In June 2026, as Summer Game Fest looms on the horizon like a storm front I’ve been tracking for two years, I’m opening my old notebook from 2024. The sting of E3’s death still throbs, but June remains a massive month for video game reveals, announcements, and world premieres. Back then, I wrote a first-person prediction piece for Summer Game Fest 2024, and now I’m revisiting it with the cold clarity of hindsight. What did I expect? What actually happened? And what does it tell me about the 2026 show? Let’s dive in.
Platform Holders: Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, and Steam
I predicted Sony and Xbox would attend SGF 2024 but keep their bombshells for first-party shows. Sony had just held a State of Play, and Xbox’s showcase was days away. I expected Spider-Man 2 DLC, maybe more Astro Bot or Concord, and a wild-card LEGO Horizon Adventures. I also joked that a Bloodborne PS5 remaster would make me eat a saw cleaver. As of 2026, I’m still chewing on that metaphor. For Xbox, I saw updates and partnerships, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 crossovers and Porsche-branded Xbox consoles.
Nintendo was a no-show, as ever, and Steam was confirmed but likely not for a game. I guessed a Steam Deck update or accessory. It was a safe bet, like predicting rain in Seattle.
Mega Publishers and Veteran AAA
2K promised “the next iteration in one of its biggest and most beloved franchises.” I weighed BioShock, Borderlands, and Civilization. In 2026, that riddle still feels like reading tea leaves in a thunderstorm. Atlus brought Metaphor: ReFantazio, and I expected new info from Katsura Hashino and Shigenori Soejima. Capcom focused on Monster Hunter Wilds, with a new trailer and monster reveal. I also hoped for Resident Evil 9 or Code Veronica/Zero remakes, but expected Street Fighter 6 Season 2 or Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC instead.
EA was predictably in annualized sports mode: EA Sports FC 25 and maybe Skate. I also hoped for Battlefield, Iron Man, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Riot Games was there, and I expected Arcane Season 2 and 2XKO news. Ubisoft, with its own show days later, seemed likely to tease Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows while focusing on BattleCore Arena and XDefiant. WB Games brought Batman: Arkham Shadow, MultiVersus updates, Suicide Squad Season 2, and maybe Wonder Woman.
Mid-Size and Indie Highlights
Deep Silver and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Yes. Metro Awakening? Maybe. Remedy teased Alan Wake 2 DLC. Bandai Namco had Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Blue Protocol, Little Nightmares 3, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Focus and Saber had Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. Private Division had No Rest for the Wicked and Tales of the Shire. Funcom promised a Dune: Awakening cinematic. Arc Games had Hyper Light Breaker and Remnant 2 DLC. Level Infinite had Assassin’s Creed Jade and Nightingale. Torn Banner might reveal Chivalry 3. Pocketpair had Palworld features. SNK had Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. S-Game had Phantom Blade Zero. Uncapped Games unveiled a new RTS, and Team Jade showed Delta Force Hawk Ops.
Devolver, Annapurna, Blumhouse, Bokeh, Thunderful, Innersloth, Jyamma, Nexon, NetEase, HoYoverse, Epic, Embark, and Amazon Games all filled out the guest list. I predicted trailers for The Plucky Squire, Anger Foot, Baby Steps, Bounty Star, Flock, Ghost Bike, Blade Runner 2033, Silent Hill: Townfall, Slitterhead, SteamWorld Heist 2, Among Us animated show, Enotria, The First Descendant, Marvel Rivals, Where Winds Meet, Zenless Zone Zero, Fortnite, The Finals, Throne and Liberty, and Blue Protocol. It was a guest list so long it felt like a wedding invitation for every distant cousin in the industry.
The Surprises That Weren’t
Geoff Keighley said SGF was “largely focused on announced stuff,” but I still dreamed. I predicted Hollow Knight: Silksong (for the 39th time), Project 007, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, DokeV, and something Hideo Kojima-related like OD or Physint. In 2026, Silksong remains the industry’s favorite mirage, shimmering just beyond the horizon.
What This Means for 2026
Looking back, my 2024 predictions were less a prophecy and more a weathervane in a hurricane. Summer Game Fest 2024 was a buffet of safe bets, wild hopes, and corporate teases. As I prepare for the 2026 show, I’m keeping one lesson close: expect the announced, hope for the impossible, and never bet against a Kojima appearance. The June showcase season is still alive, still chaotic, and still capable of making me feel like a kid refreshing a livestream at 2 a.m.
What will 2026 bring? I don’t know. But I’ll be watching, notebook in hand, ready to make a few more educated guesses.