Below are listed the partners each individual showcase initially announced. The companies are grouped in the list to better see who is sharing and who got exclusives out of the gate.
2K Games, Bandai Namco, CD Projekt Red, and Square Enix all appear across the board. Meaning, most likely, each have something big they want to promote. Projects from these companies range from barely rumored to long-awaited titles and you can read up on them here.
On the other hand, some outlets seem to have unique partnerships — the Summer of Gaming claiming the early lion’s share of the high-profile companies. Keighley boasts Activision, Bungie, Digital Extremes, Riot, Steam, and more for the Summer Game Fest’s first phase. While this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, and I’m sure there is more to be revealed in the coming months, it does paint an interesting picture.
| IGN Summer of Gaming | GameSpot Play For All | Geoff Keighley Summer Game Fest | |
| 11 Bit | ◊ | ◊ | |
| 2K Games | ◊ | ◊ | ◊ |
| Amazon Games | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Activision | ◊ | ||
| Arcade1Up | ◊ | ||
| Bandai Namco | ◊ | ◊ | ◊ |
| Bethesda | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Blizzard | ◊ | ||
| Bungie | ◊ | ||
| CD Projekt Red | ◊ | ◊ | ◊ |
| Coffee Stain | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Cyanide | ◊ | ||
| Dear Villagers | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Deep Silver | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Devolver Digital | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Digital Extremes | ◊ | ||
| EA | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Easy Day Studios | ◊ | ||
| ◊ | |||
| Fellow Traveller | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Firefly Studios | ◊ | ||
| Gato Salvaje | ◊ | ||
| Good Shepard | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Google Stadia | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Headup | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Humble | ◊ | ||
| Larian Studios | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Merge Games | ◊ | ||
| Microids | ◊ | ||
| Modern Wolf | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Modus Games | ◊ | ||
| Mythical Games | ◊ | ||
| PC Gaming Show | ◊ | ||
| Perfect World | ◊ | ||
| PlayStation | ◊ | ||
| Proletariat | ◊ | ||
| Private Division | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Raw Fury | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Riot | ◊ | ||
| Rockfish Games | ◊ | ||
| Sega | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Square Enix | ◊ | ◊ | ◊ |
| Steam | ◊ | ||
| Tactical Adventures | ◊ | ||
| Those Awesome Guys | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Thunderful | ◊ | ◊ | |
| THQ Nordic | ◊ | ||
| Tripwire Interactive | ◊ | ||
| ◊ | |||
| United Label | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Vs Evil | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Wings | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Wizards of the Coast | ◊ | ||
| Warner Bros. | ◊ | ||
| Xbox | ◊ | ||
| Ysbryd | ◊ | ◊ | |
| Zen Studios | ◊ |
6 thoughts on “The Summer Gaming Events Cheat Sheet”