Summer Game Fest 2025 & Xbox Games Showcase LIVE: Mortal Shell 2, body horror 'Ill', Onimusha, and RESIDENT EVIL 9 HAS BEEN REVEALED [ENDED]

The long awaited 007 game is apparently getting revealed this week

As this week continues, we're bound to see some exciting teasers and potentially even some leaks before the official showcases begin. To start that all off, it seems 007 First Light is getting revealed "this week," most likely at Summer Game Fest 2025. I'm super excited to learn more about it. — Rebecca Spear, Gaming Editor

What we expect from the Xbox Games Showcase 2025

The Xbox Games Showcase takes place on Sunday, June 8 at 10:00am PT / 1:00 pm ET and will likely be the place that we get the most exciting Xbox news this weekend.

Our own Jez Corden has previously written an article on what he expects to see at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. He conjectures on everything from Everwild to State of Decay 3 and even discusses the potential for new Xbox hardware. So, if you'd like to read more on all of that, check out his article. — Rebecca Spear, Gaming Editor

Could we see The Elder Scrolls VI at the Xbox Showcase?

Will Elder Scrolls 6 be at the Xbox Showcase?! - YouTube

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Could we see Elder Scrolls 6 at the Xbox Showcase this year? During last week's XB2 Podcast with YouTuber Rand_Al_Thor_19 and myself, we both came to the conclusion that, perhaps next week would be a good time to give another taste at The Elder Scrolls 6.

With Oblivion Remastered driving a resurgence of interest in the franchise, what better way to cap off the hype with a glimpse at what's coming next? It has been 7 years since the original Elder Scrolls 6 teaser, between which Bethesda's core team launched Starfield.

Perhaps it's too early, but ... what if it isn't? I'm daring to dream.

— Jez Corden

What about some Hollow Knight: Silksong?

One big game people are hoping to see at SGF or the Xbox Showcase is Hollow Knight: Silksong.

The follow up to the dark and seminal metroidvania-meets-soulslike has long been in development, with updates on the game being relatively few and far between. Fans of the franchise (myself included) clamor for even the vaguest hints that the game could be nearing completion, and we just got some of that this morning.

Silkson'g app packages on Steam recently got a flurry of updates, with one grabbing its first update in over a year. Could the game be gearing up for prime time? We can only hope.

— Jez Corden

PlayStation joins in with a June State of Play

Not to be left out, Sony's PlayStation is joining in the summer gaming fun with a State of Play presentation on Wednesday, June 4 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. It'll be streamed on Twitch and YouTube. This show will run for around 40 minutes and is packed with "must-play" games.

Personally, I'm hoping to see the next Resident Evil game announced here. It's been long enough — the Resident Evil 4 remake and its Separate Ways story DLC both launched in 2023 — and I'm extremely curious how Capcom plans to continue the long-running survival-horror franchise. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor

A glimpse of The Witcher 4 at State of Unreal 2025

During State of Unreal 2025, CD Projekt RED showed up with an impressive technical demonstration for The Witcher 4. This Unreal Engine 5 demo showed how the team is using motion-matching, Nanite Foliage, and more.

As a result, the team claims this tech demo is running at 60 FPS with ray tracing on a standard PlayStation 5. This demo also confirmed a couple of other interesting details. First, Ciri has a horse named Kelpie, and this steed serves her much the same as Roach served Geralt. Secondly, at least part of the game takes place in Kovir, one of the Northern Kingdoms that wasn't seen in the prior games.

The Witcher 4 may be a ways off, but it's interesting to see how it's all coming together. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor

People are sharing their crazy hopes and dreams for the Xbox showcase

Since we can't (yet) have comments enabled on live blogs, I took to Twitter / X to ask users what they want to see from the big Xbox Showcase, scheduled for this Sunday.

In my wildest hopes and dreams, I'd love to see some Blizzard presence at the show, perhaps with StarCraft 3 or a Warcraft single player spin off. I doubt that will happen given Blizzcon is next year ... but I don't fancy waiting by. I'd also kill to get a Wasteland 4 or Gears Tactics 2. I'm on a bit of a turn-based kick at the moment (thanks Clair Obscur and WH40K: Rogue Trader for that).

Here are some of the other wild hopes from the Twitter faithful.

Will we see the formal reveal of "Xbox PC" this week?

Microsoft seems to be gearing up to fully reveal "Xbox PC" as the rebrand for its Xbox app on PC, making it easier to differentiate between Microsoft's separate platform efforts.

I noticed today that the branding appeared on a third-party game trailer next to the Steam logo, in what, as far as I can tell, is a first. The previous time "Xbox PC" was used was in Microsoft's Gears of War: Reloaded announcement post.

