The Summer Game Fest is both a Geoff Keighley-hosted spectacular of big video game reveals and news as well as a week of assorted events, each delivering its own dollops of gaming news through different perspectives.

This year that included the SGF kick-off event with Keighley, the indie-focused Day of the Devs, Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct, and the PC Gaming Show.  With so many events to watch and so much news to consume, we thought it might be nice to round things up here neatly for you in a single story. Below you’ll find everything Epic Games Store users should know about 2023’s Summer Game Fest.

Summer Game Fest
Alan Wake 2
Remedy’s Sam Lake was on stage to discuss Alan Wake 2. The game is split evenly between two playable characters: One is Alan Wake trying to escape from the Dark Place, the other is FBI agent Saga Anderson. Players will decide, to some degree, how the story proceeds.

He also set up a new bit of unedited gameplay footage from the game, showing Saga in action. The game hits on Oct. 17. To learn more about that video, stop by the write-up from our first look at Alan Wake 2 in action.

Dead by Daylight
Nicolas Cage is coming to Dead by Daylight. This is not a test! Cage took to the stage during the show to talk about his upcoming appearance in the game in July. 

Cage noted that Dead by Daylight is a museum of horror, and horror is among his favorite movie genres. He plays “a heightened, exaggerated version of an actor named Nicolas Cage” who will be a new survivor in the game, he said. Everything he says in the game, he pointed out, is all him so he and the player will be “fuuuused.”

The game was an opportunity to branch out, he added. He left the stage after blowing kisses to the crowd (but alas, without telling them they were breathtaking.)

Fae Farm
The cutesy, cozy farm sim Fae Farm is coming to PC on Sept. 8, bringing with it Phoenix Lab’s take on the fairytale life for up to four players. The game features magic, friendships, dungeons to explore, and – of course – farming.

Immortals of Aveum
A new trailer hit for Immortals of Aveum. The Ascendant Studios’ developed magic shooter showed off a battle taking place inside a towering mechanized statue in the middle of the ocean. The gameplay ship showed off the spectacular level design on tap for the upcoming game as well as delivering a better look at what the magic looks like in frenetic action.

Make sure you check out this deep dive into the Immortals of Aveum, if magic-infused shooters are your cup of tea.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
Another big reveal for the night was John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. The trailer showed off a road trip from hell, featuring a bunch of heavily-armed buddies and a screen absolutely packed with zombies.

The four-player co-op first-person shooter is in development by Saber Interactive, which is collaborating with John Carpenter on the game. It’s due out in 2024, but you can wishlist it now.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
A new trailer for the upcoming surviving game gave us a first look at the co-op, survival crafting gameplay for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Narrated by John Rhys-Davies, the gameplay trailer also showed off the Dwarves at work in the cavernous Mines of Moria, harvesting resources for crafting and building while rekindling long-cold forges to smith more powerful weapons and armor. The game is due out this fall. You can wishlist it here.

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior
We caught our first look at isometric action title Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior in action. The game, in development by Sand Door Studio, has players controlling Imë, Lysfanga of the New Kingdom, who can rewind time and summon clones of past-selves. Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is due out later this year.

Mortal Kombat 1
The new Mortal Kombat showed off some cut scenes, a lot of fighting, and — yes – fatalities in a surprisingly long video presentation. The montage of completely over-the-top fatalities was worth the time alone. But the video was backed up by an appearance by Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon, who took to the stage to chat with Keighley about the upcoming title.

Boon explained that MK1 takes place in a completely new universe, where beloved characters now have different relationships and backstories. He also walked through the game’s new Kameo fighters, which you can summon in a match to help in combos and such.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
A brand new action-adventure platformer in the Prince of Persia franchise hits Jan 18, and we caught our first glimpse during the show. The side-scroller is being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier.

Remnant 2
Gunfire Games follow up to Remnant: From the Ashes received a new trailer and release date during the show. The Remnant 2 trailer gave us a look at some of the new realms players will be gunning their way through in the third-person shooter action RPG. Players will be able to solo the Soulsike or play it with two others in a cooperative mode. Remnant 2 is due out July 25, but you can pre-purchase it now.

