Fairs and Events 2023: The ultimate schedule for gamers

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Game shows, reveal events and trade fairs: exciting dates await games fans again in 2023. We collect what you should write in your calendar

2023 starts worldwide with significantly fewer Corona restrictions than previous years. This of course has an impact on the video game world, especially upcoming trade shows and events. Blizzcon returns, gamescom welcomes visitors to Cologne – these are just a few of the events you should keep an eye on.

In the meantime, E3 2023 has been cancelled completely, casting a shadow over the future of the event.

We”re collecting important dates throughout the year in this article, with exciting reveals coming up.

Bookmark this page so you can check it out anytime and see all the events at a glance!

Update from 06 June: Capcom Showcase announced

Overview of the most important game events in 2023

  • German Dev Days 2023 (June 6-7, 2023)
  • Guerrilla Collective (7 June 2023)
  • Summer Game Fest (8 June 2023)
  • Devolver Direct (8 to 9 June 2023)
  • Future Games Show (10 June 2023)
  • Xbox Games Showcase (11 June 2023)
  • Starfield Direct (11 June 2023)
  • PC Gaming Show (11 June 2023)
  • Ubisoft Forward (12 June 2023)
  • Capcom Showcase (12/13 June 2023)
  • GDC Showcase (27-29 June 2023)
  • San Diego Comic-Con (20 to 23 July 2023)
  • QuakeCon (10 to 13 August 2023)
  • THQ Nordic Showcase (11 August 2023)
  • gamescom (22 to 27 August 2023)
  • PAX West (1 to 4 September 2023)
  • Tokyo Game Show (24 to 27 September 2023)
  • EGX (12 to 15 October 2023)
  • BlizzCon (3 to 4 November 2023)
  • The Game Awards (8 December 2023)
  • PC Gaming Show 2024 Preview (end 2023)

German Dev Days 2023

  • When? 6 to 7 June 2023
  • Where to look? On site (Saalbau Gallus in Frankfurt am Main)

This fair is all about games from German-speaking developers. Big new announcements are unlikely, but there is an awards ceremony beforehand where developers can win a total of 10,000 euros. The worst game of the year will be awarded “Beste Biberkacke” (and will not receive any prize money).

Also planned: More than 40 lectures, 7 panel discussions, 8 workshops, more than 60 speakers and 12 exhibitors. Students, trainees, teachers and content creators can attend the event free of charge.

Guerrilla Collective

  • When? 7 June 2023 from 6 p.m. onwards
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

The organisers of the Guerrilla Collective show have already confirmed that it will take place despite the E3 cancellation. The event will focus on indie games of all kinds, already confirmed are the survival game Voidtrain, the western horror spectacle Blood West, the action RPG sequel Hammerwatch 2, Pizza Possum and several other titles.

Summer Game Fest

  • Opening Showcase: June 8 from 9 to 11 p.m.
  • When? 8 to 13 June 2023 (including PC Gaming Show, Xbox Showcase, Ubi Forward, etc.).
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube).

The digital Summer Game Fest by and with Geoff Keighley has become one of the most important and biggest game events of the year. Most important stop: The big opening show on Thursday, where traditionally the Reveal trailers are shown.

We also expect a strong line-up in 2023, especially since the E3 has been cancelled now. Confirmed are appearances of Cyberpunk 2077 with the new addon Phantom Liberty. In addition, Activision, Capcom, EA, Warner Bros, Netflix Games, PlayStation, Steam, Sega and many more publishers have signed up.

Here”s a little taste:

Devolver Direct

  • When? From 0:00 on the night of 8 to 9 June 2023
  • Where to watch? Probably (Youtube)

Friends of good gags and unusual games listen up! Devolver Digital, probably the craziest publisher in the video game industry, has announced a new edition of the popular event Devolver Direct for 9 June 2023 (German time). It will take place as part of the Summer Game Fest. The programme will be led by the fictional character Volvy.

Unfortunately, there is currently no more detailed information on the games shown. But there are plenty of candidates – from The Plucky Squire to Skate Story and Wizard with a Gun.

Future Games Show

  • When? 10 June 2023 from 7 p.m. onwards
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

Exactly 24 hours before the big Xbox bash (see below), the next big edition of the Future Games Show will take place. Hosted by Gamesradar.com, the programme will last around an hour and feature over 50 games – including several world premieres and exclusive trailers.

Xbox Games Showcase

  • When? 11 June 2023, starting at 7 pm (about 100 minutes)
  • Where to watch? (Twitch)

Microsoft is holding its own summer of gaming show, where we”ll hopefully learn plenty about upcoming titles. Exactly which games are included is not yet known.

Possible candidates would be a new Fable, Hellblade 2, the new Forza Motorsport, the long-lost Perfect Dark as well as the Indiana Jones game from Machine Games (where Wolfenstein 3 is also being worked on in parallel).

Skyrim rival Avowed is also a possibility and we haven”t heard anything about State of Decay 3 for a while either. A Starfield event will take place directly after the showcase. Combined, both shows will last about two hours.

Starfield Direct

  • When? June 11, 2023, right after the Xbox show (around 8:30pm).
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

Just in time for the summer of gaming, Starfield is coming around the corner with a new presentation called Starfield Direct, showing off a big helping of new Starfield gameplay in a “Deep Dive” right after the Xbox Showcase.

Game Director and Executive Producer at Bethesda Todd Howard says about the event:

There”s so much we still have to show you. The game has all the features you”ve come to expect from [Bethesda], but it”s also a very unique experience.

What exactly will be shown remains secret in advance, of course. The producer says they will broadcast new game scenes, interviews with developers and background information. After several postponements, the Starfield release is scheduled for 6 September 2023.

