Summer Game Fest 2023 Showcase: Start Times and How to Watch

Since 2020, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest has served as a solid replacement for E3. Well, E3 is probably permanently dead now, but the Summer Game Fest will go on as planned.

The Summer Game Fest will kick off Thursday, June 8. Unlike most online gaming streams these days, the Summer Game Fest isn’t just an hour-long showcase (the event is called a “fest” for a reason). The ceremony will actually consist of eight streams over four days. The first, which will start at 3 PM EDT/Noon PDT, will consist of Keighley hosting a massive showcase. This stream will be followed by Day of the Devs at 5 PM EDT/2 PM PDT, which will focus on indie games from studios like iam8bit and Double Fine. And one hour after that, Devolver Digital will grace audiences with their annual stream of game announcements and good-natured ribbing.

Friday, June 9, will only include one stream, but starting at 3 PM EDT/noon PDT, Tribeca will host a showcase with exclusive gameplay clips and interviews. June 10th, meanwhile, will feature the indie-oriented Wholesome Direct, which will start at noon EDT/9 AM PDT, and the Asmongold-hosted OTK Games Expo, which will air at 2 PM EDT/ 11 am PDT. To wrap things up, the Summer Game Fest will end with the Xbox Games Showcase and the PC Gaming Show. The Xbox Games Showcase will start at 1 PM EDT/10 am PDT, whereas the PC Gaming Show will stream starting at 4 PM EDT/1 PM PDT.

Like its spiritual predecessor, the Summer Game Fest is a hybrid live/digital event. You can purchase tickets to attend, but 99.99% of audiences will tune in via the internet instead. If you want to watch the announcements unfold live, you can tune in via the Summer Game Fest YouTube and Twitch channels.

Since the Summer Game Fest is a massive, four-day celebration of upcoming games, it’s downright impossible to go over every single rumor and leak. However, we already know that the Xbox segment will include Starfield information — partially because Microsoft will hold a direct on the game immediately after the showcase. Moreover, we can look forward to the first gameplay looks of highly-anticipated titles such as  Mortal Kombat 1, Alan Wake 2, and Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC. And if the Summer Game Fest teaser video is any indication, we might see some gameplay for plenty of other titles, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Foamstars and Immortals of Aveum, as well as future content for Diablo 4 and Warframe.

If you are really curious about what might appear during the event’s biggest showcases, though, then you should check out our breakdown of some of the most notable leaks and rumors that have been floating around. Based on what we’ve heard, Konami is expected to have a decent presence at the event, Elden Ring might make a surprise appearance, and we should finally get an update on a few titles that have been MIA for too long.

See you at the Game Fest.