E3 2020 may be canceled, but there are plenty of online gaming events that have taken its place, including IGN’s Summer of Gaming and Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, which are jam-packed with hours of big reveals, gameplay footage, developer interviews, and much more. You can find a full schedule of events here.
This is good news for fans who are no doubt ready to hear more about the big games coming to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 in 2020 and beyond. But what games and announcements should you expect?
While Den of Geek will be covering all of the latest news and reveals as they happen, starting on June 8 with the start of IGN Expo, in the meantime, we’ve made some predictions for what announcements might be coming this summer:
Star Wars Project Maverick Unveiled
After the major success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order last year, no one should be very surprised when Electronic Arts takes the stage at EA Play 2020 and announces the first Star Wars game for next-gen consoles. The game in question? Something codenamed Project Maverick, a game that was first uncovered by Kotaku a few months ago.
According to the outlet, the game is a “smaller, more unusual” project unlike what we’ve seen from EA’s Star Wars lineup so far. But that could really mean anything, right? The title is being developed by Motive Studios, which previously worked on the story campaign for Battlefront II and gave us our beloved Shriv.
Despite the fact that EA hasn’t actually announced the game or confirmed that Motive is working on a Star Wars title, Project Maverick is actually one of the publisher’s worst kept secrets. Besides the scoop from Kotaku, a listing for Project Maverick was also leaked onto the European PlayStation, likely by accident.
So we know this game is coming but don’t know what it’s about, when it takes place, or what kind of game it really is. That said, reports suggest we’ll finally get our first look at Project Maverick this month. After the excellent Jedi: Fallen Order, we can’t wait.
Halo Infinite Gameplay Footage Showcased by Xbox
Xbox Game Studios first announced Halo Infinite at E3 2018 for the Xbox One and PC, but a few things have changed since then. It was confirmed at E3 2019 that the game would also serve as a flagship title for the Xbox Series X, marking the first time a Microsoft console has launched with a Halo game since the original Xbox. That’s exciting!
Unfortunately, while two cinematic trailers have shown off how impressive the game is going to eventually look on 343 Industries’ brand-new Slipspace engine, we’ve not seen any actual gameplay two years later. But that’s all bound to change during July’s Xbox 20/20 reveal event when the publisher will fully unveil Halo Infinite and the other first-party games coming to the Xbox Series X.
New Batman Game Revealed
While WB Games reportedly planned to host its first E3 conference this year, those plans were obviously scrapped when E3 2020 was canceled. But all is not lost. The publisher has partnered with Summer Game Fest, which means that we’ll see something from WB this summer — maybe even a direct-style presentation covering all of the label’s upcoming titles.
Kotaku’s Jason Schreier reported back in March that WB had originally intended to announce at least three new titles this year, one of which is a new Batman game WB Montreal has been teasing for the past few months. The new Batman adventure is said to feature the Court of Owls as well as other factions from the comics. It’s unclear if Kevin Conroy is returning to voice the Dark Knight once again.
The good news is that after five years of waiting, we might finally have a new Batman game to obsess over very soon. Let’s hope that announcement comes sooner rather than later.
BioShock 4 Makes a Surprise Appearance
The reportedly in-development GTA 6 is not the only game Take-Two Interactive might have up its sleeve. 2K has reportedly been hard at work on the next BioShock game since 2018, a top-secret sequel that has yet to be confirmed by the publisher.
The revolutionary sci-fi-horror shooter series has been on hiatus since 2013 — plenty of time for a new team of developers to shape a new installment. I’m not saying this game will be out any time soon, but a brief teaser letting us know that the series will continue at a later date on next-gen consoles might be enough to break the internet. 2K has partnered with both IGN Summer of Gaming and Summer Game Fest so there’s a chance either of these festivals could drop a huge bomb.
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Announced
Another big release that leaked before its big unveiling, the next Call of Duty game is another Black Ops installment from Treyarch that goes back to the Cold War. While we don’t know what historical events the game will actually cover, the series has been to places like Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and Russia before. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of twists on real events the series has in store this time around. Activision is set to show something during Summer Game Fest, so that’s likely where you’ll see the new Call of Duty game debut.
PS5 Console Unveiled
Don’t get your hopes up, but you never know. Sony originally planned to host a big PS5 reveal event at the start of June but has since postponed the stream to a later date. Before its postponement, reports claimed that the event would focus on the games coming to Sony’s next-gen console and not the console itself, meaning the company wasn’t planning to show us what the box actually looked like during that event. But now that plans have shifted, it’s possible that Sony’s approach will change, too.
