Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 all the biggest, most exciting, and most innovative things on show that we loved

Date:
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Description:
We run down the seven most exciting things that we saw at Summer Game Fest 2026.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Summer Game Fest 2026 was jam-packed with exciting announcements, and we spent the whole event live on the ground in Los Angeles, going hands-on and conducting interviews for unparalleled insight into some of the biggest upcoming games and hardware products.

Keep your eyes peeled for a deluge of coverage based on the event in the coming days and weeks, but a few of the things we saw were just too exciting to wait. Our Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 awards gave us the opportunity to celebrate what we loved the most while we were at the show. We had seven awards to give out at the sole discretion of our editorial team based on what we saw in our preview sessions. Given the breadth of things on show, we decided that there were no specific categories for awards (and the winners here are presented in no particular order), but each of the recipients below should be celebrated as some of the highlights of SGF 2026. Latest Videos
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Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor Control Resonant (Image credit: Remedy /
Future) Making a sequel to the critically acclaimed Control was never going
to be an easy job, but Remedy looks to have absolutely nailed it. I had an extended hands-on at an SGF-adjacent event and came away hugely impressed and desperate for more. You may like Everything announced at Summer Game Fest
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Playing as Dylan Faden brother of Control protagonist Jesse Faden youre thrown into the paranatural world of Control s Manhattan setting, but this time exit The Oldest House to fight The Hiss on the streets of a familiar-but-distorted New York. The atmosphere oozes even more cool than the first game, and Remedys embracing of larger, open areas, teamed with Dylans melee-focused combat and slick movement, are a match made in weird heaven.

Theres plenty of Remedy panache to the level design, with changes to gravity, orientation, and perspective on offer even in the small slither I played.
With such flare in the more linear space offsetting the more open areas you can explore, theres a neat balance to the spaces and places youll experience. It makes the perfect setting for another weird story too Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The real star of the show so far, though, is the combat. Much more multi-layered than Jesses in the first game, there are so many options,
weapon variants, abilities and skills available to you. Team this with a
focus on fluidity and dynamic movement in Dylans fighting style, and you can create some wild combos and movesets.

Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming Seed (Image credit: Klang Games / Future) Ive been writing about games professionally for more than half a decade now, and I can count on one hand the times that a hands-on session has truly blown me away. Unassuming life simulator Seed did exactly that with its incredible ambition and technical complexity. Its basically The Sims crossed with an MMO on steroids, and has you dropping custom characters (or Seedlings as theyre known in-universe) into a vast shared world with seemingly endless possibilities. What to read next Xbox Partner Preview: everything announced at the showcase Sonic Pico Park trades fast-paced platforming for cute co-op puzzling and was one of the most charming things I played at SGF 2026 The Future Games Show Summer Showcase, FGS Live, and the PC Gaming Show have been confirmed for June, with the Showcase to feature 'world premieres, exclusive trailers, and stealth demo drops'

Everything is player-driven. Even a simple object like a chair has to be
built by players and is the result of a complex production line, with prices dictated by a fully simulated economy. The jobs that your Seedling can work are all created by others as well, with the chance to create your own if you have the cash and need something done. Want someone to clean up your (player-built) house every couple of days? Simply create a job listing with your requirements and wait for another player to apply.

You dont have to watch your Seedling toil away at their workplace for hours, which is certainly a relief. If you do want to check in, an in-development companion app (which was also demoed at the show) will let you keep tabs on them while youre out and about enjoying your own life.

Seed also features one of the best and most natural implementations of large language model (LLM) tech that Ive seen in a game with its Seedling chat system, which lets you talk directly to your character to discuss how theyre feeling, give them tasks to accomplish, or even influence their social interactions. It feels seriously futuristic and is something that would have been simply impossible a few years ago, showing how AI can be used tastefully to deliver all-new experiences rather than in a misguided attempt to replace artists and developers.

Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor Alien: Isolation 2 (Image credit: Sega /
Future) Ive never felt so conflicted going into a hands-on preview: Im a pretty big fan of the Alien franchise and loved Alien: Isolation , but only got through the latter through sheer perseverance. The prospect of playing Alien Isolation 2 knowing Id be in a high-stress situation wasnt one I could truly say I was looking forward to.

However, increased heart rate aside, the wait for this follow-up has been worth it. Creative Assembly looks set to deliver a (often literally) breath-taking sequel to one of the best horror games of all time. Taking care to keep within the first games key successes but evolve them and adapt them
to a new setting and story, Alien: Isolation 2 already looks to be an
absolute thrill, and it's worthy of one of our awards this year.

