Summary

• Summer Game Fest has replaced E3 for new game reveals, condensed to a weekend with big reveals on the opening night.
• Host Geoff Keighley managed expectations for 2024's event, but many anticipated titles delivered exciting updates.
• Top 10 big reveals from the SGF opening night include release dates, new games, and updates on Dragon Ball, Civilization, and Harry Potter.

The opening night of 2024's Summer Game Fest brought with it countless new announcements for games and DLC. Since its introduction in 2020, Summer Game Fest has rapidly replaced E3 as the premier annual event for the reveal of new games. Summer Game Fest has since transformed from a season-long slew of reveals, demos, and dev interviews to a single long weekend full of trailer-laden livestreams. The biggest reveals are generally reserved for opening night.

SGF organizer and host Geoff Keighley tempered expectations ahead of this year's event, cautioning fans not to expect too many big reveals of brand-new games. That said, many already-announced titles had exciting news to share - and there were more than a few surprises in the mix. These are the ten biggest reveals from the opening night of Summer Game Fest 2024, including new games, release dates, and other development updates.

10 Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Finally Got A Release Date

Spike Chunsoft, October 11

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the newest installment in the Budokai Tenkaichi series of Dragon Ball 3D fighting games. First announced in March 2023, fans have been waiting a long time for this reveal, especially considering it’s the first game to come out for the series in 14 years. Sparking! Zero features Dragon Ball characters from throughout the ages, with 25 confirmed so far. Its expansive and varied roster allows for players to satisfy their wildest, burning “what if” questions, by orchestrating head-to-head clashes between superpowered Saiyans.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be released on October 11, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’ll feature new and returning characters from the manga, anime, and video game series, as well as an explosive new mechanic in the form of destructible environments. Players can expect more information, and likely new characters, to be revealed ahead of the game’s release.

9 Sid Meier's Civilization 7 Was Officially Confirmed

Firaxis Games, 2025

Civilization 7 is the next installment in the long-running strategy series, which began in 1991. Civilization is the brainchild of strategy game pioneer Sid Meier. As always, the game will allow players to take control of a variety of different world leaders as they compete to develop technology, cultivate culture, and raise armies. There are multiple paths to victory, and destroying one’s enemies isn’t always the easiest one. Infinite strategies are possible in Civilization, making it infinitely replayable.

is scheduled for release sometime in 2025 - more information, perhaps including a release date, is expected this August. It’ll be available on Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. No word on whether all those releases will be simultaneous. As always, it’ll be possible to play alone with AI leaders, or friends for a competitive game of strategy. DLC unlocking new civilizations and new ways to play is likely to follow.

8 Harry Potter Quidditch Champions Was Confirmed With A Release Date

Unbroken Studios, September 3

Long requested as a feature for the open-world Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy, Quidditch is instead getting a standalone game: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. This fully-featured game is centered entirely on the fantasy sport, featuring a variety of teams based on the school houses of Hogwarts. Players can occupy a variety of positions, including Beaters, Chasers, Keepers, and Seekers, as they fly across the field in fast-paced games. It uses a distinct art style, featuring cartoonish renderings of Harry Potter characters.

will be released on September 3, 2024, for Switch, PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It retails for $29.99 USD, but it’ll be free to play for PS Plus subscribers the rest of that month. Players who already own Hogwarts Legacy on the same console will be able to receive special in-game rewards for Quidditch Champions.

7 Batman: Arkham Shadow Was Finally Revealed

Camouflaj, Fall 2024

Batman: Arkham Shadow is the long-awaited next installment in the Arkham series, which began with Arkham Asylum in 2009. The series caused controversy with the divisive Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League earlier this year; this is the first Batman-focused entry since 2016’s Arkham VR. Arkham Shadow follows that legacy: it’s a VR game, but maintains many of the classic mechanics fans have come to associate with the Arkham series. It’s being developed by Camouflaj, creators of a similarly superhero-focused VR experience, Iron Man VR, and episodic stealth action game République.

Arkham Shadow takes place between Origins and Asylum, as Batman attempts to stop the Rat King and his dangerous cult from taking over Gotham City. Batman: Arkham Shadow is exclusive to the Meta Quest 3. It doesn’t have a concrete release date, but it is due out in the fall of 2024. More details are likely to be revealed closer to launch.

6 Alan Wake 2 Shadow-Dropped The Night Springs DLC

Remedy Entertainment, June 8

Rumors and leaks about Alan Wake 2 DLC have been circulating for a while, but Remedy has finally confirmed their existence with an in-person announcement from Sam Lake himself. The next chapter in the Alan Wake 2 saga will be the Night Springs DLC. It takes the form of three episodic stories, each focusing on a familiar side character from the series in the context of an unfamiliar side story. Episodes will allow players to take control of The Waitress, The Sibling, and The Actor, each in a unique chapter that explores an obscure corner of the Alan Wake universe. It’s framed as a TV-show-within-a-game, reflecting the world in which it exists while also establishing a universe of its own.

