History of Summer Game Fest in Timeline

Summer Game Fest, organized by Geoff Keighley, is an annual multi-day video game event featuring live streams and showcases of upcoming games. Created in 2020 as a response to the cancellation of major industry events like E3 and Gamescom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Summer Game Fest includes a main show with major release announcements, followed by events such as 'Day of the Devs', focusing on indie titles, and numerous other streams showcasing various affiliated and unaffiliated games in the days following the main show.

2000: Keighley's Involvement with E3

Since before 2000, Geoff Keighley had worked with the ESA to support the E3 convention, including running the E3 Coliseum to give developers and their games more exposure.

2019: The Game Awards 2019

After The Game Awards 2019, the Steam Game Festival was held, following the cancellation of the 2020 Game Developers Conference.

2019: Sony Skips E3 2019

In 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment did not participate in E3.

August 24, 2020: End of First Summer Game Fest

The first Summer Game Fest, which ran from May 1 to August 24, 2020, concluded, providing a platform for developers and publishers to host live streams and events in place of the canceled E3 and Gamescom. Geoff Keighley also promoted the third Steam Game Festival during this period.

2020: "Day of the Devs" Incorporation

In 2020, "Day of the Devs" was first incorporated into Summer Game Fest as an after-show focused on showcasing upcoming indie games, following the cancellation of the in-person festival in San Francisco due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Keighley Opts Out of E3 2020

In 2020, Geoff Keighley opted out of E3 due to changes in the event's approach by the ESA, which he felt uncomfortable with. Sony Interactive Entertainment also withdrew from the event for similar reasons.

2020: Summer Game Fest Creation

In 2020, Summer Game Fest was created by Geoff Keighley after the cancellation of E3 and Gamescom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event consists of multiple live streams throughout the North American summer, showcasing upcoming game releases, with a focus on a "main show" and an indie-focused "Day of the Devs" after-show.

2020: Announcements During Summer Game Fest 2020

Summer Game Fest 2020 featured various games and announcements.

June 10, 2021: Summer Game Fest Opening

On June 10, 2021, Summer Game Fest opened with a stream of game announcements hosted by Geoff Keighley.

June 11, 2021: First Tribeca Games Spotlight

On June 11, 2021, the first Tribeca Games Spotlight was held as part of the Summer Game Fest, featuring games nominated for the inaugural Tribeca Film Festival video game award.

July 8, 2021: Sony State of Play

On July 8, 2021, Sony participated in Summer Game Fest by holding a State of Play event, where they made various announcements.

July 22, 2021: End of Second Summer Game Fest

The second Summer Game Fest concluded on July 22, 2021, coinciding with E3 2021. The event included demos of upcoming games for Xbox consoles from June 15–21, 2021, as part of the ID@Xbox program.

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June 2022: Summer Game Fest 2022

Throughout June 2022, the third Summer Game Fest took place, with its core programming running from June 9–12. Participating publishers included Capcom, Devolver Digital, Epic Games, Netflix, Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox.

2022: Physical Component for the Press

In 2022, a physical component was available to the press during the Summer Game Fest.

2023: Trailer Revenue for 2023 Game Awards

Esquire estimated that the 2023 Game Awards made $9.65 million in fees for airing trailers during the main show in 2023.

2023: Fourth Summer Game Fest

The fourth Summer Game Fest was a combined digital and physical event, held from June 8 to 11, 2023, at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. A physical component was available to the press in 2022.

2024: Reflection on Summer Game Fest 2024

Following the 2024 Summer Games Fest, Diego Nicolás Argüello of Paste noted the event seemed to be in a transitional period, shifting towards a format more similar to the old E3. He viewed the event as a hybrid of old preview traditions, becoming larger than originally intended.

2024: Trailer Costs for Summer Game Fest 2024 Main Show

For the 2024 Summer Game Fest main show, it cost $250,000 to air a one-minute trailer, with an additional $100,000 for each extra 30 seconds. Some "free slots" are reserved for smaller and indie games/studios.

2024: Fifth Summer Game Fest

In 2024, the fifth Summer Game Fest was held at the YouTube Theater from June 7 to 10.

June 6, 2025: Sixth Summer Game Fest

The sixth Summer Game Fest is scheduled to be held at the YouTube Theater on June 6, 2025, with a physical "Play Days" event taking place from June 7 to 9, 2025.