Increasingly, it looks as though Microsoft is shifting its PC gaming branding around that moniker. We've asked Microsoft to comment, but don't be surprised if you see a lot of this new branding in the coming days across SGF and the Xbox Showcase.

— Jez Corden

What is Undead Labs teasing here?

Color me intrigued, but Xbox studio Undead Labs posted this on their Facebook page recently. Undead Labs is, of course, working on State of Decay 3.

The runic pattern is unlike anything I've seen in State of Decay or State of Decay 2. It doesn't appear to be an existing typescript that I'm aware of, although it looks at least vaguely similar to Nordic runes, albeit aesthetically only.

The back drop looks to be in a field, inscribed with some sort of burial mound or crop circle, it's hard to say.

Is this a tease for State of Decay 3, or something completely new? We should find out for sure on Sunday.

— Jez Corden

Black Myth Wukong arrives exactly a year to the day on Xbox

In case you missed it, Black Myth Wukong has been officially dated for Xbox, set to launch this August. Interestingly, it's a year to the day that the game launched on PlayStation.

Microsoft and our sources suggested to us that the Black Myth Wukong delay was the result of some form of exclusivity deal with PlayStation and Sony. Game Science has never confirmed or denied that they took some kind of deal with Sony, but has leveraged blame on being unable to optimize the game for the Xbox Series S.

Either way, it's great that one of last year's most celebrated RPGs is finally coming across to team green. Maybe there will also finally be some other long-delayed PlayStation exclusives announced for Xbox at this week's showcase.

— Jez Corden

Don't forget the PC Gaming Show too, also set for this Sunday

PC Gaming Show 2025 - YouTube

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Drop a notification bell on the PC Gaming Show, set to go live this Sunday after the Xbox Showcase.

• Date: Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 12 noon PDT, 3pm EDT, 8pm BST, 9pm CEST and 3am CST.
• Streaming on: Twitch, YouTube, X, Facebook, PC Gamer, GamesRadar+, GOG.com, Ginx.tv, Steam, Bilibili and more.
• The show will also broadcast dedicated streams with localised subtitles: in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, French, Korean, German, ASL and BSL.

The PC Gaming Show will showcase over 70 titles with support from publishers like 11 Bit Studios, Aspyr, Ubisoft, KRAFTON, Devolver Digital, and many more. Many of these games will likely show up on Xbox Series X|S too, and possibly even Xbox and PC Game Pass.

— Jez Corden

Could Persona 4 Remake be at the Xbox Showcase?

Persona 4 Remake is one of the industry's worst kept secrets, with voice actors of the previous version recently having coming to decry not being invited to participate. After the success of Persona 3 Remake, remaking one of the most popular entries in the franchise was essentially a foregone conclusion. It was a matter of when, rather than if.

It seems that Persona 4 Remake will be revealed at the Xbox Showcase, according to a report from MP1ST. Our own sources have corroborated this rumor tentatively as well. We won't have to wait long to find out.

— Jez Corden

The Future Games Show is also getting ready to kick off this weekend

FGS Summer Showcase 2025 - Save The Date - YouTube

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The Future Games Show returns at 1pm PT, 4pm ET, 9pm BST, 10pm CEST on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Smash the notification bell above to be keyed in.

New trailers for upcoming games like Mafia: The Old Country and Hell is Us are expected, with many more reveals for Xbox, PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch in tow.

Will we see Xbox's "Project Kennan" this weekend?

I exclusively revealed Project Kennan a few weeks ago here on Windows Central, but it has yet to be formally revealed.

Expected to be based on the Z2 Extreme, Kennan is Microsoft's first partner device under the Xbox brand. Microsoft typically saves Xbox Showcase events for games specifically, but there's not really a better time to put eyeballs on a brand new piece of kit.

If it truly is based on the Z2 platform, it probably won't be cheap. ASUS just increased the price of its ROG Ally and ROG Ally X by $100 in the U.S. to account for Trump's tariff blitz. There's already a swath of competitors on the market too, including the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go. Not to mention the Nintendo Switch. Does Microsoft and the Windows 11 team have some sneaky tricks up its sleeve here? Time will tell.

— Jez Corden

Phil Spencer is feeling cheeky over on Twitter and getting fans in a spin 

"We've got even more surprises," posted Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Gaming, over on X/Twitter about an hour ago. Looks like he's starting the hype train ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday!

I am slightly worried about the number of Banjo Kazooie believers in the comments, but of course the Xbox fans are rabidly deciphering Spencer's perfectly innocent post already. What are you hiding Phil?,

— Jennifer Young

What in the Chicken Jockey is this? 

