The 9 Biggest Games That Completely Skipped Summer Game Fest This Year

8 Jun at 14:02 Comment Views: 5

Polygon
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The past week has been a whirlwind of high-profile gaming announcements. PlayStation’s State of Play was anchored by Marvel’s Wolverine and God of War: Laufey, Summer Game Fest delivered the long-awaited reveals of Resident Evil: Veronica and Final Fantasy 7: Revelation, and Xbox captivated audiences with a first look at Persona 6 alongside an extensive walkthrough of Gears of War: E-Day. However, several highly anticipated titles were noticeably absent from the festivities. Below, we break down the most prominent omissions from this summer’s showcase season.

1
Fairgame$

Image: Haven Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment

As the last major vestige of Sony’s ambitious push into live-service titles, this “eat-the-rich” extraction shooter from Haven Games has faced a rocky road lately. Following the departures of studio head Jade Raymond and director Daniel Drapeau, reports suggest that recent playtests have struggled to capture a compelling gameplay loop. Whispers of a rebranding to Break In have circulated, though Sony has yet to confirm any official changes.

2
Kingdom Hearts 4

Image: Square Enix/Disney

Square Enix fans certainly had plenty to celebrate with the recent Dragon Quest 12 and FF7: Revelation trailers. It is likely that Square Enix is intentionally holding back more Kingdom Hearts 4 content to ensure it doesn’t get buried by the buzz of their other massive franchises. Given its development stage, an appearance at The Game Awards this December remains a distinct possibility.

3
Witcher 4

Image: CD Projekt Red

With CD Projekt Red currently spotlighting new expansion content for The Witcher 3, it makes strategic sense to keep the focus there rather than splitting attention with the next mainline installment. Expect further updates on the series’ future once the upcoming 2027 expansion gains more momentum.

4
Mass Effect 5

Image: BioWare

BioWare initially confirmed the sequel to Mass Effect: Andromeda during the 2020 Game Awards, yet details have been remarkably sparse since. Beyond a fleeting glimpse of concept art depicting the Krogan Civil War late last year, the project remains shrouded in mystery.

5
Star Wars Jedi Part 3

Image: Respawn Entertainment

Fans were eager for an update on Cal Kestis’ journey, especially since development on the third entry was confirmed in 2023. Recent speculation suggests a significant time jump that will introduce players to a seasoned, older Cal, though we are still waiting for official confirmation from Respawn.

6
Star Wars Eclipse

Image: Quantic Dream / Lucasfilm Games

Quantic Dream’s ambitious project, unveiled in 2021, appears to be facing a long and complicated development cycle. With the shifting landscape of the Star Wars IP, rumors of a behind-the-scenes pivot have gained traction. Insider reports indicate that a finished product is still years away.

7
GTA 6

Image: Rockstar Games

Rockstar’s blockbuster sequel remains firmly on the calendar for a November 19 release. CEO Strauss Zelnick previously signaled that the marketing machine would ramp up during the summer months. As we officially enter the summer season, expect more concrete news on this highly anticipated title in the coming weeks.

8
OD

Image: Kojima Productions/Xbox Game Studios

Hideo Kojima’s experimental horror project, a collaboration with Jordan Peele and Xbox, continues to intrigue. Leveraging cloud gaming technology and starring an impressive cast, the game remains a high-priority title to watch. While Kojima has been busy with other ventures recently, we anticipate further updates toward the end of the year.

9
Jet Set Radio reboot

Smilebit/Sega

Sega’s announcement to revive five classic franchises generated immense excitement back in 2023. While hopes were high that we would see gameplay of the Jet Set Radio return during these showcases, it remained absent. Nevertheless, fans of Sega’s revival plans can take solace in the recent rollout of Crazy Taxi: World Tour.