While E3 is probably never coming back, we may have found a suitable replacement in the form of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest. However, even though we now have a new king of game announcement trailers, we still have to deal with the age-old tradition of leaks and rumors. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
With Summer Game Fest 2023 drawing closer, the internet has started kicking up a storm of speculation. Every gamer and their grandmother has posted lists of titles they want to see during the event, and more than a few have posted insider info (or what they claimed is insider info) of what audiences can expect. Given the sheer number of these posts, it’s difficult to separate what will probably show up and what is a fanciful dream, but we’re gonna try.
Persona 3 Remake
Arguably the biggest rumor revolves around Persona 3. It’s no secret that Atlus has been porting the most recent Persona games to Xbox, so clearly the company is trying to help the series branch out from its PlayStation roots. And while many would love to see Persona 6 during Summer Games Fest, the word on the street is that Atlus is actually remaking Persona 3.
According to the leaker NateTheHate, Atlus will soon reveal the Persona 3 remake, possibly during the Xbox Games Showcase. Another leaker, pan-hime, corroborated this claim. Even if the Xbox Games Showcase is devoid of Persona news, the official Summer Game Fest site has confirmed that Atlus’ owner, Sega, is a partner for the expo, so if these rumors are true, an official reveal isn’t out of the question.
Something Double Fine This Way Comes
Double Fine is one of gaming’s most famous indie companies. Then again, is it really an indie developer since Microsoft acquired it in 2019? Regardless, Double Fine now has two prominent places in the Xbox Games Showcase, which means double the chances the company will reveal something new.
Last month, Double Fine’s Twitter account posted an image of the studio’s titles available on Xbox Game Pass. The picture also teased more titles to come thanks to two mystery games in the image. The running theory is that these are the two games Double Fine is currently developing. Due to the odd timing of this post, many believe these titles will be announced during the Xbox Games Showcase. However, Double Fine’s patented Day of the Devs segment will air first, so even if audiences get to see these titles during the Xbox showcase, odds are the Day of the Devs stream will get the drop on their next big announcement.
Call of Duty is Calling Again
Activision has been releasing annualized Call of Duty sequels ever since 2005. While the company hasn’t announced a new entry yet, the publisher isn’t one to shy away from that controversial tradition. According to rumors, Activision is saving this announcement for the Summer Game Fest.
In November of 2022, Jason Schreier claimed that the next Call of Duty game will be a premium expansion developed by Sledgehammer and will contain so much content that it will be considered a full release. And last month, Insider Gaming expanded on this leak with the statement that this title is actually going to be called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Outlets such as Sportskeeda believe they spied clips from the game in the Summer Game Fest 2023 trailer, which may imply that Activision will officially announce the game during the event. We certainly seem to be entering the season for the almost inevitable reveal of a new CoD game.
Konami Might Try to Reconnect with Gamers
During the recent PlayStation Showcase, Konami officially announced the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, which will go by the name Metal Gear Solid Delta (or as I like to call it, Metal Gear Solid Triangle). In October 2022, Konami also announced several new Silent Hill projects, including a Silent Hill 2 remake. Apparently, those projects might only be the start of Konami’s plans.
According to VGC, Konami has some “pretty big” plans for the Summer Games Fest. Unfortunately, we have no idea what those plans actually are. Assuming VGC’s sources are accurate, more updates (i.e., gameplay) for Metal Gear Solid Delta and any number of the upcoming Silent Hill games seem likely, but the company could also be preparing some Castlevania news. After all, in March, Gematsu reported that Konami filed a trademark for “Project Ziron.” The running theory is that this is the codename for a Castlevania game, which Konami may or may not tease during the expo.
More Spider-Man 2 Goodness
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was arguably the highlight of the PlayStation Showcase since it took up the most time and was one of the few segments that featured actual gameplay. This game might also be one of the upcoming Summer Game Fest’s highlights, too.
Since the PlayStation Showcase aired on May 24, one might assume the game won’t appear during the upcoming Summer Game Fest expo. After all, the PlayStation Showcase already did its duty and gave audiences the update they craved. However, the Summer Game Fest trailer prominently included clips from the game. Why would it do that unless Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was part of the festivities? We probably won’t see any large updates, but more footage of what will likely be one of 2023’s GOTY contenders is always a boon.
Elden Ring DLC, Pragmata, and More
Since the Summer Game Fest will technically unfold over several days, the convention’s showrunners have partnered up with countless game studios and publishers. While these collaborations do not automatically prove anything, they certainly spark the imagination and give us a good idea of the convention’s potential.
The official Summer Game Fest site has touted companies such as Digital Extremes, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and CD Projekt RED, each of which have titles in the works. Digital Extremes, for instance, might be known for Warframe, but the company announced a new title, Soulframe, almost one year ago. We are overdue for an update. As for Bandai Namco, that company is publishing Elden Ring, and we’ve known for a while FromSoftware is working on DLC. The Summer Game Fest seems like the perfect opportunity to officially announce the title.
Plenty of other companies will get a shot at gaining audience attention, some of which reserved their own streaming spots. Capcom, for example, will host its own showcase on June 12 at 6 pm EDT. Titles such as Exoprimal and Dragon’s Dogma 2 could appear during the event, as could Pragmata (we are long overdue for an update). Personally, I’m hoping for a new Monster Hunter title, especially since the final Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak update announcement is scheduled for June 7. Where will hunters go after the final boss of Sunbreak is patched into the game? The Summer Game Fest is an excellent venue to provide this information.
These are only a few of the games that could appear during the Summer Game Fest, but we are at least mildly confident that these titles will definitely show up. Probably. But what are you hoping for? Let us know in the comments below.