Summer Game Fest 2026

Xbox / PC Games Showcase

I just finished the Xbox Games Showcase (lots of Gears of Wars stuff, including the remake coming out). I didn’t really pay attention to the stream, I just left it running while I organize my storage room (I had to gut out the floor and rebuild it from scratch). While it’s running, sometimes, I’ll stop and see what’s on the screen.

The coolest thing I saw was the 25th anniversary Xbox Series X in translucent green… which looks amazing and I do want it. However, I already have an Xbox X so I don’t really need the cool looking Xbox. Plus, with the rampocalypse, I’m so it’ll be really expensive.

There’s an expansion to Doom: The Dark Ages, but I didn’t like that game. The Dark Ages is all about aero combat and jump in the air and stuff. Not really how I want to play Doom… I’m more of a ground and shotgun kind of Doom player. When the game requires you to defeat enemies in the air and jumping, it’s stupid.

There’s also a new Halo game. I’ll eventually buy it… but no hurry. If you play one Halo game, you’ve played them all. There’s a bunch of other games, but the one I’m familiar with is Fallout 76 with its “Infestations” promo running. Fans can play it for free for a limited time. I’ve kind of abandoned the online-only game. The game is always-changing, so it’s brand new every time I log in.

Currently, I have the PC Gamer livestream going on in the background. So far, it’s mostly just independent games. That makes sense, since it’s very cheap to start producing your own game using PC free Unity Engine or Unreal Engine. Nothing really stands out to me, except that Star Trek: Outpost Unknown game that looks like base-building game set in the Star Trek universe. I do love Star Trek, so I’ll keep an eye out for a demo.

While I’m watching the PC livestream, I ended up buying some games on GOG. Most stores are having a summer sale, so if you want to game on the cheap, look online. I spent about $50 on various games (nothing over $16), and they’re all old games. One of those games I purchased was Atari 50: Anniversary Edition, which I’ve had my eye on for a while now. I know I won’t play any of these 100 games (except maybe Centipede or Tempest) because they’re all before my time. However, what’s cool about the Atari 50 collection is that is more like a museum. Plus, what’s cool is that Swordquest: AirWorld is now playable (the game was unfinished in 1984 before it was cancelled).

Day of the Devs

The 2026 Summer of Gaming kicked off with State of Play earlier in June 2… and it’ll continue until June 8 (officially). I’ve heard rumors of a Nintendo Direct set for June 9th.

The reasons why Summer Game Fest (hosted by Geoff Keighley and Lucy James) is so important is because game discovery is a huge problem. Last year (2025), there were over 20,000 games launched on Steam. Steam’s storefront absolutely sucks at showcasing smaller, independent games. And just to you give a little perspective, I only am aware of maybe less than 75 games, and I buy very few games (and I certainly don’t buy them new at full price). So having these game announcements and commercials are essential for game discovery.

I don’t watch everything, just what I’m interested in. I caught a little Day of the Devs (a play off of Day of the Dead), but I just had it playing in the background. There were a lot of interviews and talking to the developers for these independent games

There are two livestreams that I will be tuning in, and they’re both happening on June 7th: the Xbox Showcase and the PC Games.

Schedule:

Yours,