The famous “reveal show” E3 didn’t happen this year, but the AAA hype did happen across Summer Games Fest & more — with announcements and high-end gameplay demos. After PlayStation’s big showcase at the end of May, Xbox, Ubisoft and others followed suit.

If you haven’t tracked everything in the last few weeks — hoo’ boy, has it been a doozy. Here’s a quick list of everything big that happened:

• Starfield gameplay looks set to live up to the hype. Absolutely stunning, massive world — but it’ll be 30fps on consoles.

• Star Wars Outlaws, an AAA open-world game from Ubisoft’s Division studio, Massive, looks like GTA in space.

• Alan Wake 2 gameplay demo has made it my most anticipated game. Over three minutes of straight gameplay. It looks insanely good…as a dark, cinematic take on survival horror.

• Cyberpunk 2077 feels like it’s relaunching. This year will see a major expansion, “Phantom Liberty.” Keanu is back, alongside Idris Elba and stunning visuals. (P.S. In a Bloomberg interview, the expansion’s director confirmed a full-blown sequel is also out there.)

• The Fable reboot was finally confirmed at the Xbox Showcase.

• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the remake sequel/reboot got a glorious trailer and is out early 2024.

• Xbox-exclusive Avowed finally showed off gameplay — it was just quick looks of its Skyrim-esque, first-person RPG style, but it’s one to watch. (From a studio with roots in Fallout, Fallout: New Vegas and Outer Worlds.)

• A new Prince of Persia is on the way — in the high-detailed, 2D stylings of games like Metroid Dread. Ubisoft announced and showed gameplay for “The Lost Crown.”

• Diablo 4 is Blizzard’s fastest-selling game ever. And everyone in the world seems to be playing it right now. We know its first days of release beat 3.7 million sold, which was the previous record held by World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.

• Lies of P demo impresses Souls fans. It surpassed one-million downloads and has the bloodthirsty community buzzing.

• Spider-Man 2 release date for PS5 is October 20th.

There was a lot more. You’re staring down the barrel of 2023 - which is shaping up to be one incredible year in gaming (that you probably don’t have time for).

As if Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom wasn’t enough…

2023 Games: Big Upcoming Release Dates

• Final Fantasy 16 | June 22 | PS5

• Pikmin 4 | July 21 | Switch

• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | August 25 | Xbox Series X/S + Xbox One PS5 + PS4 PC

• Baldur’s Gate 3 | August 31 | PS5 PC 

• Starfield | September 6 (*Sept. 1 with early access, Premium Edition and above) | Xbox Series X/S

• Lies of P | September 19 | Xbox Series X/S + Xbox One PS5 + PS4 PC

• Mortal Kombat 1 | September 19 (*Sept. 14 with early access, Premium Edition and above) | Xbox Series X/S PS5 PC Switch

• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty | September 26 | Xbox Series X/S PS5  PC

• Forza Motorsport | October 10 | Xbox Series X/S

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage | October 12 | Xbox Series X/S + Xbox One PS5 + PS4 PC

• Lords of the Fallen | October 13 | Xbox Series X/S PS5  PC

• Alan Wake 2 | October 17 | Xbox Series X/S PS5 PC

• Spider-Man 2 | October 20 | PS5

• Hogwart’s Legacy | November 14 | Switch

On top of all the other great titles, big and small, I didn’t mention — we still have yet to see if a Call of Duty game will release at the end of the year. Previously rumored to be a “skip year” for the franchise, it’s been reported that Modern Warfare II will continue in some way with a major expansion: single-player, multiplayer maps, etc. Officially, Activision has only said a “premium Call of Duty game” will arrive this year.

There’s a lot to unpack, so here’s a visual blitz of what you have to look forward to.

Star Wars Outlaws (2024)

Alan Wake II

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Fable (Reboot)

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Early 2024)

Starfield

Avowed (2024)

Lies of P

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Early 2024)

Thanks for the support. I’ve been playing a metric ton of Diablo 4 (as a Druid) lately, so I’ve no idea how I’ll play all this great stuff. Follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/FM3_ if you want to catch me live and, if ya’ like, consider dropping a free (with Amazon Prime) Twitch sub for additional support.