Absolutely Delivered.
The format was set before the first trailer rolled: Geoff Keighley explicitly told the internet that SGF 2026 would end on a single-player narrative game — a direct response to the backlash when last year's Game Awards closed on a live-service title nobody asked for. They listened. They delivered. Credit where it's due.
The show opened cold with a slow, eerie trailer that built tension until the Capcom logo appeared — and Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake was confirmed to a crowd that erupted immediately. If your first reveal gets that kind of reaction, you've already won the first ten minutes.
From there: pirate games, vampire RPGs, medieval strategy, a brand new Cuphead game, Alien Isolation 2, Among Us getting both a story spinoff AND an animated series, a Saw game from Bloober Team, Star Wars Zero Company getting a date AND an Anakin Skywalker confirmation, and — closing the whole show — the first look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the final chapter of the FF7 Remake trilogy. Simultaneously on all platforms. Spring 2027.
The community verdict, broadly: one of the best SGF shows in years. Not a single live service cash grab in the final slot. The discourse was almost suspiciously positive. Almost.
The name is Revelation. Not "Part 3." Not a subtitle anyone predicted. Just: Revelation. Producer Hamaguchi took the stage personally to confirm that this is the final chapter of the FF7 Remake trilogy, and that it will launch simultaneously across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. No timed exclusivity. No waiting two years for the PC port. Everyone plays at the same time.
The central theme is resolve. Cloud and his companions confront their own destinies and find the will to face the final battle. A new skydiving mechanic lets players leap from Cid's airship and land on the ground below without a loading screen — which in itself reveals something about the scale of the world. Characters can wear new equipment that affects combat abilities, not just cosmetics.
The original Advent Children fandom, the series veterans, and the newcomers who started with Remake all have an ending coming. Spring 2027. After years of waiting, the finish line is in sight. The internet will not be calm about this for the foreseeable future.
Capcom chose to open the entire SGF showcase with this reveal, and that choice communicates confidence. Resident Evil: Code Veronica is one of the most beloved and under-served entries in the franchise — skipped over during the modern remake era while 2, 3, and 4 all got the full treatment. The community has been vocal about this gap for years. Now it's happening.
The original followed Claire Redfield and her brother Chris across Rockfort Island and Antarctica. The remake will reimagine the experience for contemporary players — almost certainly with the same over-the-shoulder engine that made RE2R and RE4R so successful. The 2027 window gives Capcom time to do it properly. Given their recent track record — RE2R, RE3R, RE4R, Village, Wilds — this studio does not miss anymore.
Community reaction: immediate and near-unanimous enthusiasm. This was the right announcement to open with. It set the tone for the entire show.
The Stellar Blade sequel is called Blood Rain and it looks nothing like the first game — which is either bold creative reinvention or a deliberate pivot away from what made the original divisive. Probably both. The trailer opens on rain-slicked city streets populated by citizens before the world mutates into horror. The new protagonist uses machine gauntlets in boxing-style combat — a significant departure from the sword-focused combat of EVE's campaign.
Shift Up confirmed this is a continuation of the original story with a new lead character. The urban setting is denser and more atmospheric than the original's post-apocalyptic landscapes. Keighley noted it's "early in development" — which means this reveal is planting a flag, not setting a release window. Think 2027 at earliest, possibly 2028.
The original Stellar Blade was PS5 exclusive. Blood Rain's platform situation wasn't confirmed. Watching this space closely.
"SGF opened with Resident Evil, closed with Final Fantasy VII, and had Snoop Dogg on stage in the middle. Peak gaming week."
"FF7 Revelation simultaneously on all platforms at launch is the single most consumer-friendly announcement Square Enix has made in a decade. Let that sink in."
"The Capcom renaissance is so thorough at this point that opening SGF with a Code Veronica remake feels inevitable rather than surprising. They just don't miss."
"Stellar Blade Blood Rain looks like a completely different game and I mean that as a compliment. Shift Up could have played it safe and didn't."
"Star Wars Zero Company with Anakin Skywalker in a tactical XCOM-style game is the Star Wars gaming announcement I didn't know I needed. August cannot come fast enough."
