As the usual E3 season inches closer, its de-facto replacement, this year's Summer Game Fest, is gaining a ton of heat and momentum. With E3 canceled, an impressive lineup of over 40 partners has flocked to the Summer Game Fest 2023 to let us know their plans for the foreseeable future. Among the industry heavyweights that have pledged their commitment to Geoff Keighley's event are Xbox and PlayStation as well as Activision.

☀️🎮🎉 #SummerGameFest szn is almost here.

The video game industry comes together to show you what's next.

Look for updates from 40+ partners.

🎟️ Public tickets for our live showcase event at @youtubetheater on June 8 are now on sale at https://t.co/vpFuPnfyTe pic.twitter.com/hH9fhqGoT9

— Summer Game Fest (@summergamefest) May 11, 2023

Xbox's presence at the event is generating a lot of buzz among gamers. Xbox is already scheduled to hold an extended multi-game showcase from June 11 through 13, so it's believed that it has a ton of exciting game reveals planned for next month. This excitement is equally matched by PlayStation's participation, hinting that it also has plenty planned for at least the next year, especially with a still-unannounced PlayStation Showcase planned for later this month.

Activision's involvement is also hype-inducing. The developers of Call of Duty are known for dropping surprise reveals. Given that we recently heard more about its next Call of Duty entry, Activision could announce the game on June 8.

What's particularly noteworthy are the exclusions of Nintendo, Konami, and Kojima Productions.

Nintendo had already skipped E3 before its cancelation. It's planning to hold a showcase at GamesCom in August, so that's probably where we'll hear more about the platform's next big exclusive. But, Kojima Productions, specifically Hideo Kojima, has a long history with Geoff Keighley and the Summer Game Fest. If he isn't attending the event, then this means Kojima Productions is hard at work on Death Stranding 2 and its other projects. Finally, Konami, which is rumored to have signed a new exclusivity deal with Sony, has been teasing big announcements for a while, and we'll have to continue waiting as it won't be at this year's Summer Game Fest.

Geoff Keighley's brainchild, Summer Game Fest quickly went from an E3 alternative in 2020 to its replacement in the eyes of audiences. The global celebration of the gaming industry has successfully brought together gamers, developers, and enthusiasts from around the world, offering industry leaders a platform to showcase their latest projects.

With a laundry list of participating developers and publishers, gamers can look forward to seismic reveals on June 8.