Summer Game Fest will focus on existing games, so don't hype yourself up for 'games that are years and years out,' says Geoff Keighley

Geoff Keighley on Twitch for a Q&A session ahead of the 2024 Summer Game Fest.
(Image credit: The Game Awards)

In the wake of E3's demise, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest has emerged as its self-appointed heir. SGF livestreams in years past have brought big reveals like 2021's Elden Ring gameplay, and we should expect more of that kind of thing this year, according to Keighley: That is, trailers and announcements related to games we already know about, rather than earth-shattering reveals of unannounced games.

Keighley recently hopped onto a Twitch Q&A session for some "expectation setting" for this year's presentation. According to Keighley, while the 2-hour showcase will have plenty of trailers to show, it'll mostly consist of "existing games that have new updates for fans"—new content for released games, or trailers for games that have already been announced.

"This is not a show that has a lot of like, 'coming in 2026' or '2027' or teasers for games that are years and years out," Keighley said.

We do already know some of what we'll see at SGF on Friday—I am, as always, looking forward to more Monster Hunter Wilds previews—and Keighley said that "there will be, definitely, new announcements," even if they're not blockbuster reveals. Maybe if the stars align, we'll be lucky enough for a back-to-back Nic Cage appearance. Anything can happen if you dare to dream.

Keighley was pretty candid in saying that if you're looking for the huge surprise announcements, you're more likely to find those at the other tentpole of the Keighleyverse: The Game Awards at the end of the year, when—unlike in the summer—the major publishers don't always have their own events for big reveals. As a result, Keighley said the Game Awards "has a lot of usually big surprises," while SGF is "largely focused on announced stuff."

Luckily, if you're worried that you'll be left hungry for game previews, there are plenty of other showcases running throughout the week. Check out our SGF 2024 schedule for the full preview event lineup, including our own PC Gaming Show, airing at 1pm PDT on Sunday, June 9. 

News Writer

Lincoln has been writing about games for 11 years—unless you include the essays about procedural storytelling in Dwarf Fortress he convinced his college professors to accept. Leveraging the brainworms from a youth spent in World of Warcraft to write for sites like Waypoint, Polygon, and Fanbyte, Lincoln spent three years freelancing for PC Gamer before joining on as a full-time News Writer in 2024, bringing an expertise in Caves of Qud bird diplomacy, getting sons killed in Crusader Kings, and hitting dinosaurs with hammers in Monster Hunter.

Read more
Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025 logo
Here's how to watch the Future Games Show 2025 Spring Showcase
PCGS Logo
The PC Gaming Show returns this June
Nolan North and Jennifer English, who will be hosting the Future Games Show's Spring Showcase.
Jennifer English (Shadowheart) and Nolan North (Nathan Drake) will be the illustrious hosts of the Future Games Show this year
iicon - Interactive Innovation Conference logo
The organizers of E3 announce a new event called iicon, but it's not open to the public and you probably don't want to go anyway
Inzoi character studio - A Zoi designed to look like Billie Eilish
18 games the PC Gamer team can't wait to play in 2025
Hollow Knight: Silksong — character art of Hornet, Silksong's protagonist, brandishing her weapon
Silksong's weary hollows tossed another scrap of hope from Xbox on high, as a blog post namedrops it next to other 'upcoming games'
Latest in Gaming Industry
Monster Hunter Wilds' stockpile master studying a manifest
As layoffs and studio closures continue to deathroll the western AAA industry, analyst points out 5 of 8 major Japanese companies hit all-time share prices this year
A still from a video announcement of Game Informer's return, featuring the magazine's Halo 2 issue.
Game Informer is back from the dead: 'The whole team has returned'
Typing on internet search toolbar: What am I doing?
How a Microsoft exec managed to pitch Microsoft Word through the genius tactic of being able to actually use it in a 'type-off' demanded by clients: 'I was the only one who'd actually been a secretary'
Half-Life wallpaper - Gordon Freeman
Former Valve exec says the company struggled to sell Half-Life until coming up with the ultimate 'one simple trick' of marketing manoeuvres: slapping a 'Game of the Year' sticker on the box
Gabe Newell looks into the camera, behind him is a prop of a turret from Team Fortress 2.
Gabe Newell's cult of personality is intense, but a Valve exec who worked with him says his superpower is how he 'delighted in people on the team just being really good at what they did'
The Spy from Team Fortress 2 holds up a folder with an accusatory expression.
One of Valve's original executives shares a very simple secret to its success: 'You can't use up your credibility' by trying to make bad games work
Latest in News
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway
Image of Cersei Lanniser from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Steam early access trailer
A new Game of Thrones RPG is coming to Steam today with a cast of 'familiar faces,' which is good because it's really the only way to tell it's a GoT game at all
The new Prime Asset featured in the upcoming update for the Outlast Trials.
The Outlast Trials puts its already paranoid players under surveillance for a time-limited story event
A Viera looking confused in Final Fantasy 14.
Old armor continues to fall victim to Final Fantasy 14's bizarre two-channel dye system, unless you're super into changing the colour of teeny-tiny eyelets: 'Why even bother at this point?'