Summer Game Fest schedule adds 2 Developer Showcases for Indies, AAA games

While Summer Game Fest reveals so far have focused on particular announcements like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 and Valorant's release date, Geoff Keighley and co. have revealed two new Summer Game Fest events that will house announcements, gameplay, and more for video games big and small.

Geoff Keighley and Day of the Devs, an organization founded by iam8bit and Psychonauts 2's Double Fine, the events will put a spotlight on indie games. There will be two Summer Game Fest Developer Showcases that take place on June 22 and July 20. In lieu of traditional E3 press conferences, these digital presentations will give gamers even more events to look forward to over the course of summer.

“Independent game developers and publishers are a vital part of our industry and Summer Game Fest,” said Geoff Keighley, curator and founder of Summer Game fest. “I am excited to team up with Day of the Devs for these showcase events that will be filled with gameplay and updates from both independent and major publishers.”

So far, the following developers have confirmed their participation in these events, and we've provided some of the games each is known for to provide some context about the types of announcements we might expect from each:

1. Akupara Games (Mutazione)
2. Annapurna Interactive (Outer Wilds)
3. The Behemoth (Castle Crashers)
4. Finji (Tunic)
5. Kowloon Nights (Scorn)
6. Longhand Electric (Overlook Trail)
7. MWM Interactive (Creature in the Well)
8. Panic (Untitled Goose Game)
9. Sabotage Studio (The Messenger)
10. Skybound Games (Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season)
11. Team17 (Worms)
12. thatgamecompany (Journey)
13. Tribute Games (Flilnthook)
14. ustwo games (Monument Valley)

While these aren't the heaviest hitters in the industry, some of them are acclaimed indie studios. Keighley is also promising AAA game reveals for the event and stated that there are "additional publishers, developers, and games featured being announced in the future." Summer Game Fest is even still accepting applications from developers that might want to participate. Definitely keep an eye out as we approach June 22 to see what other companies might join.

Day of the Devs co-founders Amanda White and Jon Gibson have also confirmed in the official press release for the event that "each showcase will be jam-packed, from the extended gameplay previews that have become a Day of the Devs staple to some very special surprise debuts that you’ll never see coming." Double Fine's Tim Schafer got even more specific, saying the titles shown off during these Summer Game Fest Developers Showcases will be "creator-driven games," no matter how well-known they are.

The Inverse Analysis -- If you like playing innovative indie games that push the boundaries of the industry, these are definitely events that you should keep an eye on. As some indie games risked being drowned out by all the other Summer Game Fest reveals, these showcases will give those developers a solid opportunity to show the world what they have to offer alongside some yet-to-be-revealed AAA titles.

The Summer Game Fest Developer Showcases will take place on June 22, 2020 and July 20, 2020.