While it’s true that what matters most is the actual games, console reveals are also a great way to get fans excited. Yet, Sony has played things particularly close to the chest this time around, first detailing the technical specs and then unveiling the new controller, without much else in between, so it’s possible we won’t see what the console actually looks like until closer to the Holiday 2020 release date.
Diablo 4 Release Date Confirmed
Fans have been asking for Diablo 4 for a very long time and they finally got what they wished for when Blizzard officially announced the game at Blizzcon 2019. We’ve not hear much about the highly-anticipated action RPG since. That could all change when Blizzard appears on both IGN Summer of Gaming and Summer Game Fest.
On top of showing off more gameplay footage and the new features coming to this installment, it’s possible Blizzard has made enough progress on the game to set a release date for the title. And if it’s still too early to announce when the game is coming out, Blizzard may at least confirm that Diablo 4 is coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as well as PC, PS4, and XBO.
New Rocksteady Game Revealed
As we said, WB Games was set to announce at least three new games in development. The second is the new title from Rocksteady Studios, the studio behind the Batman Arkham series. Since the release of Batman Arkham VR in 2016, we’ve heard very little about what Rocksteady has been working on for the past four years except that it’s not a Superman game. So what is it? A Justice League game? Something outside the superhero genre completely? We’ll hopefully find out during Summer Game Fest.
Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS5 Announced
Marvel’s Spider-Man was one of the PlayStation 4’s biggest hits, so it’s very likely we’ll get a sequel from Insomniac Games for the PS5. Could a new Spider-Man game even be one of the PS5’s launch titles? It’s certainly possible, although Insomniac has likely only spent two years of development time on the sequel. It seems more likely that the game will get announced for PS5 as a Fall 2021 release or maybe even Early 2022. Either way, you can bet on the return of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The question is, when?
New Harry Potter Game Revealed
WB Games also has a new Harry Potter game in the works. In the last two years, the publisher has made a big push to release new games set in the Wizarding World, including two mobile games, 2018’s Hogwarts Mystery and 2019’s Wizard Unite. We won’t know if this next helping is also for mobile or if it’s a AAA title for next-gen consoles. But we’ll hopefully find out soon enough!
Major Google Stadia Exclusive Announced
After several months on the market, two things are clear about Google Stadia: 1) the cloud streaming technology is impressive and is a fascinating first step in an all-digital gaming future, 2) the service needs to give more players a reason to subscribe to the service. Stadia hasn’t really shared many simultaneous releases with consoles and PC, especially in the AAA category, and the service’s lack of real exclusives meant to pull players to the service is absolutely glaring. But there’s a chance Google could change all that during IGN’s Summer of Gaming.
Stadia Games and Entertainment, under the guidance of Ubisoft and EA veteran Jade Raymond, has opened two new studios tasked with developing exclusive titles for the service, on top of the acquisition of Journey to the Savage Planet developer Typhoon Studios, which will also work exclusively on Stadia games. Almost a year since launch, now feels like the right time for Google to lift the curtain on at least one of these Stadia projects.
Elden Ring Gameplay Footage Released
Bandai Namco is set to present at both IGN’s Summer of Gaming and Summer Game Fest. Could the publishing be bringing some Elden Ring gameplay footage? There was a lot of buzz around the new Action RPG from FromSoftware and Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin when the game was announced at E3 2019, but we haven’t heard much about the game since.
There are have been many rumors as to why the studio and publisher have gone dark in the past few months, including claims that a rights issue has limited how much Bandai can market Elden Ring in the short term. That means we may not hear anything about the game for a long while. Of course, a rumor is a rumor.
Elden Ring may be the most highly-anticipated game on this list, so if Bandai Namco is able to get some new footage in front of people during one of June’s online events, it undoubtedly will. Just don’t expect this to be a 2020 release.
Ken Levine’s New Game Unveiled
Ghost Story Games, legendary BioShock creator Kevin Levine’s new studio, was born out of the ashes of Irrational Games in 2017. The studio’s focus is on smaller, narrative-driven games as opposed to AAA blockbusters like BioShock, but we have no idea what Ghost Story’s first project may be otherwise.
Levine said in 2017 that he was most inspired by Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor‘s Nemesis system, in which NPCs remember and react to your past actions in the game, when launching the new studio and that more could be done regarding “reactive narratives” in games.
“To be able to then have a narrative that seems traditional – like our other games (BioShock or System Shock 2), one of those kinds of narratives – but can react and comment on much more small-level actions the player takes – that’s the goal,” Levine said at EGX Rezzed in 2017.
Levine teased that his new game’s sci-fi narrative is unlike anything you’ve ever seen and will be set in a smaller, detailed world as opposed to a sprawling open-world. We’re all dying to know more, and with 2K set to present at both IGN’s Summer of Gaming and Summer Game Fest, this might finally be the year we see what Levine and his team have been working on.