Under the Waves
Narratively-driven adventure game Under the Waves got some screen time during the show, highlighting the title’s underwater gameplay. Players will take on the role of professional diver Stan, who is struggling with a life-changing loss as he explores the deep of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 1970s. Developer Parallel Studio announced the title is hitting Aug. 29.

Witchfire
A new trailer for Witchfire showed off a bit of the world and a lot of the combat found in the guns-and-spells witch hunter. The trailer also announced that early access hits Sept. 20. For more details about the upcoming grimdark roguelite, make sure to check out our interview with Witchfire’s creative director.

Devolver Direct
As always, the Devolver Direct was both a treat and a baffling bit of magical realism centered around the announcement of a handful of new games. This year’s show centered on the return of Volvy – a fictional game mascot – as an AI-bio blend named Volv-E that can autonomously create video games on the fly. Among its “creations” was a sequel to a 2014 critically acclaimed puzzle title.
 
The Talos Principle 2
Players will find themselves in a new world ruled by robots that exist within the culture of a now extinct biological humanity in this sequel to The Talos Principle. Continuing in its puzzle-solving roots, The Talos Principle 2 centers on the player trying to unravel the mysteries of a megastructure of enormous power. The game will feature new abilities, a deep storyline with multiple endings, and a dozen new environments. The Talos Principle 2 is due out later this year, but you can wishlist it now.

Tribeca Games Spotlight
The annual Tribeca Festival, founded as a film festival by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in Lower Manhattan, has been around for more than two decades. But it wasn’t until 2011, that the festival started to include video games in its diverse offerings. 

Rockstar’s L.A. Noire was the first game to be recognized by the fest. But nowadays, there’s a dedicated video game category. The festival describes video games as a “one-of-a-kind medium for storytelling, art, and innovation.” This year’s show included a mix of video game-centric talks, and game spotlights.

Alan Wake 2
A special event this week has filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald’s Game, Midnight Mass) chatting with Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake about the upcoming psychological thriller Alan Wake 2, including its influences and what drives fear in interactive storytelling.

Chants of Sennaar
We got a look at some new art and gameplay for the artfully colorful upcoming puzzle adventure game. The creators also talked about the inspiration behind the game, which explores the myth of the Tower of Babel. Chants of Sennaar is due out Sept. 5.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Some of the Deck Nine Games team behind the upcoming narratively-driven action adventure game chatted about the challenges of crafting new stories in such a beloved universe. The Expanse: A Telltale Series features five episodes that take place prior to the events of season one of the television show. The game is due out on July 27.

Future Games Show
Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker) and Laura Bailey (Mary Jane Watson), the stars of Marvel’s Spider-Man, hosted GamesRadar’s digital showcase, which was packed with game reveals and trailers.

Highwater
We got a new look at the upcoming post-apocalyptic strategy adventure game Highwater along with a live performance of Beyond the Waves, from the game’s soundtrack, by Tamara Jokic and Gilad Barakan.

Resistor
We got our first look at the narratively-driven racing and auto-combat game Resistor made by indie devs Long Way Home. 

Alaskan Road Truckers
This “definitive truck simulator” has you delivering cargo across the dangerous roads of Alaska. The game features dynamic weather and the ability to hop out of your vehicle and explore the landscape.

The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales 
Developer Do My Best released a wonderful new cinematic trailer for its upcoming turn-based narrative adventure that has you leaping between book worlds to steal legendary items, all in an effort to restore your power to write. The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales hits June. 22.

Life by You
We got a glimpse at some new footage from life-simulator Life by You. The Paradox Tectonic developed game hits Early Access on Sept. 12.

Layers of Fear
Bloober Team’s Layers of Fear – which combines the first two games in the series with a new story that pulls the series all together – released a new cinematic launch trailer showing off its new Unreal Engine 5 look. The game hits June. 15. 

Enchanted Portals
XiXo Games Studio showed off a new gameplay trailer for its co-op action platformer, featuring a classic cartoon aesthetic, and devilishly designed levels. Enchanted Portals is due out later this year.

