June is traditionally a big time for the gaming industry in terms of new game reveals and announcements. Almost every year since 1995, June has played host to E3, a massive event where the giants in the industry come together to show off what they have planned for the future.
Recent years have thrown a wrench in the plans, however. E3 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and E3 2021 was a digital-only event. Now E3 2022 has been canceled as well, and it's unclear what the future holds for the big gaming showcase.
E3 is expected to make a comeback in 2023, but that remains to be seen. But even with no E3 this year, gaming fans still have a lot to look forward to in June. In fact, June 2022 is shaping up to be an absolutely massive month for the gaming industry based on what's been announced so far.
Big Gaming Events for June 2022
- Summer Game Fest - June 9 at 11am PT
- Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase - June 12 at 10am PT
- Overwatch 2 Event - June 16
- Final Fantasy Announcement - TBA
E3 2022 is canceled, but that doesn't mean big gaming events aren't going to happen in June. On the contrary, June 2022 is still going to be a time of huge game reveals and announcements, and so fans have plenty to look forward to next month.
The first big event announced for June 2022 is Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, which kicks off with a special presentation on June 9 at 11am PT. This year's Summer Game Fest will be in select IMAX theaters, and it should feature plenty of big announcements. Last year's show ended with the gameplay reveal for Elden Ring, so hype is high for this year's Summer Game Fest event and what it has to offer. Things are being kept secret for now, so those interested will have to tune in to find out what happens.
A few days later on June 12 at 10am PT, gamers can tune in to the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase will be Xbox's E3-equivalent presentation this year, where it makes big game announcements and provides deep dives for some of its upcoming projects. Bethesda will have its games on display as well, and it's expected that the show will revolve around open world sci-fi RPG Starfield. Even though Starfield was recently delayed to 2023, Xbox gamers should still be able to expect it to have a major presence at the event.
Then on June 16, fans of Blizzard's hero-shooter Overwatch will be treated to news about Overwatch 2. The event is confirmed to discuss the next Overwatch 2 PvP beta, but it's unclear what else it may have in store. Blizzard has not announced a start time for the Overwatch 2 event just yet, so fans will have to stay tuned for more information on that front.
And finally, it's been confirmed that some kind of announcement related to Final Fantasy 7's 25th anniversary will be coming next month. Fans have their fingers crossed that the announcement will be related to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, but they may want to keep their expectations in check. Whatever's in store, Final Fantasy fans should keep an eye out for an announcement at some point next month.
Rumored Gaming Events for June 2022
Besides the big gaming events that have been confirmed, there are also events that are rumored to be taking place in June 2022 but have not been officially announced at the time of this writing. It's rumored that Sony may host a State of Play presentation in June, and it's also rumored that Nintendo may host an E3-equivalent Nintendo Direct presentation at some point next month as well. Other big game companies are also expected to throw their hats in the ring, though it's unclear if they will host their own presentations or piggyback off things like the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase and Summer Game Fest.
It's also been heavily rumored that Activision will be unveiling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in June, with leaker Tom Henderson pointing to a June 8 reveal date for the 2022 FPS. The latest leaks and rumors surrounding the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reveal suggest that the initial reveal will focus primarily on the campaign, with a proper multiplayer unveiling happening later this summer. The reveal itself has not even been announced yet, though, so Call of Duty fans should keep that in mind.
New Video Game Releases for June 2022
- Diablo Immortal - June 2
- Mario Strikers: Battle League - June 10
- The Quarry - June 10
- Fall Guys - June 21
- Sonic Origins - June 23
- Capcom Fighting Collection - June 24
- Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - June 24
- Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak - June 30
- LEGO Brawls - TBA
Gaming news events are exciting because they give fans a peak at future games they will be able to play, but it's safe to say most are interested in games that they will be able to play in the near future. June 2022 is traditionally not a very busy month for new game releases, and that holds true this year, but there are still some notable titles that fans may want to check out.
Kicking off June 2022's new game releases is Diablo Immortal, a mobile/PC spin-off of Blizzard's popular hack-and-slash Diablo franchise. Initial reactions to Diablo Immortal were largely negative because of its mobile focus, but after some testing periods, it seems that fans are starting to turn around on the game. If nothing else, Diablo Immortal should give fans something to do while they wait for Diablo 4, and it will be interesting to see if the final product manages to exceed expectations.
On June 10, there are two major game releases for fans to look forward to, as Mario Strikers: Battle League is releasing for the Nintendo Switch and The Quarry is releasing for multiple platforms. The two games are very different in nature, with Mario Strikers: Battle League being a family-friendly Mario sports title and The Quarry being a narrative-driven horror game from the creators of Until Dawn, but they both should still provide a quality gaming experience.
Then on June 21, gamers can look forward to battle royale game Fall Guys going free-to-play and releasing for more platforms. Until now, Fall Guys has been exclusive to PC and PlayStation, but it's finally making its way to Xbox and Nintendo consoles. This should breathe new life into Fall Guys, and it could very well be the start of an exciting brand-new era for the game.
On June 23, Sonic Origins is releasing across multiple platforms, giving gamers access to some of Sonic's most popular older games, while June 24 sees the release of the Capcom Fighting Collection and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, a musou-style spin-off of the Fire Emblem series and a companion to the critically-acclaimed Switch exclusive Fire Emblem: Three Houses. And finally, June 30 will see the release of the long-awaited Monster Hunter Rise expansion Sunbreak. LEGO Brawls, a game previously exclusive to Apple Arcade, is also expected to jump ship to more platforms next month, but its release date has yet to be announced.
Please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list of the new games releasing in June 2022, but rather a highlight of some of the higher profile releases.
PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium Launch
- Asia markets (excluding Japan) – targeting May 23, 2022
- Japan – targeting June 1, 2022
- Americas – targeting June 13, 2022
- Europe – targeting June 22, 2022
So far, Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service has gone mostly unanswered by PlayStation, but that will change soon. PlayStation is making massive changes to its PlayStation Plus subscription service by introducing three new tiers: PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Premium. PS Plus Essential is basically PS Plus as it exists today, while the Extra tier throws some high profile PS4 and PS5 games into the mix, not to mention many of the games currently available to play through PlayStation Now. PS Plus Premium, meanwhile, includes everything in the Essential and Extra tiers on top of hundreds of retro games.
The PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium launch dates are staggered by region. Those in Asian markets can check out the new tiers as early as May 23, while gamers in Japan have to wait for June 1. Those in the Americas will have access to the new PS Plus tiers on June 13, while those in Europe will get them on June 22.
The jury is still out on whether the new PS Plus tiers are enough to properly compete with Xbox Game Pass, but we'll find out sooner rather than later.