Summer Game Fest has revealed the plans it has in store for 2026 well in advance of the event. The Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff will be livestreamed as usual, with the opening show moving to the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles from its former location, the YouTube Theater.
This year will mark the sixth anniversary of the Summer Game Fest, which kicked off during the height of the COVID pandemic as a digital alternative to traditional game shows when most in-person shows were canceled or postponed due to the dangers of groups of people gathering. The scheduling of the show has shifted a bit from year to year, but regardless of the exact date, the program has marked one of the most exciting times to be a gamer every year since its inception.
Best Feel-Good Games
These wholesome games encourage positivity and seeing the world for the best that it can be, even in the face of darkness.
Summer Game Fest Reveals Schedule and Plans
The Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff show will be held on June 5 and will start at 5 pm ET. This part of the show will be hosted by Geoff Keighley, and will have a number of exciting trailers to share with fans, including world premieres and brand-new game reveals. Gamers will be able to watch the show on nearly all livestreaming platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and Steam. Those who would like to attend the show in-person will get a chance to purchase tickets to the show starting sometime in the spring, but no further details were provided on cost or the exact date they’ll be put on sale.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
EasyMediumHard
Unlike The Game Awards, which is also hosted by Geoff Keighley, the Summer Game Fest also features a number of hands-on and in-person experiences intended for media, influencers, and industry professionals. The first of these is SGF Play Days, which is being produced by iam8bit and will be held in downtown Los Angeles. This event is invite-only, and will reportedly include “immersive exhibits” and experiences hosted by the game industry’s “leading publishers and developers.” The Game Business Live will be held on June 8, which is also the final day of the overall event.
The reveals that will be made at any instance of the Summer Game Fest are generally kept under wraps up until the show airs, but fans should be able to expect a lot of fun, judging by what happened in the prior year. In 2025, Summer Game Fest included major moments like revealing the release date for ARC Raiders, which has since turned into a major hit. Reveal trailers were also released for a number of game sequels like Code Vein 2, Mortal Shell 2, Atomic Heart 2, and one of the biggest games at the entire show, Resident Evil Requiem. Players may also be able to expect some random games and DLC to be suddenly made available during the course of the Live Kickoff Show, as 2025 saw the Lies of P: Overture DLC released immediately following a trailer at Summer Game Fest.
Not every developer chooses to showcase their biggest reveals at the Summer Game Fest, but there could be more reason to do so after 2025’s show. According to a message put out by Geoff Keighley himself following the conclusion of the show last year, the program saw incredible growth year-over-year. Summer Game Fest saw 50 million livestreams in 2025, as well as a peak audience of over 3 million concurrent viewers, which was a 89% increase, and the most-watched show of the Summer Game Fest yet. With that many viewers checking out the show, it’s entirely possible that some developers will choose to premiere their upcoming titles at the program come June, but viewers will have to tune in to find out.