PC Gaming Show

  • When? Starting 11 June 2023, following the Xbox/Starfield streams around 10pm.
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

The website PCGamer.com”s big show returns in a new edition, running after the revelations at the Microsoft and Starfield events respectively. The aim is to fill the void left by E3, they say.

55 games are confirmed for the event, including Baldur”s Gate 3, Frostpunk 2, Dune Awakening and a new game from Klei (Oxygen Not Included, Mark of the Ninja, Don”t Starve).

  • When? 12 June 2023, starting at 7 p.m.
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

Ubisoft announced it would no longer seek a presence at E3 2023 before cancelling the show. Instead, the French publisher is hosting its own livestream event, Ubisoft Forward, in Los Angeles. It forms the conclusion of the event series consisting of Summer Game Fest and Digital Week.

Confirmed are both Assassin”s Creed Jade, i.e. the mobile spin-off with a China setting, and Assassin”s Creed Mirage, the spin-off that is still to be released in 2023. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will also be launched. There will be new info on these games and more, Ubisoft announced.

Hope also exists for new signs of life for the Splinter Cell reboot and the countless times postponed Skull & Bones. We also firmly expect news on The Crew Motorfest.

Capcom Showcase

  • When? 13 June 2023, 00:00 hrs
  • Where to watch? (YouTube), (Twitch)

Officially announced is the publisher”s 40th anniversary showcase for 12 June. In this country, however, it will already be night at the start time and the event will begin at midnight the following day.

The showcase is expected to last a little longer than half an hour and bring new information on upcoming titles. What exactly will be shown, however, has not been revealed yet. Possible candidates are the dino-shooter Exoprimal and the fantasy role-playing game Dragons Dogma 2, which recently released a first trailer:

GDC Showcase

  • When? 27 to 29 June 2023
  • Where to look? (Website)

This is not a showcase of new games, but developers giving talks and workshops on game design, new technologies and so on. The June showcase will take place completely digitally, as usual there will be a part of the talks afterwards as VOD.

San Diego Comic-Con

  • When? 19 to 23 July 2023
  • Where to watch? (YouTube)

The SDCC now not only features films, but also (tabletop and digital) games. Especially those that have to do with Disney (Marvel!) or D&D. What new trailers we can expect this year is not yet known.

The show will again be on site, but the most important announcements will land online as VOD.

QuakeCon

  • When? 10 to 13 August 2023
  • Where to look? (Twitch)

QuakeCon returns to the visitor format after the digital years of Pandemic, but in a much reduced form. There will only be the LAN party BYOC (Bring your own Computer), a number of fun activities and a programming livestream.

Only visitors with tickets for the venue in Grapevine (Dallas), USA, will be admitted, so no trade visitors or press. Whether QuakeCon will return in its old form is (Bethesda) currently open.

THQ Nordic Showcase

THQ Nordic announced a new showcase to reveal info on upcoming games. One of the hottest candidates that many fans are already eagerly waiting for is (Jagged Alliance 3) There is also a small teaser for this in the announcement video of the event:

gamescom 2023

  • When? 22 to 27 August 2023
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

Germany”s biggest games fair is also back at it in 2023. On 22 August, Geoff Keighley will once again open gamescom with Opening Night Live, which usually features trailers galore and some world premieres. As soon as the line-up has been announced, we”ll let you know, of course!

In addition, the third Future Games Show of the year will take place as part of gamescom 2023. As usual, it will be hosted by the games magazine Gamesradar!

PAX West

  • When? 1 to 4 September 2023
  • Where to look? (Twitch)

The gaming trade show PAX West takes place in Seattle (Washington, USA). Exhibitors will be able to register for the show starting May 31, 2023, so we should learn more about the studios participating in the coming weeks and months!

Along with PAX West, Nintendo will also be holding a live stream, where we are of course hoping for exciting announcements.

Tokyo Game Show

  • When? 21 to 24 September 2023
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

The huge Japanese gaming fair will take place again in 2023. As usual, mostly big and small Japanese publishers are expected to be present (Konami, Bandai Namco, Nintendo and so on). There will be live English streams on the channels linked above.

EGX

  • When? 12 to 15 October 2023
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

Autumn 2023 will also be exciting: after the big summer shows, EGX in London delivers another helping of gaming news. Last year, many upcoming indie games were playable for visitors, the programme for 2023 is yet to be announced. Reminder: Since 2021, you need a passport to enter the UK, the German identity card is no longer sufficient!

The Game Awards

Geoff Keighley will once again host the evening of the Game Awards in 2023. At this event, prizes are awarded for games of the year, but new reveals and trailers are also on the agenda. It is not yet known what exactly will be on show this year.

PC Gaming Show 2024 Preview

  • When? Expected to be mid-November 2023.
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

At the end of the year, the PC Gaming Show Preview reveals many exciting new products for the following year. In 2022, there was fresh info on Homeworld 3, Diablo 4 and The Finals.

There should also be a new announcement or two in the mix. As soon as more info on the show floods the airwaves, we”ll add it as usual.

Blizzcon 2023

  • When? 3 to 4 November 2023
  • Where to watch? (Twitch), (YouTube)

2022 dropped out of Blizzcon. Just one symptom in a particularly difficult year for Activision Blizzard, as the company continued to reel from multiple sexism scandals . Now, in 2023, the in-house game show will return, as the company announced (on its in-house blog) 

Which games will be shown is still unknown. However, it can be assumed that Diablo 4, which will be released on 6 June 2023, will play a major role. However, new announcements can of course also be expected.

Of course there will be many, many more showcases, events and trade fairs in 2023. We”ll update this article regularly as dates or games shown become known. So feel free to check back if you”re looking for new info.