I wrote a detailed three-part series trying to figure out who “won” every year of E3. It turns out us gamers won every single time! But then a man named Geoff Keighley violently murdered E3 in the middle of the night, like a scene out of a Shakespeare play, and blamed it on the COVID pandemic.
I jest, but it’s been a weird decade so far for the industry. Really every industry, but no industry more than gaming. The changes to its norms, customs, history, pricing, companies, habits, and routines were drastic. And that’s why something new and more malleable, flexible, and (quite frankly) just cheaper took E3’s place. So after you’re done checking out the following three articles, scroll down to see who “won” each SGF.
As if you can “win” a bloated, glorified showcase of marketing trailers and announcements. It’s not the Olympics, after all. No one is getting medals; corporations just get more money or acquired, and us fans get new things to become hype for until those games get brutally cancelled or evaporate like “Concord” and “Highguard.”
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2020?
The shambling corpse of Activision won that summer. The summer where we were all indoors playing games, avoiding the harsh sunlight and dreaded outdoors. Which is the same for all gamers in any year but particularly that pandemic year.
Xbox bringing back Tony Hawk correctly was a gigantic announcement, and so was being the company who owns Crash Bandicoot. I still can’t get over that, nor the fact that Toys for Bob made a great game and hasn’t done a new Crash since. Let’s hope the new Spyro does well enough to get them more work, they kill it every single time.
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2021?
So this is the last year I would say we got both a SGF and an E3 of sorts. So in my previous article, I stated that Nintendo won E3. But for Keighley’s show, I think it comes down to particular games and trailers rather than one company. We got the announcement of “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” with a stacked cast of voice actors. That was fun! I would say “Metal Slug Tactics” was a big surprise, and of course Kojima showed up to unveil “Death Stranding Director’s Cut.”
But we all know the winner was From Software and their bombshell showing of “Elden Ring.” It was the closing reveal, it had the very first look at real gameplay, and it cemented SGF as a must-watch show for us Soulslike sickos. Miyazaki, you did it again.
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2022?
E3 blew up, and Geoff Keighley created SGF in its place, which served as an amalgam of shows to display game trailers and other ads. But it doesn’t really capture the same place in any of our hearts as E3 did. The size, quantity, quality, the big names, it all fell apart. Plus, The Game Awards in December always has better reveals.
It’s impossibly hard to really say who “won” from here on out. The best I can do is just highlight the best thing shown off in my humble opinion. With that being said, the best to come from this new showcase was “Marvel Midnight Suns,” “TMNT: Shredders Revenge,” and the big finale being Naughty Dog with its “The Last of Us” updates.
Was this the biggest deal in the world? No, not really. The multiplayer game “Factions” ended up getting cancelled, the remake got another remake on top of a remaster, and the show has been out for years. But at the time, it was exciting, plus they teased “Intergalactic” without saying anything, so that’s something.
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2023?
This is where we really start to diverge from “commonly held opinions of the time” to “I liked this thing I’m into.” One could argue that the first gameplay footage of “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” was the greatest moment for JRPG fans and nostalgic men in their 40s. And if that’s you, then sure, that’s the winner. Congrats. The Xbox showcase was fine, it’s fine every year, and there’s just not enough shown industry-wide to really get into fist fights over which reveal was more shocking. It all leaks, and it’s all expected.
For me, it was this jaw dropping, drop-dead gorgeous gameplay from “Alan Wake II.” It turned out to be my GOTY in 2023. Beautiful, innovative; just a truly special game that I can’t call idiosyncratic because it takes so many elements from film/TV and throws it into a fondue pot. A delicious fondue pot, with a dog mayor. Sam Lake, you just keep winning my dude.
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2024?
I honestly think the two biggest “reveals” of Keighley’s show were Fatal Fury characters coming to “Street Fighter VI” and “Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind” (which only turned out to be just okay). That’s a pathetic showing.
The Xbox showcase was good, and the combo of “Doom: The Dark Ages,” “Gears of War: E-Day,” and the big gameplay trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” won the week. The latter of which was my GOTY runner-up last year. Noticing a trend in these recent years of who I think did the best job?
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2025?
Capcom. Because nobody else bothered to show up with anything worth a damn.
The troll trailer saying they wouldn’t announce anything until “the time is right?” Chef’s kiss. That was pure rage-baiting magic. The new season of “Street Fighter VI” has Sagat and Alex in it? And Ingrid??? Sign me up, baby.
And “Pragmata” had the best ending I’ve ever seen to a trailer. Yes, it’s real, and it’s coming out soon. Masterful work by Capcom knowing what their audience wants, expects, and remembers. They’re the best — crushing it with games people love, doing old and new franchises extremely well, I wish them the best. Success in 2025 is not guaranteed whatsoever.
Also, shout outs to Sony’s surprise ending to their Direct revealing Arc System Works is making a new “Marvel” fighting game that’s 4v4 tag battles. Jesus Christ, does that melt the brains of anyone who knows the history of why this is gigantic news. When’s mahvel?
Who Won Summer Game Fest 2026?
Either Capcom or Square, take your pick.
Both of these companies brought the heat, and absolutely dominated any showcase they appeared at. Whether it was Monster Hunter, or Resident Evil, or Final Fantasy, or Kingdom Hearts, these were by far the two most hype-inducing studios to appear.
Fucking “Kingdom Hearts IV” showed up at a Nintendo Direct! Of all places, holy shit. I never saw that coming in a million years.
Image Credit: “Resident Evil: Veronica,” Capcom
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