Summer Game Fest 2025 has touched down, and we’re here to cover all of the biggest and best announcements from all throughout the weekend! Friday was the kick-off day for a huge weekend of gaming, and with the event’s titular showcase taking centre stage, there’s plenty of highlights to discuss from the first day of the weekend. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the standout announcements from Summer Game Fest 2025 Day 1!

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Mortal Shell II

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

As the Soulslike genre has taken off in recent years, there’s been plenty of game developers that have taken it upon themselves to contribute to the genre in their own unique way. One of the most notable contributors was 2020’s Mortal Shell, which broke the mould of the Soulslike genre using its own unique game mechanics, as well as twisting the medieval theme that the Dark Souls franchise has become known for in its own, distinctive way.

Now, at Summer Game Fest five years later, Mortal Shell has revealed its plans to become a franchise, as a sequel has been announced, and as someone who wasn’t crazy about the original game, Mortal Shell II looks like it’s stepping up its game in just about every way. The combat looks wild, the enemies look grotesque, and the environments look stunning. This was the announcement that opened the Summer Game Fest main show, and it did so with a bang.

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Code Vein II

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

From one Soulslike sequel to the next – but hey, if the formula works, it works! 2019’s Code Vein was not the best received game of all time, but it certainly managed to build up its own core fanbase over the years since its release. Now, the Code Vein franchise is back, and in 2026, Bandai Namco has promised a new adventure in a world on the brink of collapse.

Intriguingly, Code Vein II has also introduced a unique new gameplay system, wherein players will be able to power up and unlock new abilities using blood drained from the various enemies they will fell across the game. There’s plenty more information to come regarding Code Vein II, but with this Summer Game Fest announcement, Bandai Namco have promised the richest and most in-depth experience from the studio to date.

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End of Abyss

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

If there’s a sure-fire way to catch my eye during an event like Summer Game Fest, it’s to show me a horror game. So, when this upcoming release from Epic Games appeared on my screen, I was instantly attentive, and boy did this trailer leave me wanting more! The trailer was ominous, frightening, and showcased the perfect blend of horror and sci-fi – End of Abyss looks like one to watch next year in gaming.

The vibe I’m getting so far is like Little Nightmares meets Inside, with some combat mechanics thrown in, allowing you to hold your own against these freakish monsters that threaten your character. I’m particularly intrigued for when End of Abyss shows off a story trailer, that gives us a little more information about this new world that Section 9 Interactive have created. Keep an eye out for this one when it drops in 2026!

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Felt That: Boxing

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

In an event as frantic as Summer Game Fest, it’s integral to stand out from the crowd, and the best way to do that is to present something so bizarre, so unique, and so creative that the audience is forced to pay attention. In this sense, Felt That: Boxing stole the show at the Summer Game Fest main show, with its quirky reveal trailer that showcased a game that seems to be Punch-Out meets The Muppets.

The Summer Game Fest showcase was enjoyable, but there were certainly a lot of titles that faded into the background. Felt That: Boxing, if nothing else, made a mark by being extremely memorable, and also, by actually showing us some gameplay. With its mixture of training sessions and one-on-one boxing matches, Felt That: Boxing looks like a fairly solid sports game, with its own distinctive take in its style and comedic approach. We cannot wait to hear more about this game as the time of its release draws nearer.

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Fractured Blooms

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

As soon as they announced that Fractured Blooms was giving us a mixture of Doki Doki Literature Club and Silent Hill, I was instantly intrigued. Both are incredible horror experiences, but in very different ways – how could a game effectively pull off a hybrid of the two? Well, based on this first trailer, Fractured Blooms may just be able to pull it off.

The game also looks like it has quite a wide appeal from a gameplay perspective. Though the horror elements are certainly present, there’s also some genuine cozy, life-sim elements at play here. Though some players may not be able to get past the horror, Fractured Blooms does appear to be appealing to quite a large audience – I’m excited to see how this genre hybrid turns out. If nothing else, it’s definitely something new in a gradually stagnating industry.

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ILL

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

This. Game. Looks. Insane. I am a huge horror fan, and this trailer managed to make me squirm, and even look away from the screen at one point – I’m thoroughly impressed! Though this is not the first time we’ve heard about ILL – there’s been concept art and whispers of development going around since 2021 – but this is the first time we’ve gotten a real, substantial look into this twisted game, and wow… this is absolute nightmare fuel.

Though no release date has been announced, it’s great to hear more about this upcoming title at Summer Game Fest. The graphics are disgusting, the enemies are absolutely horrifying, and everything about the game is so realistic that I can see it having a real effect on those who dare play it. All I hope is that this game doesn’t end up getting swept under the rug and underperform on launch, as we’ve seen happen with other horror titles that get announced at these types of events. Keep an eye out for ILL – let’s make this the new standard for horror visuals.

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Into the Unwell

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

I’m not quite sure what to make of Into the Unwell, but I do know that its trailer was one of the standout moments of the entire Day 1 showcase for me. Mainly, my attentiveness to this trailer is down to the incredible animation and art style on offer here from She Was Such a Good Horse (yes, that’s the name of the developer). The developer’s quirky style shines through in both their name, and in this trailer – a co-op roguelike with its own unique style.

As you can tell, the real highlights from this year’s Summer Game Fest were those games that dared to be different, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to this game. I’m excited to learn more about the story of this game, because in every other way, it looks like Into the Unwell is bringing its A-game. I was always really appreciative that we got a good look at gameplay in this trailer – down with cinematic trailers! Show me the gameplay! We’re not sure when this game is going to be bestowed onto the gaming world, but we’ll be ready when it does.

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Resident Evil 9

Image courtesy of Summer Game Fest

Resident Evil, as a franchise, has my whole heart. Going into Summer Game Fest, I thought to myself, ‘what is my dream announcement for this year?’. Then, I thought to myself that Capcom have been very quiet about Resident Evil as of late, especially coming off the back of such an intense period of frequent releases in the franchise, from new titles to remakes, all of which have been stellar. And, sure enough, in the final moments of the Summer Game Fest main show, that R.P.D. sign showed itself, and I lost my mind.

Resident Evil 9 is here, and it looks incredible. Call me biased, but this was easily my favourite announcement and trailer of the day, and though I was expecting the new entry in this franchise to revisit old faces, I’m excited to see what a whole new cast of characters brings to this universe. I also couldn’t be happier about the fact that we actually have a release date for this game! Resident Evil 9 is set to release on February 27th, 2026 – not a long wait in the grand scheme of things!

See also: Resident Evil Games Ranked

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Conclusion

And that was our highlights from the first day of Summer Game Fest! There was a lot of games that got lost amongst the sauce this year, but luckily, we got some great announcements for the horror genre, as well as some games that managed to stand out based on pure distinctiveness, and a willingness to step outside of the box. There are plenty more announcements to come across this huge weekend of gaming, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated right here. What was your favourite announcement from Summer Game Fest Day 1? Be sure to let us know, and thanks for reading!

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