Night Springs will be released less than 24 hours from its announcement at Summer Game Fest, sometime on June 8, 2024. It may not answer any lingering questions about Alan Wake’s lore, but it looks like a fun diversion for curious fans.

5 Palworld Provided A First Look At Its New Island

Pocket Pair, June 27

Palworld is finally getting its first substantial update this summer, featuring the all-new Sakurajima Island. The hit indie game has made waves since its January release, skyrocketing to the top of the Steam charts within weeks. The new terrain comes with new Pals to catch, new dungeons to explore, and new bosses to fight. It also includes new camp buildings, an arena for one-on-one battles, and a brand-new faction. Most importantly, the update will finally bring dedicated servers to the Xbox version of the game, opening up opportunities for a richer multiplayer experience. The update isn’t news - it’s been teased by Palworld’s creators for months. But Summer Game Fest provided a first look at its new sights and sounds.

Palworld’s Sakurajima update will be released on June 27, 2024. The update is expected to be released for both its current platforms - PC and Xbox - on the same day. No word on a PS5 release just yet.

4 Monster Hunter Wilds Revealed A New Trailer

Capcom, 2025

Monster Hunter Wilds got its first reveal at The Game Awards in 2023, but SGF gave it a much deeper look. This is the next installment of Capcom’s long-running action series, which features a familiar gameplay formula: players ride out to take down giant beasts in groups of one to four, returning home with materials they’ll use to craft new weapons, armor, and other gear. However, Wilds promises to innovate on the Monster Hunter formula by telling a deeper, more involved story than ever before. That was on display even in the earliest trailers, which gave a first look at some of the characters involved, and the terrifying new monsters they’ll face.

Monster Hunter Wilds will be released some time in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’ll have full crossplay capability across all platforms, so hunters can their friends regardless of where they’re playing from.

3 Slitterhead Got A New Gameplay Trailer & Release Date

Bokeh Games, November 8

Slitterhead is the action-horror game from Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama. Featuring a terrifyingly transformational, original horror concept, Slitterhead is unlike any horror game before it. First revealed at the Game Awards way back in 2021, it’s not the brooding, atmospheric, story-focused kind of game players might have come to expect from the creator of Silent Hill: instead, it features action combat in which player characters can mutate their bodies at will, sprouting sharp claws and other battle-ready bioweapons from their arms. Players can also jump from one body into another, presumably using different humans’ and animals’ unique abilities to overcome various unique challenges.

The story centers on a murder mystery in a seemingly abandoned city. Slitterhead is now confirmed for a November 8, 2024 release date - just over a week after the remake of Silent Hill 2. It’ll be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Showed A New Trailer

Warhorse Studios, 2024

Medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance announced a sequel just a couple of months ago, and fans finally got a closer look at Kingdom Come: Deliverance II during opening night of SGF. In a sea of fantasy games, Kingdom Come stands out for its historical accuracy, set in the real-life historical kingdom of Bohemia and featuring absolutely no fantasy elements. But players can still customize their characters, using a variety of period-accurate weapons to wage war against a rival army. Its combat uses an advanced physics system to realistically simulate the clashing of swords and flying of arrows.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 still doesn’t have a release date, but it’s expected out sometime this year. It’ll be playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Its plot follows the same character as the first: Henry, the blacksmith of Skalitz, as he gets further embroiled in the civil war against Holy Roman emperor Sigismund.

1 Phantom Blade Zero Premiered A Full Gameplay Trailer

S-GAME, 2024

Phantom Blade Zero, a shockingly brutal action game revealed at last year’s SGF, is finally back with a full gameplay trailer. Set in a dismal steampunk world, Phantom Blade Zero focuses on the Dark Raider, a lone swordsman who sets out to find and destroy the mysterious Order. Players can hack and slash their way through enemies with lightning-fast combos that draw from classical martial arts. The new trailer was the grand finale for SGF’s opening night, closing out the ceremony with stunning, fast-paced action gameplay.

Phantom Blade Zero still doesn’t have an official release date - it was originally set to come out sometime in 2024, but time is rapidly running out on that window. While the trailer showed an impressive slice of gameplay, it didn’t provide any new information on when it’ll actually be playable by the public. However, it’s expected to unleash a playable demo at Gamescom this August, just two months after its Summer Game Fest trailer.