From wicked horrors to epic strategies, these are the best new games shown at Summer Game Fest 2025
The 2025 edition of the E3 replacement, Summer Game Fest, has concluded. We saw dozens of games, both previously announced and new, coming from major publishers and smaller studios alike. However, a few games stood out among the rest, at least in how they presented themselves with trailers and sneak peeks. So, I've picked out the best new stuff that was on the screen, leaving what we already knew of for another time. Table of contents Best new titles from the 2025 Summer Game Fest Game of Thrones: War for Westeros Resident Evil Requiem Mortal Shell 2 Ill Atomic Heart 2 Chronicles: Medieval Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Best new titles from the 2025 Summer Game Fest Though we're talking about new games and ones that weren't previously marketed as much, some of them are sequels or titles set in established worlds. Unfortunately, we live in an age of corporate gaming, where franchising takes precedence over new stuff. But, even so, there were exciting sequels and trademark games as well as new additions to the industry, so I still put them on the list. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros In this game, you can make Daenerys not "kinda forget" about the Iron Fleet. Image via PlaySide To open up the list, I might as well go with an established universe. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is an upcoming RTS title set in the show's continuity that puts you around the time of the hated eighth Season, where the Night King's army of snow zombies is advancing while the rest of Westeros bickers over who gets to rule the ashes. It is a PC- only experience so far and comes out in 2026. Hopefully, it will let you rewrite the God-awful final season of the show. Resident Evil Requiem Resident Evil 9 looked radically different from what I'm used to with the RE franchise. Image via Capcom When I first saw this, I wasn't really aware that we were being shown a Resident Evil trailer. It felt so different and unique, and it seems that, if Geoff Keighley's words are anything to go by, Capcom wants to shift the vibes of this new entry in the longstanding series. It looks great, modern, and horrifying, and I sincerely hope it turns out to be a continuation of Capcom's stellar track record in recent years. It also got a release date: Feb. 27, 2026. Mortal Shell 2 The art style is recognizable, but Mortal Shell 2 seems to be aiming for much more depth and variance than the first game. Image via Playstack Though with humble beginnings and clear potential of the first game, Mortal Shell 2 seems like an improvement on every bit of gameplay and lore that its predecessor had. The trailer was cinematic, epic, and beyond fantastic, and the title might just be the next great soulslike. While carrying the same name, this new title won't be a direct sequel to the first, but rather a standalone experience and a spiritual successor, which might turn out to be a good choice given the simplicity of the first title. We can expect it sometime in 2026, with the concrete date TBA. Ill If this doesn't look like RE7, I don't know what does. Image via Team Clout Resident Evil 9 wasn't the only horror game that caught everyone's attention at the SGF 2025. Ill, a "realistic first-person action horror," as its Steam page describes it, looked like a true successor to the newer Resident Evil formula that Capcom has been pushing since Resident Evil 7. To be honest, it felt more like an RE game than Requiem, and that should tell you enough about it as is. From zombie babies to wicked creatures to cerebral scenes, it surely is going for major Japanese psychological horror vibes. The release date wasn't given, so here's hoping it comes sometime next year. Atomic Heart 2 A guitar as a gun? Sign me in. Image via Mundfish Atomic Heart was one of the most unique games to have come out in recent years, and one of the first Fallout-likes that caught the attention of the broader public. However, the second game is aiming to take things up a notch, turning the whole Soviet retrofuturistic aesthetic into a global phenomenon. It is more of a spiritual successor to the first title, though the trailer does show several returning characters, including the now-infamous twins from the first game. The release date is TBA, though we will likely be getting another game set in the Atomic Heart universe sooner, called The Cube, that aims to expand the world and provide a unique MMORPG experience while retaining the shooter mechanics of the mainline games. Chronicles: Medieval Fight the Hundred Years' War from up close and make sure the right side wins. I'll let you determine who that is. Image via Raw Power Games In today's day and age, true sandbox titles are few and far between, relegated to a handful of development studios known for producing games in the genre. However, Raw Power Games aims to change that by introducing Chronicles: Medieval, a medieval sandbox RPG that lets you go from rags to riches and control mass
The 2025 edition of the E3 replacement, Summer Game Fest, has concluded. We saw dozens of games, both previously announced and new, coming from major publishers and smaller studios alike. However, a few games stood out among the rest, at least in how they presented themselves with trailers and sneak peeks.
