IGN has just released the lineup for its hugely anticipated virtual event, Summer of Gaming. This is a free global digital event, starting June 4, spanning over three weeks, and includes the exclusive IGN Expo showcase, programming, and gameplay.
There will be exclusive gameplay world premieres and programming from a large variety of exciting titles like New World, Scarlet Nexus, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, Mortal Shell, Corepunk, Wasteland 3 and Mafia: Definitive Edition. Plus, there will be new reveals from Cyberpunk 2077.
IGN will also host its own developer and publisher showcase, IGN Expo, which will premiere gameplay and programming that can’t be found anywhere else. This exclusive content includes world premiere gameplay of SystemReaction’s Second Extinction and the gameplay reveal with The Outsider’s David Goldfarb. There will be a preview of Bounty of Blood DLC with Gearbox Creative Director Matt Cox as well as gameplay and a developer interview for Amazon’s New World. Icon interview spotlights will be happening all through the three weeks with Brian Fargo (Blizzard), John Ramero (Doom), David Hayter (Metal Gear Solid) and other names to be announced at a later date
As part of the Summer of Gaming event, IGN is raising money for charity in support of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund by hosting two exclusive events. The first event is a pre-show challenge which will take place live at the beginning of each day of IGN’s showcase as part of the daily programming countdown. The challenge pits the world’s greatest speedrunners in a race against time while they strive to break world records. The Speedrunner Countdown Challenge will feature an in-depth commentary provided by Games Done Quick, the speedrun charity organization
The second event is aimed at those who have given in to the craze of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The event Animal Crossing: Celebrity Island Tours will give fans the chance to explore unique islands during a 24 hour long live stream alongside some of the biggest names in pop culture. The guest lineup for this live charity stream so far are Andrea Creed, Felicia Day, Cliff Bleszinski, Candice Patton, the Merrell Twins, Simu Liu, Mathew Mercer, Shannon Woodward, Lauren Lapkus, Austin Creed, Jessica Chobot, Naomi Kyle, Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, Alanah Pearce and Arin Hanson of Game Grumps. There will be special segments of the hit talk show Animal Talking with creator and host Gary Whitta. You can watch it stream on his Twitch channel or check it out on his out his Youtube channel.
The latest impressions and information about upcoming games and consoles will get delivered during this global digital showcase. Viewers will also get to see remote developer interviews, preview impressions, hands-on demos, gameplay, and publisher presentations with pre-discussions and post-discussions. There will also be news segments that recap the most significant announcements. The Summer of Gaming can be viewed live or via on-demand programming. It is accessible across 20+ platforms like Twitch, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat Discover, Mixer, Instagram, Twitter, and many more.
There are many top publishers taking part in IGN’s three-week virtual event Summer of Gaming. Some of those are Square Enix, Ubisoft, EA, Bandai Namco, Blizzard, Sega, Artificial Core, Xbox, Amazon, CD Projekt Red, Systemic Reaction, Funcom, 2K, Bloober, Larian and Cold Symmetry with publisher Playstack.
Here are some of the Summer of Gaming schedule highlights.
June 4
Summer of Gaming kick-off
June 5
- Unannounced Game (Funcom / The Outsiders) – Exclusive Unannounced Gameplay Reveal with The Outsiders’ David Goldfarb
- Unannounced Game (Merge Games) – Exclusive Game Reveal
- Unannounced Game Reveal – Exclusive Reveal Trailer
- Mortal Shell (Cold Symmetry) – Exclusive Gameplay World Premiere
- Observer: System Redux (Bloober Team) – Exclusive Next-Gen Deep Dive
- Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time (Soleil Games) – Exclusive Gameplay First Look
June 8
- Unannounced Classic Revival (Merge Games) – Exclusive Game Reveal
- Unannounced Game (Fabraz) – Exclusive Game Reveal
- Wasteland 3 (Deep Silver) – World Exclusive Trailer
- Second Extinction (Systemic Reaction) – Gameplay World Premiere
- Borderlands 3 (Gearbox) – Exclusive Bounty of Blood DLC Preview w/ Gearbox Creative Director Matt Cox
- Special Icons Interview: David Hayter, the original voice of Solid Snake, discusses Metal Gear
June 9
- New World (Amazon) – Exclusive War PvP Gameplay, Developer Interview
- Everspace 2 (ROCKFISH Games) – Exclusive Alpha Gameplay Reveal Trailer
- Total War: Troy (Creative Assembly) – Exclusive Gameplay Interview
- Special Icons Interview: Brian Fargo discusses Blizzard’s founding and why RPG fans should be looking forward to Wasteland 3
June 11
- CD Projekt RED Livestream (with IGN pre- and post-shows)
- EA Play LIVE (with IGN pre- and post-shows)
- Humankind (Amplitude Studios) – Exclusive Gameplay Interview
June 12
- Animal Crossing: Celebrity Island Tours Charity Live Stream
June 15
- Corepunk (Artificial Core) – Exclusive Gameplay and Interview
- Destroy All Humans! (THQ Nordic) – Gameplay and Interview
- Mafia: Definitive Edition (Hangar 13) – Worldwide Gameplay Debut w/ Hangar 13 President and CCO Haden Blackman
- Scarlet Nexus (Bandai Namco) – Exclusive Trailer and Interview with Game Director Kenji Anabuki
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (THQ Nordic) – Rehydrated Exclusive Early Access Livestream
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (THQ Nordic) – Rehydrated Exclusive Gameplay Interview
- Unannounced Game Reveal – Exclusive Reveal Trailer
June 18
- Torchlight III (Perfect World Entertainment) – Gameplay and Interview with Series Creator Max Schaefer
- Special Icons Interview: Chris Avellone, writer of Fallout New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, discusses the magic ingredients in a great RPG
- Special Icons Interview: John Romero, creator of Doom, and game designer Brenda Romero discuss RPGs and shooters in 2020
June 24
- Dreamscaper (Afterburner Studios) – Exclusive Gameplay Feature Deep Dive
Make sure to check out the schedule here for the most up-to-date information about the Summer of Gaming.
IGN’s Summer of Gaming is presented by Best Buy, Messenger Rooms, Fuser, and 5-Hour ENERGY. The event is also made possible by Army National Guard, CD Projekt Red, Chex Mix, and MY.GAMES. For further information about this virtual event, visit the IGN website here.