Bond Is Back
We make this prediction every year just so E3 can continue to crush our dreams. Well, we haven’t learned our lesson. The James Bond 007 license has laid dormant since those atrocious Activision games and no other publisher has shown any interest in doing anything about it. But with a new movie on the way later this year, Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, could now be the time for a studio to bring the greatest spy in all of entertainment back to consoles? Probably not, Mr. Bond.
Ghostwire: Tokyo Gameplay Revealed
Although it had to scrap its E3 conference, Bethesda will have a presence at Summer Game Fest, a perfect opportunity to update fans on the state of many of the games announced at the 2019 show. One of the most talked about reveals from last year was Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks new action-adventure title, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and we’re bound to hear more about the game this year.
Our first look at the game teased some sort of Rapture event that distorts reality as well as quite a few creepy characters. The protagonist seems to be a hooded figure covered in black who is armed with a bow and arrow to (we assume) fight off the supernatural threats featured in the trailer. That’s not enough to go on at all. It’s about time Bethesda told us a bit more about the game.
More Starfield Details Shared by Bethesda
There’s also Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios next big IP. As the name suggests, the game is set in space and there’s a very good chance that the game will feature RPG elements similar to those in the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series. When the game was first announced at E3 2018, the brief teaser trailer brought down the house. Yet, the announcement came with a caveat: Starfield was still a few years away from actually hitting shelves so fans would have to be patient.
Two years later, the time seems right to update fans on the progress made on Starfield. While Bethesda Game Studios has had its hands full maintaining and tweaking Fallout 76 since its release in 2018, the developer always has multiple teams working on different projects at once. There’s probably no chance Starfield will be ready for a 2020 launch, and even a 2021 release seems too optimistic, but that’s no reason Bethesda can’t take a moment to remind us why we should be excited about its next big franchise.
Horizon Zero Dawn Sequel Announced for PS5
Guerrilla Game’s Horizon Zero Dawn was nothing short of an absolute revelation. A beautifully executed sci-fi/fantasy world, memorable characters, a twisting storyline, and fun action-adventure gameplay made Horizon Zero Dawn one of the best games of 2017. It won’t be surprising at all when Sony finally announces the inevitable sequel to this excellent adventure game.
The timing of this sequel is where things get interesting. With more than three years in the bag at this point, it’s very possible that Guerrilla Games is not only ready to announce the sequel but release the game as one of the PS5’s big launch titles. We can’t think of any title that would create more excitement for the PS5’s launch than another Horizon game.
Dune Game from Funcom Unveiled
Funcom said in a financial report in April that its Dune open-world game is “still a few years away,” but that’s no reason the studio can’t show us a little something from its new sci-fi title in the meantime. What do we know about the game so far?
Well, Funcom described its Dune game as “a more ambitious and robust version of Conan Exiles,” the studio’s gritty online survival title, and that it’s “designed to be a game as a service from the outset.” That could mean that players should expect the same tough-as-nails survival elements from Funcom’s Conan game but with improved systems and the benefit of next-gen tech.
With the first of a two-part blockbuster adaptation of Dune set to hit theaters in December, there’s no better time for Funcom to create excitement for its next big game. Funcom will participate in the Guerrilla Collective Indie Showcase and that’s likely where you’ll hear more about Dune.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 Teased by Square Enix
Final Fantasy VII Remake, a completely rebuilt-from-the-ground-up reimagining of the classic PlayStation game, did not disappoint once it finally released after years of anticipation. The remake not only added new twists to Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa’s story but also serves as a perfect entry point to series, bridging the gap between the Final Fantasy games of the ’90s and the current generation.
But Final Fantasy VII Remake only covers the Midgar portion of the original game — about 10 to 15 percent of the 1997 version. Fortunately, Square Enix has plans to release follow-up installments that cover the rest of the original story. While the first chapter only released this year, IGN’s Summer of Gaming and Summer Game Fest might be a good time for Square Enix to at least confirm that the next chapter is in development.
Deathloop Gameplay Revealed
A new game from the developers of Dishonored and Prey is always something to get excited about. Announced during Bethesda’s E3 2019 conference, Deathloop is the latest title from Arkane Studios, which is set to explore some new territory with this action game starring two assassins that are seemingly caught in a deadly loop. There was a lot going on in the game’s first cinematic trailer, including plenty of weapons, gravity-defying parkour stunts, and supernatural powers.
Since Bethesda didn’t show off any actual gameplay last year, it’s hard to tell what exactly the actual game is. That could change this summer if the publisher decides to lift the lid on this intriguing new title.