Summer Games Fest—Geoff Keighley’s E3 replacement—brought a plethora of exciting game announcements across its various showcases, even if the main show was pretty ho-hum. Here’s a list of the reveals that defined this year’s show.
Notably absent from the mix is Nintendo. The Switch 2 happened to launch during Summer Games Fest, meaning the company’s focus was elsewhere. A “Keigh3” without a Nintendo Direct is a bummer, so hopefully we get one soon to flesh out the Switch 2’s software lineup.
14ROG Xbox Ally
The long-awaitedXbox gaming handheldwas finally announced in the form of a partnership with Asus. The two variants—the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X—are essentially branded spins on Asus’ existing Windows gaming handhelds, sporting Xbox-style grips and a new OS that will unify your library across all the major PC gaming storefronts under one banner. These will launch in late 2025, though we don’t know the price. Chances are it’ll be pretty expensive, though. I’d anticipate prices exceeding the now-$600 Xbox Series X for the more powerful version. Since the Xbox brand isn’t very competitive in today’s market, a lot will need to be proven to justify high prices, and the OS may be the key.
13Clockwork Revolution
Xbox dedicated a veritably massive chunk of its showcase toClockwork Revolution, the upcoming steampunk first-person RPG from InXile Entertainment (Wasteland,The Bard’s Tale). ThinkFallout, but with violently pompous aristocrats, time travel, and a greater focus on gunplay. The morbid dark humor of its gameplay trailer and the pedigree of its developers give me hope that this won’t end up feeling derivative like many of its counterparts do. This didn’t even get a 2026 release window though, so it could be some time until we find out.
12Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
The existence of aFinal Fantasy Tacticsremasterleaked so many years ago that most people assumed it had since been canceled, if it ever existed at all. Thankfully, it does, and Square’s seminal turn-based strategy JRPG has never looked better. The remaster brings redrawn graphics, voice acting, gameplay overhauls, and more. If you want a true-to-the-original experience, the original game with theWar of the Lionsscript swapped is also available. It’s great to have this series back after nearly two decades of silence, and we won’t be waiting too much longer given its September 30th release date.
Speaking of classic JRPGs getting another lease on life,Persona 4 Revival—a remake ofPersona 4—was officially unveiled. Granted, this wasn’t too surprising as the original game’s voice actors leaked it after taking to social media to decry their roles being replaced. That and the brief announcement trailer consisting of only a few environmental shots put a damper on this otherwise exciting remake, though that’ll likely change as we receive more substantial reveals.
11Marvel’s Deadpool VR
Superhero games with Meta Quest exclusivity are nothing new, so it’s no surprise that history’s repeating itself again withMarvel’s Deadpool VR. If you want an idea of what to expect, the Merc with a Mouth put it best when he said, “All your dreams of being inside me come true in VR.” The combat looks fairly tried-and-true, but if Deadpool’s mocking sense of humor is your bag, that’s likely to elevate the experience exponentially. (Personally, I find jokes about escaping late-stage capitalism via a mass-media franchise game made for Meta headsets to be a bit gauche.)
Another VR game announced that’s coming to every platform isThief VR: Legacy of Shadow. It’s an unlikely comeback for a legacy gaming franchise, and it’ll be available across PCVR, PlayStation VR 2, and Meta Quest 3. However, I’m going to remain a bit skeptical about it as its developer doesn’t have a great track record.
10Stranger Than Heaven
Three things are true in life: death, taxes, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio leveraging its Dragon Engine to churn out annual (sometimes bi-annual) titles. However,Stranger Than Heavenseems a touch more ambitious than theusual diversions from the mainlineYakuzaseries. It’s a detective game taking place in 1943 Japan that sports a spin on the studio’s trademark brawling combat and what appear to be new investigation mechanics. The biggest question mark about the game is that when it was shown last year under the nameProject Century, the setting was 1915 Japan. Could this be a story spanning the 1900s? I guess we’ll know if the next trailer inexplicably places us in 1970.
9Beast of Reincarnation
It was a genuine head-turner whenPokémondeveloper Game Freak’s logo showed up during an Xbox showcase. Even more surprising is that its new gameBeast of Reincarnationisn’t currently slated to release on a Nintendo platform, which is virtually unheard of for Game Freak. Perhaps the Switch 2 just isn’t powerful enough to handle this visually arresting action RPG that reads as a crossroads betweenPrincess MononokeandNieR. The combat is a bit of a question mark, looking nimbler than a Soulslike but less frenetic than a character action game. One thing’s for sure, though: this is new ground for Game Freak and I hope it sticks the landing so that the studio can continue expanding its horizons (and perhaps bring some lessons back toPokémon).
We also got another look atOnimusha: Way of the Sword. Capcom emphasized the franchise’s iconic samurai swordplay this time around, helping distance perception away from the Soulslike it initially appeared to be. I’m excited to see what Capcom’s cooking as the company is at the top of its game right now.
If you’re looking for unabashed Soulslikes, there were plenty of those on display.Nioh 3,Mortal Shell II, andCode Vein IIstood out as sequels to well-regarded genre staples.
8Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
It’s no surprise that there’s anewCall of Dutygameas the series has been annualized without fail for the past two decades. This has historically been achieved by having multiple studios heading up different strands of the franchise and alternating release years.Black Ops 7marks the first shift in this, followinglast year’sBlack Ops 6, both developed by Treyarch. This wrinkle will be on the minds of fans as they gear up for futuristic warfare later this year, though barring any quality concerns, people know what they’re getting with this franchise at this point.
7Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants
Indiana Jones and the Great Circleproved to beone of 2025’s best games, even if it came a bit too late to be eligible for award show nominations and end-of-year lists. It’s an authentic Indy adventure with a turn by Troy Baker that sounds more Harrison Ford than Harrison Ford. The worst part of the game was that it ended, which is why its DLC expansionThe Order of Giantsis a welcome announcement. It promises a new adventure that extends the Rome location beyond The Vatican and seemingly dives deeper into one of the main game’s core mysteries. Here’s to hoping this one turns out more like 1980s Indiana and not post-2000s.
There are alsofive new challenge levels coming toAstro Bot, including characters from the forthcomingGhost of Yōtei. As has been the case, these will be free. It’s starting to feel like Sony is using freeAstro Botcontent as a marketing arm for new games, and we’re not complaining.
6007 First Light
Nearly five years since the game was first teased, James Bond fans finally got their first look at007 First Light. This original story isn’t canonical, which may disappoint some, but that gives developer IO Interactive the liberty to create something authentic without needing to color between decades-old lines. What’s important is that the playbook looks the same: gadgets, skillful combat, and that oh-so-classic gun pose. It’s also good to hear that theHitmanstudio wants to use the stealth know-how it gained from that franchise to bring the social side of spycraft to the forefront.007 First Lightwon’t release until 2026, but the good news is that it’ll hit every modern console on day one (yes, including Switch 2).
5Lumines Arise
Lumines Ariseis such an obviously good idea that it’s surprising nobody was asking for it. TheTetris Effectteam is bringing its knack for audiovisual spectacle to another classic block-dropping puzzler here, and one that already has its roots in music at that. It’s less revelatory, sure, but it’s been a long while since we last got a new Lumines game and there’s no better team to be working on it. Plus, both PCVR and PlayStation VR 2 will be supported, which is arguably the best way to experienceTetris Effect. If there’s one game on this list that’s a guaranteed slam dunk, it’sLumines Arise.
