Nintendo returns to Summer Game Fest after two years of absence

No surprises, the Summer Game Fest 2025 will have more than 60 partners involved, but the highlight is the return of a giant that has been absent in the last two years: Nintendo. Confirmed alongside PlayStation and Xbox, the Japanese company returns to participate in the event led by Geoff Keighley, after opting for its own broadcasts via Nintendo Direct in the 2023 and 2024 editions.

The main broadcast of the event will take place on June 6, starting at 6:00 pm Brasília time (10:00 pm in mainland Portugal). Although no titles or content have been officially confirmed, the expectation revolves around important updates, especially considering the possibility of announcements related to the successor of the Nintendo Switch — a theme that is increasingly present in industry discussions.

So far, Keighley has not revealed any preliminary list of games or studios that will be featured, but the pattern of previous editions indicates that the first revelations should occur in the days leading up to the presentation. In 2024, for example, the event featured trailers of Alan Wake II, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, as well as surprises like the revelation of the project Lies of P in 2023.

The return of Nintendo to the stage of the Summer Game Fest may signal a strategic change. The absence in 2023 and 2024 was justified at the time by a greater focus on their own events — a choice that contrasted with the approach adopted by other giants in the sector. Now, their presence alongside competitors Sony and Microsoft reignites the direct competition for attention within the same media space.

Amid the retraction of E3, definitively canceled after years of decline, the Summer Game Fest has established itself as the main stage for announcements and updates in the industry. This also makes it a barometer of competitiveness between platforms, especially in years like 2025, where new hardware generations and updates to services like Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online are on the radar.

Despite the hype that normally surrounds the event, excessive expectations have been a recurring problem, generating criticism for the lack of pace and the absence of major surprises in recent editions. Thus, the presence of the three main console manufacturers may be an attempt to reposition the event as essential, not only for the public, but also for investors and the development ecosystem.

Now we must follow the confirmations and leaks that are expected to emerge before the event begins. And, with three giants gathered again on the same stage, the Summer Game Fest 2025 may gain more technical and strategic relevance than in previous years.