In other news from the “this could mean nothing or absolutely everything” department: Geoff Keighley just posted… a rooster. No context. Could it be a cryptic tease for a Chicken Jockey origin story in Minecraft? Has he been playing the Coop level in Vampire Survivors?

— Jennifer Young

Some thoughts before Summer Games Fest truly kicks off

My excitement for this year’s festivities is a bit more tempered, not because I don't appreciate all the amazing game announcements, but because, honestly, I’ve never felt so well-fed when it comes to gaming content. It’s been a wild few months, and arguably the best quarter ever for Xbox Game Pass.

Back-to-back drops like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince, and the Oblivion remaster have been incredible, but also, a lot. I haven’t even cracked open DOOM: The Dark Ages yet!

Personally, I’m hoping for updates on a few titles that caught my eye last year but have gone radio silent, like Project C, the horror game from the creators of Immortality. Remember that one? Otherwise, I’m more than happy with what I’ve got on my plate right now. Anything else is a bonus.

— Jennifer Young

Mass Effect TV show? 

Not game news, but game news-adjacent... Amazon's long-rumored Mass Effect series just announced its showrunner. None other than Doug Jung, whom worked on one of my favorite shows of all time, Mindhunter. Many will recognize the name from Star Trek Beyond and Banshee too. News just dropped by Discussing Film.

With Amazon MGM Studios, BioWare, and EA all involved, plus Mass Effect producer Michael Gamble on board, this could either be amazing or a disaster. I must say I'm not keen on absolutely every popular video game being picked up for a TV adaptation right now (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also being adapted for one), but given the names involved here I've got high hopes.

— Jennifer Young

Aaron Greenberg on what to expect from the Xbox Games Showcase

Aside from today's big Summer Game Fest show itself, one of the weekend's largest presentations will be Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase — a conference where the publisher plans to show off many of the games and experiences coming to Xbox and PC players in the future.

It's scheduled to kick off Sunday, June 8 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET, and will be followed by a dedicated showcase for Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2. We're not entirely sure what Microsoft has in store for fans on the big day, but notably, its games marketing vice president Aaron Greenberg has made an effort to temper expectations on social media.

"Looking forward to the show, just don’t overhype it too much," Greenberg wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "We sort of burned the house down last year!"

The message is clear: don't expect huge bombshell after bombshell or anything like that, because this year's show will evidently be more on the tame side. Still, I'm sure there'll be plenty for Xbox and PC players to look forward to in the showcase.

— Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Could Lies of P Overture get shadow dropped today?

Seen a lot of speculation today that the highly anticipated Lies of P: Overture could be shadow-dropped in today's opening show. We were lucky enough to preview the DLC which prequels the game story earlier in May, but no release date was given outside of 'Summer 2025'. Today could be the day we get a release date, but a trailer leak earlier today clearly shows 'Available Now' on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at the end.

The hype for the DLC has been somewhat overshadowed by some controversy around the announcement it will add difficulty options to the game, a no-no for a game in the Soulslike category.

Personally, I think if it's going to drop, it will during the Xbox Showcase, not the opening show due to the branding on the leaked trailer, but let's see if I'm wrong. — Jennifer Young

One hour to go!

Not long now, get firmly on the hype train (and get some drinks and snacks) because the show will be a whole two hours long.

Reminders of where to catch the show:

• YouTube.com/thegameawards
• Twitch.tv/thegameawards
• X.com/thegameawards
• Bsky.app/thegameawards
• Facebook.com/thegameawards
• TikTok.com/thegameawards

— Jennifer Young

Summer Game Fest is kicking off in 5 minutes!

We're getting started here shortly. Summer Game Fest is kicking off in earnest, showcasing the latest and greatest the industry has to offer.

Microsoft's Xbox Showcase kicks off later this weekend on Sunday, but SGF should also have a ton of interesting AAA games for both Xbox and PC to look forward to as well.

We'll be live blogging as much as we can here, including trailers and the like when they drop in.

Raw Power Games presents a cinematic trailer narrated by Tom Hardy: Chronicles Medieval

New studio Raw Power Games have shown an impressive cinematic trailer for a medieval sandbox, where you take part in gigantic scale battles with hundreds of combatants.

Its listed as coming to Steam in 2026, but the website says it's also coming to consoles as well. Only a brief flash of gameplay was shown, but it looks like fans of Chivalry and the like may have a new place to call home next year.