"Snoop Dogg appearing on stage at SGF to personally vouch for a game featuring Tupac is either the most surreal gaming moment of the year or completely on brand for 2026. Maybe both."
The context: Phil Spencer stepped down in February 2026. New CEO Asha Sharma has already made moves — Game Pass price adjustments, Achievements system overhaul, new boot-up sound. Whether those surface-level changes signal something deeper, tomorrow's showcase is Xbox's first chance to show what the new era actually means for players.
Matt Booty confirmed the show will "largely feature titles slated for the next 12 months." That's a promise of substance over announcement. Games releasing in 2026 and early 2027, not just logos with vague "coming soon" text. We'll hold them to that.
This is also Xbox's 25th anniversary year — meaning Forza, Halo, Gears, and potentially Fable all in the same twelve-month window would make it the most significant Xbox first-party lineup since the original Xbox 360 era. Fable has been delayed to February 2027 — but Playground Games is expected to show new gameplay to prove the extra time is being used well.
Immediately following the main show: the Gears of War: E-Day Direct — a deep dive from The Coalition into the prequel covering Emergence Day. Marcus Fenix. Dom Santiago. Young. Scared. The day the Locust first surfaced. The Locust horror is reportedly returning in a way the numbered sequels moved away from. This is the one longtime Gears fans have been waiting for.
FF7 Revelation simultaneous release — has Square Enix finally learned?
Remake launched as a timed PS4 exclusive. Rebirth launched as a PS5 exclusive and took years to hit PC. Revelation launches simultaneously on everything from day one. The community reaction has been rapturous — but the cynics note it's easier to commit to multiplatform when you're wrapping up a trilogy and don't need console exclusivity money. Progress or pragmatism? Both, probably. Either way: the right call.
Is Stellar Blade Blood Rain too different from the original to be a sequel?
New protagonist. New combat style (boxing gauntlets vs EVE's sword). Dense urban setting vs open post-apocalyptic environments. The community is split: half see creative reinvention from a studio that doesn't want to repeat itself, the other half see a sequel that abandons what made the original work. The early development tag means there's time for the conversation to evolve — but first impressions are forming right now.
Xbox: Is this the show that actually turns it around, or another round of promises?
Microsoft has been on the back foot for two years. Leadership changes, brand confusion, cross-platform strategy confusing the value proposition. Tomorrow's showcase is framed by new CEO Asha Sharma as a reset. Matt Booty promised games releasing in the next 12 months. The lineup on paper — Gears E-Day, Fable, Halo CE Remake, Forza already out — is legitimately strong. Whether the execution matches the material is the question 10AM PT tomorrow answers.
Palworld 1.0: legitimate success story or still just "Pokémon with guns"?
Palworld launches its full 1.0 on July 10 after a remarkable Early Access run that broke Steam records. The cynics dismissed it as a novelty. The playerbase kept playing. Now it's coming to PS5. The Pokémon Company's lawyers are still circling. The community debate has shifted from "is this a real game" to "is this a real game that sustains." 1.0 will answer that definitively.
- 01 —Make a Tier List after every show — not during. Live reactions are dopamine-driven. Your genuinely considered opinions take 24 hours. Make the tier list the next morning. Your hot takes tonight are someone else's mid takes tomorrow.
- 02 —Distinguish world premiere from actual reveal. "World premiere" means it's the first time you've seen it. It does not mean it's coming soon, fully playable, or funded. Alien Isolation 2 is real. So was that one game from three SGFs ago that never came out.
- 03 —The Day of the Devs indie that nobody talks about is always the sleeper GOTY. Set a reminder. Go back and watch it after the dust settles. There is always one in there that becomes important.
- 04 —Watch the Xbox Showcase tomorrow with fresh eyes. Sony already had a great week. Xbox needs this. The most interesting narrative in gaming right now is whether Asha Sharma's Xbox can rebuild. Tomorrow is the first data point.
- 05 —The best SGF lobby starter this weekend: "If you could only play ONE game from this entire SGF week, what is it and why?" Forces people to actually rank their hype rather than just listing everything. Results will surprise you.
0 Comments