SteamWorld Build
A new trailer for SteamWorld Build brings us back to the SteamWorld universe, this time for a city builder developed by Thunderful Games. The game hits later this year.

Cookie Cutter
Metroidvania Cookie Cutter, is a “techno-pop-punk” 2D hand-drawn adventure game that hits this summer.

The Spirit of the Samurai
The show wrapped up with a look at the upcoming The Spirit of the Samurai, which has you taking on a horde of Oni as one of three characters: A samurai, a spirit, and a warrior cat. The game uses a stop-motion animation style, and 2D action, blended with Metroidvania elements. 

Xbox Showcase
Microsoft held an Xbox showcase over the weekend, showing off a number of games bound for both the console and the PC.

33 Immortals
Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus unveiled its unusual co-op action-roguelike that allows up to 33 people to play together. You and your cabal of friends take on the role of damned souls rebelling against God’s final judgment. The game is due out next year.

Payday 3
A new trailer for upcoming heist title Payday 3 announced that the Starbreeze game hits on Sept. 21. The game has the gang coming out of retirement to face an unknown threat. The latest entry in the franchise promises to deliver new skills, gadgets, weapons and – of course – storyline.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Keanu Reeves took to the showcase to reveal the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the first major expansion for the game. The trailer also showed off a new character, performed by Idris Elba, and noted that Phantom Liberty hits on Sept. 26.

PC Gaming Show
PC Gamer kicked off its annual showcase of computer games over the weekend, dropping a deluge of titles to wishlist.

Frostpunk 2
Frostpunk 2 arrives next year, but we got a look at a new trailer for the 11 Bit Studios title during the show.

Nivalis
Cyberpunk city sim Nivalis released a new trailer for the ION Lands developed cyberpunk slice-of-life sim due out next year.

Eternights
Dating action game Eternights showed off what it looks like to go on a date on Monday and then clear a dungeon on Tuesday. The game hits Sept. 21.

Lords of the Fallen
A new trailer for Lords of the Fallen showed off the game’s dark fantasy action and Soulslike approach. The game is due out on Oct. 13.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
We got a look at the first gameplay for real-time strategy game Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin. An open beta for the Frontier Developments created game runs from July 7 to 10. 

The Invincible
Based on a book by prolific Polish sci-fi author Stanisław Lem, The Invincible is a first-person adventure game with a compelling story, deep mystery, and atompunk aesthetic. A new trailer shows off some of those mysteries, along with the game’s stunning environments.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
We got a look at and release date for Mimimi Games’ next stealth tactics game, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. Players join a ghost ship and assemble a cursed pirate crew on the hunt for the treasure of Captain Mordechai. The game hits Aug. 17.

Macabre
Weforge Studio unveiled its co-op horror game Macabre. The game’s maps, objectives, and puzzles are entirely randomized and player action impacts monster behavior, so no two playthroughs are meant to be the same. 

Nova Roma
A new city-building game from Lion Shield was revealed during the show. In Nova Roma, you’ll work to recreate the glory of the once-great Roman Empire as you build up a village, appease the gods, and satisfy your growing population.

Ubisoft Forward
Ubisoft’s standalone event this week included a look at a number of the publisher/developer’s broad swathe of games.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
We got a second, deeper look at the upcoming new Prince of Persia title. The 2D side-scroller is said to be semi-open-world with new areas that can be unlocked with new abilities. One of those abilities includes the return of time powers. 

The Crew Motorfest
The third entry in the Ubisoft racing series The Crew got some facetime during the show. The Crew Motorfest is set in Hawaii and features an open world and what appears to be a lot of fun ways to zip about on and in vehicles. The game hits on Sept. 14.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
We got our first look at the Assassin’s Creed Mirage story trailer along with some gameplay. Ubisoft tells us this is a game that goes back to the roots of the long-lived franchise. Players will take on the role of Basim (from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla) and follow his journey from thief to assassin in 9th-century Baghdad. You can read up more on Assassin's Creed Mirage right here.