Hideo Kojima is on stage to talk about Death Stranding 2

Death Stranding 2 is now being demonstrated. The PlayStation exclusive looks absolutely incredible, but hopefully, like the first game, it will eventually makes its way to Xbox and PC.

Hideo Kojima notes that the original was made during the pandemic, and he wants players to think about that when they play Death Stranding 2 when it launches later this summer.

The trailer shows a scene between a porter and, what seems to be a therapist, at a Bridges facility. The digital acting and cinematography is typically top notch in regular Kojima Productions fashion. Neil and Lucy are new characters demonstrated, but Kojima is keeping quiet about deeper details, to preserve potential spoilers.

First game revealed: Mortal Shell 2

Mortal Shell was an indie soulslike from yesteryear, and before Lies of P, it was touted as a credible alternative to the likes of Dark Souls, despite some jankiness.

Now, we have Mortal Shell 2, which looks like a HUGE step up from its predecessor, with AAA visuals, insane animations, absolutely brutal looking combat, and a 2026 launch window on PC and Xbox.

Geoff Keighley is on stage, talking about 'boundless' creativity

Geoff Keighley is shouting out various games on stage right now, describing the diversity of titles hitting Steam lately, from small ten person teams to massive blockbusters with big budgets like Monster Hunter: Wilds.

"With digital distribution and engines like Unreal, today's biggest projects emerge from outside the traditional publisher system," Geoff says.

Geoff is talking about the difficulty developers are having with discovery, touting shows like SGF at helping developers find their audience, and helping gamers find their next favorite game.

Action adventure horror game 'End of Abyss' enchants, from the devs of Little Nightmares

Section 9 which formed from the developers of Little Nightmares has debuted their new game, dubbed End of Abyss, which looks fantastic.

Top down visuals and survival horror elements make this look like one to watch.

Code Vein 2 has been revealed!

Unexpectedly, we're getting a sequel to Code Vein. Code Vein 2 looks like a big improvement over the first game. The tough hack n' slash with anime stylings was quite impressive in its own way, but the sequel looks like its trying to take things to the next level in a big way.

Its dropping 2026 on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.

The new Sonic Racing Crossroads game features characters from other Sega franchises, including Joker from Persona, Ichiban from Yakuza, and even Hatsune Miku.

The game is launching on September 2025.

Old school FPS "Mouse PI" shows up big with a new trailer

Mouse PI is an upcoming shooter with old school cartoon visuals similar to Cuphead, with a noir black and white motif. Coming to Xbox and PC later this year, it looks like a fun ride for fans of boomer shooters.

Sexy robots return in Atomic Heart II

Following the success of the first game, Mundfish is back with Atomic Heart II, with a greater emphasis on RPG mechanics according to Geoff Keighley.

The sci-fi Soviet-inspired open world RPG had plenty of jankiness, but presented something reminiscent of great titles like Bioshock of yesteryear. They're also putting together another FPS called "The Cube," the developers are describing as an MMORPG set in the Atomic universe.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is an old school beat 'em up

Marvel Cosmic Invasion continues Disney's licensing blitz of the Marvel franchise. Built by beat 'em up aficionados DOTEMU, it looks pretty tight.

A new trailer for Onimusha is looking tight

The legends at Capcom have shown a new trailer for the Onimusha reboot, dubbed Way of the Sword. It looks absolutely fantastic, with tight hack n' slash combat, and a 2026 launch window for Xbox and PC. It will also be playable at Gamescom this summer.

Out of Words is a hand-crafted co-op journey for two, coming to Xbox and PC

For fans of It Takes Two, you have a new game to look forward to. This gorgeous stop-motion style co-op puzzle game "Out of Words" is launching next year on Xbox and PC, and it looks rather good.

Mafia: The Old Country still looks amazing

Mafia: The Old Country - “Loyalty is Everything” Story Trailer - YouTube

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Mafia: The Old Country is launching this August, and it looks every bit as evocative and cinematic as you might expect. If you're looking to scratch the GTA gangster itch while you wait for GTA6, you might need to put this on your radar. Its hitting Xbox, PC, and PlayStation on August 8, 2025.

Lies of P "Overture" is available now

Lies of P's first DLC "Overture" is available now, per a shadow drop of sorts. The absolutely grimdark reimagining of Pinocchio offers arguably the best alternative to the Dark Souls canon, outside of From Software itself. For long suffering Bloodborne fans, Lies of P should scratch the itch in the interim.

