The 7 biggest storylines from Summer Game Fest 2026 | The Verge

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The 7 biggest storylines from Summer Game Fest 2026

Play Station and Xbox are going old-school, and GTA VI was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

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The 2026 edition of Summer Game Fest just wrapped up, and it was surprisingly hectic. The nearly week-long event came at a challenging time for the games industry, and for the most part the big keynotes were used as a chance to show some strength through major announcements, while largely ignoring pesky details like hardware price hikes and the mess of the live-service space.

Both Sony and Microsoft used their showcases as a way to confirm they’re refocusing on tried-and-true strategies like exclusive games and single-player blockbusters. Meanwhile, every publisher in existence seemed to be avoiding going up against Grand Theft Auto VI on the release calendar, and there were some very welcome game announcements, particularly if you’re a fan of Final Fantasy or Persona.

If you couldn’t keep up with everything live, here are the most important storylines to catch up on.

Play Station returns to what works — and that means a new God of War

After an ill-fated — and very expensive — foray into live-service games, it appears that Sony’s gaming division has a renewed focus on the single-player epics it’s known for. The company’s showcase was dominated by Insomniac’s Wolverine and the surprise announcement of God of War Laufey.

GTA VI is reshaping the holiday release calendar

The next Grand Theft Auto wasn’t featured in any of the SGF showcases, but its presence was still felt. While lots of games got release dates, virtually none of them were during November, which just so happens to be when GTA VI launches. Instead, we have a very busy September and plenty of titles pushed into 2027.

After FBC: Firebreak disaster, Remedy appears back on track with Control Resonant

Alan Wake studio Remedy hit a snag with the disastrous launch of the multiplayer shooter FBC: Firebreak. But based on our time with the upcoming sequel Control Resonant, it appears the developer is getting back to what it’s best at: mind-bending single-player action games.

Indie duo Metanet is back with yet another return to its N series of platformers, but this time the focus is on multiplayer. And for fans of the hidden object game Hidden Folks, it’s also getting a sequel, which will launch a full decade after the original.

Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy is coming to an end next year

We knew it was coming, and now it’s official: The third and final installment of the FFVII remake trilogy is coming. It’s called Revelation, and it launches next spring across basically all platforms simultaneously. And yes, Queen’s Blood is coming back.

It’s been a long wait since Persona 5, and it’ll likely still be a while longer. Atlus confirmed Persona 6 exists, but the developer didn’t provide much in the way of detail, suggesting that the RPG is still fairly early in development.

Microsoft shifts back to console exclusives… kinda

After years of pushing on a multiplatform strategy, Microsoft is reversing course — at least a little bit. Its next big Xbox Game Studios title, Gears of War: E-Day, will be an Xbox console exclusive, whereas many expected it to come to the PS5, much like last year’s Gears remake. However, outside of Gears, many first-party titles from Xbox — like Fable and Halo — are still coming to Play Station, so it’s unclear just how significant this change is.

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