Summer Game Fest 2026: All the news from gaming’s busiest week – The Verge

The 7 biggest storylines from Summer Game Fest 2026

2026-06-07T14:45:33-04:00

The 2026 edition of Summer Game Fest just wrapped up, and it was surprisingly hectic. The nearly week-long event came at a challenging time for the games industry, and for the most part the big keynotes were used as a chance to show some strength through major announcements, while largely ignoring pesky details like hardware price hikes and the mess of the live-service space.

Both Sony and Microsoft used their showcases as a way to confirm they're refocusing on tried-and-true strategies like exclusive games and single-player blockbusters. Meanwhile, every publisher in existence seemed to be avoiding going up against Grand Theft Auto VI on t …

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Persona 6 exists, and that’s all we know

2026-06-07T14:03:13-04:00

This year's Summer Game Fest turned out to be a good one for fans of Japanese RPGs. First, the conclusion of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy was announced at SGF Live, and now we have the long-awaited return of the Persona series.

Atlus confirmed Persona 6 exists with a brief teaser, but aside from implying a very dark tone, that's about all the video revealed. There's no release date or window, though the game will be coming to the PS5, Xbox, and PC whenever it does launch. Atlus describes the game as "a bold, new standalone story blending heartfelt daily life and new characters with pulse-pounding, supernatural adventure," which coul …

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Microsoft’s Xbox 25th anniversary console comes in translucent green

2026-06-08T10:03:35-04:00

Microsoft has created a special edition Xbox Series X to celebrate 25 years of the console. The Xbox 25th-anniversary console takes design cues from the original Xbox console, with both the console and controller featuring a translucent green design.

"For the first time, we're bringing a translucent design to Xbox Series X, drawing inspiration from the original Xbox and OG Green so many players remember," explains Jason Ronald, VP of next generation. "The Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition respects our history, with the power and performance of the Xbox Series X, including 1 TB of storage, and a design that reflects where we've been and the co …

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Minecraft Dungeons 2 gets a September release date

2026-06-07T14:44:42-04:00

Minecraft Dungeons 2, a sequel to Microsoft's dungeon crawler spinoff Minecraft Dungeons, will be released on September 29th.

The company originally revealed the game in a brief trailer in March, promising a fall 2026 release window. Here's how Microsoft described it at the time:

Return to the world of Minecraft Dungeons in an all new action RPG adventure, brimming with high stakes encounters, thrilling challenges, and never before seen locations, as you set out to save a world in crisis. Will you and your allies prevail against the forces of evil and save the day once more?

Minecraft Dungeons 2 will be available on Nintendo Switch, Nin …

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Fable launches in late February after recent delay

2026-06-07T14:44:54-04:00

Just a few days after pushing Fable out of 2026, Microsoft showed off more footage of Fable, the first new entry in the storied RPG franchise since 2010's Fable III, at its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. The company also announced a specific release date: February 23rd, 2027. Though if you get the Premium Edition, you'll get early access starting February 18th.

The trailer from the showcase follows a dedicated gameplay overview shown earlier this year. Based on what Microsoft has shown so far, the new Fable looks like it could deliver on what people love about the original trilogy, including the fantasy RPG setting and a lot of British humo …

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Halo: Campaign Evolved arrives July 28th

2026-06-07T14:45:06-04:00

As part of its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, Microsoft revealed new details about Halo: Campaign Evolved, the upcoming remake of Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign mode. The remake will debut on Xbox Series S / X, PC, and PS5 on July 28th.

Today's mission trailer includes a first look at Operation: Meteorite, a new three-mission story arc in Halo: Campaign Evolved. It takes place a year before the events of the first game and features Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson.

Microsoft announced Campaign Evolved last year, calling it a "modern evolution" of the original story. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5 and features "stunning new 4K visuals, …

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Gears of War: E-Day isn’t coming to the PS5

2026-06-07T14:45:15-04:00

Apparently, the "return of Xbox" means a retreat from other platforms. At its Xbox Games Showcase today, Microsoft revealed that Gears of War: E-Day - which was previously rumored for a PS5 launch in addition to Xbox and PC - will not be coming to PlayStation. It'll be an Xbox console exclusive and is launching on October 6th.

The announcement was preceded by a trailer, which opened with a street-level view of an alien attack, with the extraterrestrial invaders being fought off in an urban landscape, including an electronics store and grocery shop. It looked like familiar Gears gameplay: lots of blood and lots of cover. It also may have bee …

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The first Story-Rich showcase was packed with narrative-driven games

2026-06-06T13:35:33-04:00

Fellow Traveller, the publisher behind games like Titanium Court and 1000xResist, just wrapped up its Story-Rich Showcase, which featured a bunch of narrative-driven indie games. With more than 20 games on display, there was a lot to follow, but we've pulled together some of the most notable announcements below. You can also catch the full show on Fellow Traveller's YouTube channel.

Ambrosia Sky is getting its second and final episode

Ambrosia Sky, a sci-fi game about death where you have to clean up alien fungi, will be getting its second act as a free update on August 6th. The game was originally planned to have three acts, but developer …

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The cutest games from the Wholesome Direct 2026 showcase

2026-06-06T12:48:25-04:00

Every year at Summer Game Fest, nestled in between the splashy blockbuster showcases, the Wholesome Direct provides a nice change of pace. It's similarly packed with games - this year's edition had more than 50 - but the vibe is more chill and, well, wholesome. As in years past, I've pulled out some of the more intriguing reveals and announcements, though you can watch the whole thing for yourself right here. And if you're interested in checking out some of the games - a few are available now, and a bunch have demos - there's a dedicated Steam page.

Hidden Folks 2

Way back in 2017, Hidden Folks helped usher in a new genre of seek-and-find …

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More than a decade later, the team behind N++ is back with a multiplayer sequel

2026-06-05T19:25:34-04:00

Back in 2015, the two-person studio Metanet released N++, a brutally hard 2D platformer that was a decade in the making, building off of previous releases dating back to the freeware Flash title N. At the time, cofounder Raigan Burns issued some famous last words: "We hope it's not another 10 years before we come up with a game." But now here we are, more than a decade later, and N is getting another sequel. And this time the focus is on multiplayer.

The new game is called, absurdly, N Plus Infinity Times Two. Whereas N++ was meant to be the ultimate single-player version of the N concept, this game is described as "the ultimate virtual cou …

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