The introduction of an exterior environment for you to play cat and mouse
with the Xenomorph looks to be a stroke of genius. Contrasting this with some familiar but terrifying interior scenarios, the evolution of the world is going to go down very well with fans. On top of that, everything looks fantastic and incredibly detailed, showing a huge jump in graphical fidelity that true Alien heads will take great joy in soaking up. And yes, the Xenomorph looks even more terrifying this time around.

You can look forward to limited resources to juggle, fantastic environments
to explore, a cleverer-than-ever Xeno to escape, and some of the best aesthetics in a horror game to marvel at, all while carrying on the story straight from the first game.

Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming Fable (Image credit: Xbox / Future) Weve been waiting ages, but having now seen Fable in real life, it looks like itll absolutely be worth it.

Talking pigs, endless romance options, permanent-feeling actions, consequence-dealing behaviour, enjoyable dialog and fun humour, and a beautiful English-countryside-inspired setting? All are present, and its a game thats undoubtedly going to be joyful to get stuck into.

With systems so deep and rich, and a cast of non-player characters (NPCs) so varied, real, and engaging, theres so much fun to be had in the world of
Fable no matter your intentions. But its very much not all good and bad choices: there are many shades of gray between, and every NPCs perspective will be different, so youll have to deal with a variety of consequences no matter what decision you take.

A brief look at combat also proved exciting. Its fluid, flashy, and downright fun-looking with flurries of fantastical movement and fighting actions combining beautifully on the hero I saw a glimpse of.

Fable is shaping up to be a hugely rewarding and interesting experience that you can lose yourself in, and could even become part economy-sim, life-sim, and settlement-builder, as well as RPG, all in one.

Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming Sonic Pico Park (Image credit: PICO PARK Inc./ Future) What happens when you take a popular indie party game and pair it with one of the biggest platformer franchises around? An incredible amount of charming fun at least if Sonic Pico Park is anything to go by.

Gathered around a sofa with a group of strangers for my hands-on session, it wasnt long before we were chatting and laughing together like old friends as we worked our way through a series of pixellated puzzles. Returning Pico Park fans will already know to expect smart level design, but I was particularly impressed by how well some core Sonic mechanics are incorporated into this
new crossover.

Careful use of the blue blurs shiny gold rings helps you get past deadly obstacles that would otherwise be game over, while springs send you shooting forward with enough momentum to conquer big loop-de-loops. Sonic, Tails, and Amy are all playable with some unique tricks between them. Everyone can spin dash (used in my demo to break the occasional destructible surface), but only Tails gets the ability to fly and even airlift others, while Knuckles has a little glide that makes it easier to get over big gaps.

Its all rendered in a simplistic but cute art direction that conveys a great sense of playfulness, and I simply cant wait to play more.

Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor TCL 2A Pro (Image credit: TCL / Future) Ill
take any opportunity to sit down and play a few matches of Call of Duty : Black Ops 7 , but demoing it on TCL s newest gaming monitor line took the experience to a whole new level. The flagship TCL C2A Pro 4K might be the ultimate all-round package for those after a display that can take everything from cinematic story experiences such as The Last of Us Part 1 to fast-paced first-person shooters in a stride.

Its QD-Mini LED panel is seriously colorful, with a vibrancy that, to my
eyes, rivals many OLED displays. Its bright, achieving a peak brightness of
up to 2,000 nits and featuring the desirable DisplayHDR 1400 certification.
By default, it offers a cinematic 4K picture at a speedy 160Hz, but those
with a more competitive side can use its dual mode feature to bump it down to 1080p at an incredibly smooth 320Hz, which is going to be simply invaluable
in titles like Counter Strike 2 where high frame rates and split-second performance can mean the difference between a clutch win or devastating defeat.

The monitors design and build are impressive too. The sleek white chassis has an almost sci-fi aesthetic, complemented by streaks of attractive RGB lighting, and houses a generous selection of ports the perfect blend of
looks and practicality.

Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor And one more mystery winner... (Image credit: Pexels / Future) We gave out seven Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 awards this year, but there's one more winner that we can't announce quite yet. Stay tuned, as this article will be updated with the last entry when we're able to share it in the coming weeks. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/techradar-gaming-best-of-summer-game-fest-202 6-awards


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