So, I've picked out the best new stuff that was on the screen, leaving what we already knew of for another time.
Table of contents
Best new titles from the 2025 Summer Game Fest
Though we're talking about new games and ones that weren't previously marketed as much, some of them are sequels or titles set in established worlds. Unfortunately, we live in an age of corporate gaming, where franchising takes precedence over new stuff. But, even so, there were exciting sequels and trademark games as well as new additions to the industry, so I still put them on the list.
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros
To open up the list, I might as well go with an established universe. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is an upcoming RTS title set in the show's continuity that puts you around the time of the hated eighth Season, where the Night King's army of snow zombies is advancing while the rest of Westeros bickers over who gets to rule the ashes.
It is a PC- only experience so far and comes out in 2026. Hopefully, it will let you rewrite the God-awful final season of the show.
Resident Evil Requiem
When I first saw this, I wasn't really aware that we were being shown a Resident Evil trailer. It felt so different and unique, and it seems that, if Geoff Keighley's words are anything to go by, Capcom wants to shift the vibes of this new entry in the longstanding series. It looks great, modern, and horrifying, and I sincerely hope it turns out to be a continuation of Capcom's stellar track record in recent years.
It also got a release date: Feb. 27, 2026.
Mortal Shell 2
Though with humble beginnings and clear potential of the first game, Mortal Shell 2 seems like an improvement on every bit of gameplay and lore that its predecessor had. The trailer was cinematic, epic, and beyond fantastic, and the title might just be the next great soulslike. While carrying the same name, this new title won't be a direct sequel to the first, but rather a standalone experience and a spiritual successor, which might turn out to be a good choice given the simplicity of the first title.
We can expect it sometime in 2026, with the concrete date TBA.
Ill
Resident Evil 9 wasn't the only horror game that caught everyone's attention at the SGF 2025. Ill, a "realistic first-person action horror," as its Steam page describes it, looked like a true successor to the newer Resident Evil formula that Capcom has been pushing since Resident Evil 7. To be honest, it felt more like an RE game than Requiem, and that should tell you enough about it as is.
From zombie babies to wicked creatures to cerebral scenes, it surely is going for major Japanese psychological horror vibes. The release date wasn't given, so here's hoping it comes sometime next year.
Atomic Heart 2
Atomic Heart was one of the most unique games to have come out in recent years, and one of the first Fallout-likes that caught the attention of the broader public. However, the second game is aiming to take things up a notch, turning the whole Soviet retrofuturistic aesthetic into a global phenomenon. It is more of a spiritual successor to the first title, though the trailer does show several returning characters, including the now-infamous twins from the first game.
The release date is TBA, though we will likely be getting another game set in the Atomic Heart universe sooner, called The Cube, that aims to expand the world and provide a unique MMORPG experience while retaining the shooter mechanics of the mainline games.
Chronicles: Medieval
In today's day and age, true sandbox titles are few and far between, relegated to a handful of development studios known for producing games in the genre. However, Raw Power Games aims to change that by introducing Chronicles: Medieval, a medieval sandbox RPG that lets you go from rags to riches and control massive armies to "fight for land, glory, and legacy."
It is reminiscent of the Mount and Blade games and could be a godsend in light of Bannerlord's continued failure to provide what its players expect. It also comes out next year, but the exact date will be revealed down the line.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Chinese hack-and-slash and soulslike titles have become an increasingly present occurrence, and it seems the country's many studios are actively seeking to establish themselves as capable and visible in the Western-dominated gaming industry. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another game of this kind, promising fast-paced action, cinematic setpieces, an amazing score, and even better visual fidelity.
It resembles last year's massively successful Black Myth: Wukong both in name and character, and it likely drew inspiration from it as well. The game also releases quite soon, on July 24 this year.
How about you, dear reader? What did you like the most at this year's SGF? Share your thoughts with us below.
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