Fractured Blooms is "Doki Doki Literature Club meets Silent Hill"

Described by Geoff Keighley as "Silent Hill meets Doki Doki Literature Club," this new PC game "Fractured Blooms" looks a bit like what might happen if Eternal Darkness and Stardew Valley had an unholy love child. Consider my interest piqued.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 has been revealed

Jurassic World Evolution 3 | Announcement Trailer - YouTube

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Jurassic World is a management sim that lets you design your very own Jurassic Park. Just like Jurassic Park, things can go wrong if you aren't tending to your park's needs. Very wrong.

The new game has terrain modifications, hatchery systems, and even allows you to drive around your own park close to the ground.

The game is coming next year to Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.

The developers of Shovel Knight return with a new retro-styled action RPG

"Mina: The Hollower" is a new action RPG from the developers of Shovel Knight. Play as a cute mouse and battle NES-style enemies in a game that should make fans of classic Zelda happy. It's coming to Steam on October 31, 2025.

Dying Light: The Beast gets a new trailer, complete with release date

Dying Light: The Beast is an "expandalone" semi-sequel to Dying Light 2, and it looks surprisingly good. Set in a European town with classic architecture, it expands the game with a deeper emphasis on action and even vehicular combat.

Crane returns from the original game, taking on a mysterious figure known only as The Baron. It's also launching in August, by the way.

Towa: And The Guardians of the Sacred Tree gets revealed

Towa: And The Guardians of the Sacred Tree is an anime-styled Hades-inspired roguelike coming from Bandai Namco. It's coming in September for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation, and looks quite cute.

What if Old Boy was a video game?

"Acts of Blood" looks like Sifu, but ten times more violent. The marshal arts-heavy brawler looks like it was inspired by the amazing Korean movie "Old Boy."

The revenge flick is being developed by a single developer, and is coming to Steam next year.

To celebrate 007, Hitman is getting Casino Royale's big bad

Casino Royale is one of the 007 franchise's most celebrated entries, and Mads Mikkelson's award-winning portrayal of LeSchiffre from Casino Royale is being celebrated in Hitman: World of Assassination in a new map.

IOI talked up their James Bond game, slated for next year, which was revealed in full earlier this week. The update for Hitman goes live later today, but only for 30 days. If you play it, it comes with rewards for 007: First Light.

The Guacamelee developers return with a new brawler

Coming to Steam, "Blighted" looks a bit like a top-down soulslike or action RPG, with difficult combat, and a vibrant, if dark, art style.

"Ill" steals the show for me, with some of the most insane video game body horror ever

Hyperviolent survival horror with HEAVY body horror vibes, "Ill" absolutely just stole the show for me.

Coming to PS5, Steam, and Xbox in the future, this game has absolutely absurd physics and skin textures, and should be immediately at the top of any horror fan's list.

Infinitesimals is a third-person action adventure where you play as sci-fi bugs

What if in Grounded, you played as bugs from outerspace with sci-fi tech? That's what Infinitesimals imagines. And it's coming next year for Xbox and PC.

Capcom appears to tease Resident Evil 9 ...

Next year is the 25th anniversary of the legendary survival horror game, which kicked off an entire genre. Capcom says it'll only be "the blink of an eye" before we hear more about what's next for Resident Evil ... could it be at the Xbox Showcase? Or perhaps Gamescom later this summer?! Time will tell.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks fantastic in its latest gameplay trailer

A new trailer for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has appeared, giving us a better look at the upcoming action RPG launching later this year on Xbox and PC.

"Stranger than Heaven" is the 1943 Yakuza title from RGG Studios

"Stranger than Heaven" is the new title from the team behind Yakuza, set in 1943. It looks fantastic and brutal, while maintaining the traditions the studio is known for. It looks like a step up for the team. But there's still no launch window.

RESIDENT EVIL 9 HAS BEEN REVEALED

FEBRUARY 27, 2026.

Resident Evil: Requiem is a "high stakes" cinematic action survival horror, which takes players to the ruins of Raccoon City.

Grace seems like she might be a survivor of Resident Evil 2, although it's unclear as of now. She's asked to return to the scene of her mother's murder, which triggers flashbacks of Raccoon City.

Raccoon City is where the first three titles took place, and was subsequently destroyed by a nuclear detonation by the U.S. government to contain the zombie outbreak. The exact nature of Resident Evil: Requiem remains to be seen, but it looks absolutely fantastic already, and looks like another bold shift for the evolving franchise.

Capcom is kind of killing it, right?

Annnnnnnd that's a wrap, for now.

Summer Game Fest has ended, and Geoff Keighley and the team there definitely stepped it up a notch. Every game looked compelling, padding was an absolute minimum, and to finish so strongly with Resident Evil: Requiem deserves a ton of kudos.

We'll be back on Sunday to live blog the Xbox Showcase, but until then, have a great weekend.