Now that E3 is fully dead, Summer Game Fest has taken on its mantle as the go-to event for big video game release announcements. This past weekend’s Game Fest delivered, with companies from Microsoft to horror studio Blumhouse sending honchos to LA to show off new gear and new titles.
News out of the event came in all sizes, from quick teasers for games that still don’t have release dates, to console upgrades, to official entries in beloved series. If you missed the weekend-long event, no need to sweat. We’ve got the most interesting announcements right here for you.
Blumhouse Set to Release 6 (!!!) Horror Games
Blumhouse’s gaming division is cooking. The publisher has six horror titles on the way, including projects from indie studio Half Mermaid, which made Immortality and Her Story, and is currently working with Brandon Cronenberg. It’s also working with Eyes Out, the developer founded by Cory Davis (Spec Ops: The Line) and Nine Inch Nails’ Robin Finck.
During its Friday presentation, the publisher revealed Fear the Spotlight, Crisol, Theater of Idols, Grave Seasons, Sleep Awake, The Simulation, and Project C via a two-minute sizzle reel—the trailer was short, but the lineup looks quite promising.
A Doom Prequel
Bethesda and Id Software are releasing a prequel to 2016’s Doom and its 2020 follow-up, Doom Eternal. An origin story called Doom: The Dark Ages, the game has a more fantasy feel to it—they added chainsaw blades to a shield!—but still seems to be packing all of the firepower of previous iterations. And blood. Also maybe a dragon? I think?
The game isn’t a total surprise. In 2023, amid the Federal Trade Commission v. Microsoft case, leaked documents revealed a game called Doom Year Zero; last month, Insider Gaming reported that Year Zero, its codename, would officially be called The Dark Ages when it showed up at Xbox’s showcase.
Doom: The Dark Ages launches in 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S and GamePass.
Doom: The Dark Ages will be released in 2025.
Courtesy of Bethesda Softworks; id Software
A New Horror Game From the Minds That Brought You Silent Hill
If you loved Silent Hill, Bokeh Game Studio’s debut title, Slitterhead, should be on your radar. Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama announced his new studio in 2020, but news has been scant since. During Summer Game Fest, however, Bokeh gave gamers their first look at the upcoming horror game—a trailer featuring exploding heads, body horror, and a bunch of stuff I’d politely describe as “gross.”
The game launches November 8 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Finally, Civilization VII
We haven’t seen a new Civilization game since 2016. Firaxis Games, the developer behind Sid Meier’s Civilization games, shared that it was working on a follow-up to Civilization VI earlier this year, but has revealed very few details since. That changed on Friday when publisher 2K dropped a new trailer for the game, which is set to be released next year, bringing the series’ turn-based strategy to Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
The trailer itself is pretty thin on details, but if you’re interested in a little history lesson it will be right up your alley.
A Familiar Face Returns to Life Is Strange
The original Life Is Strange is getting a direct sequel. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure brings Max Caulfield back into the fold, years after the original, to investigate the death of yet another friend. Despite swearing to never use her powers again, Max discovers she can shift into a parallel timeline where her friend Safi is still alive; she’ll need to traverse between them to figure out how to save Safi.
The first two episodes of the game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29. The game will also be released on Nintendo Switch, though there’s no date yet.
