Summer Game Fest 2025 Highlights: Xbox Handhelds, Resident Evil Requiem, Marvel Tōkon, and More

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Summer Game Fest 2025 has officially taken the gaming world by storm. Running from June 3-9, SGF 2025 brought together AAA game announcements, indie showcases, and hardware reveals in one week of immersive livestreams and on-site events. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, Summer Game Fest has now become the ultimate event for gamers worldwide, offering everything from blockbuster game reveals to niche indie gems. Here’s a detailed roundup of all the major announcements, trailers, and release dates from this year’s festival.

June 3: Epic Games’ State of Unreal – The Witcher IV and Fortnite AI

Kicking off SGF 2025, Epic Games’ State of Unreal showcased the latest Unreal Engine 5.6 capabilities and provided updates on major titles like The Witcher IV and Fortnite.

• The Witcher IV: CD PROJEKT RED impressed fans with a tech demo highlighting a bustling, immersive world. The demo introduced Nanite Foliage, a breakthrough technology reducing visual pop-ins and enhancing realism in foliage rendering. The demo town was filled with hundreds of NPCs, demonstrating lifelike AI behavior and world-building beyond the scope of The Witcher III.

• Fortnite AI NPCs: Epic announced a new feature enabling creators to integrate custom AI NPCs into Fortnite later in 2025, though this wasn’t the main highlight compared to The Witcher IV.

June 4: PlayStation State of Play – Marvel Tōkon, Silent Hill f, and Project Defiant

Sony’s State of Play, held a few days ahead of the main event, featured over 20 game announcements and a surprise hardware reveal.

• Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls: A 4v4 anime-style fighting game featuring Marvel superheroes, developed by Arc System Works. Set to release on PS5 and PC in 2026.

• Project Defiant: A wireless fight stick supporting PS5 and PC, slated for a 2026 release.

• Confirmed Release Dates:

  • Sword of the Sea – August 19, 2025

  • Baby Steps – September 8, 2025

  • Silent Hill f – September 25, 2025

  • Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster – September 30, 2025

  • Pragmata – 2026

• Other Key Announcements:

  • Nioh 3 – 2026

  • Suda51’s Romeo is a Dead Man

  • Lumines Arise, returning from Tetris Effect’s developer

This stream reinforced PlayStation’s commitment to both high-profile releases and long-awaited revivals.

June 6: Summer Game Fest Live – Resident Evil Requiem and Exciting Sequels

Friday’s Summer Game Fest Live brought some of the most anticipated game announcements of the year:

• Resident Evil Requiem: The next installment in the iconic horror franchise promises a fresh tonal direction, aiming to revitalize the series as Resident Evil VII did post-Resident Evil 6.

• Stranger Than Heaven: Sega’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio presented a jazzy 1943-inspired entry in the Yakuza universe, formerly known as Project Century.

• Sequels Galore: Atomic Heart, Code Vein, Mortal Shell, and Scott Pilgrim EX, a spiritual successor to the 2010 Ubisoft brawler.

Indie Highlights – Day of the Devs

• Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School: Expands co-op escape room gameplay to a fully 3D school campus.

• Relooted: Heist game centered on returning looted African artifacts from Western museums, blending history with inventive gameplay.

• Additional indie titles featured: Snap & Grab, Blighted, and Ball x Pit.

IOI & Hitman Updates

• New James Bond-themed Hitman mission demoed

• Hitman coming to iOS and tabletop formats

• MindsEye: New project from former GTA producer Leslie Benzies

June 7: Wholesome Direct and Niche Game Streams

Saturday focused on peaceful, cozy, and creative games with Wholesome Direct, perfect for fans looking for charming experiences:

• Monument Valley 3: Coming to consoles and PC after its Netflix exclusivity.

• Discounty: A twisted, cozy shop-management simulator releasing August 21, 2025, for PC, Switch, PS4, and PS5.

• Omelet You Cook: Delightful egg-cooking simulation available on Steam.

• Camper Van: Make it Home: Miniaturized interior design game, now live on Steam.

Specialized showcases included Women-led Games, Latin American Games, Southeast Asian Games, Green Games, and Frosty Games Fest, highlighting diversity in the gaming industry.

June 8: Xbox Showcase – Xbox Ally Handhelds, Outer Worlds 2, and Black Ops 7

Sunday’s Xbox showcase revealed exciting hardware and software updates:

• Xbox Ally & Xbox Ally X: Handheld gaming devices inspired by ASUS ROG Ally, optimized for Windows 11 with Xbox-style grips. Expected release: Holidays 2025.

• Outer Worlds 2: Release date confirmed for October 29, 2025. Features expanded gameplay, improved combat, and deeper companion systems.

• Black Ops 7: Latest Call of Duty installment unveiled, continuing the blockbuster franchise.

Additional Announcements

• Persona 4 Revival – Coming to PS5, PC, Xbox

• Clockwork Revolution – Steampunk adventure

• Keeper by Psychonauts developers – Launching October 17, 2025

• Beast of Reincarnation – One-person, one-dog RPG in 2026

• Final Fantasy 16 – Now available on Xbox Series X/S

• Asobo Studio’s next Plague Tale prequel – 2026

Indie Spotlights

• Paralives: Early access begins December 8, 2025

• Blippo+: Expanding to PC and Nintendo Switch this fall in full color

Summer Game Fest 2025: Key Takeaways

Summer Game Fest 2025 offered a diverse mix of AAA reveals, indie surprises, and groundbreaking hardware, proving it’s the go-to gaming event of the year. Highlights included:

• Epic Games’ tech innovations in The Witcher IV and Fortnite AI

• PlayStation’s Marvel Tōkon, Silent Hill f, and hardware announcements

• Resident Evil Requiem and Stranger Than Heaven at SGF Live

• Cozy indie games at Wholesome Direct, including Monument Valley 3 and Discounty

• Xbox’s new handhelds and major titles like Outer Worlds 2 and Black Ops 7

For gamers eager to stay updated, Summer Game Fest 2025 set the stage for an exciting second half of the year, with new releases, console innovations, and unforgettable gameplay experiences.

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