Summer Game Fest is currently a nearly week-long affair. Games will be celebrated throughout the week with panels of different types. Some are more focused. Others are presentations from game companies showcasing their latest projects and upcoming offerings. For most gamers, however, Friday’s Summer Game Fest keynote stream will be the highlight (or disappointment). After all, all the big surprises are saved.

Ananta

Of all the games that have been teased in the last year, Ananta, or as it was previously known, Project Mugen, is one that I’m most excited about. Yes, I know I’ve been playing a lot of Neverness to Everness lately and that Ananta is similar. It is an urban open-world action game with supernatural powers. But based on the trailer, it has a completely different vibe.

But aside from the mood, there’s also the gameplay. From what we’ve seen in the trailers, Ananta’s fights are more reminiscent of GTA or Saints Row than the fights we’re used to in most gacha games – including NTE, which is quite similar in style to Wuthering Waves. And of course there are the Spider-Man mechanics.

Since Naked Rain brings so many things together, we’re naturally interested in finding out more. It’s doubtful we’ll get a launch date, but perhaps some testing announcements?

Varsapura

Speaking of open-world games with supernatural urban environments, we have Varsapura from miHoYo. At this point, we have seen a 30-minute gameplay video of the game. What we saw is fascinating. The game seems darker in nature than HoYo’s other offerings. However, their current games can have some pretty dark themes, so that might be relative. I hope to see more of that.

I doubt we’ll be able to get appointments for anything at this point. But a trailer or something similar would be nice.

Sea of ​​Remains

Stylistically, Sea of ​​Remnants is different from most of the other games on this list. It’s not an anime, it’s not even anime-inspired. After all, the game is set in a world where puppets take on the beautiful pursuit of piracy. However, like many games on this list, it can be considered character-driven. One of the standout features is the ability to get in touch with more than 300 companions.

The game has been in on-and-off testing for some time and we know that Joker Studio and NetEase plan to release the game sometime this year unless something changes. Against this background, a launch trailer wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Aniimo

As we move forward, when it comes to creature collecting games, it seems we have quite a few options for it. Mongil: Star Dive, which is more reminiscent of Monster Hunter if it were a gacha game, has been available for some time. Honkai: Nexus Anima, HoYo’s Pokémon game set in the Honkai-verse, has undergone a bit of testing. And then there’s Aniimo, a very charming creature collecting game that has also gone through several rounds of testing.

Unlike some of the other games on this list. Aniimo doesn’t have a strict 2026 release window. In fact, Steam only has it listed as “Coming Soon.” So a start date could still be hoped for. But maybe an early access date? Since the game is developed and published by the same company, it wouldn’t be surprising if they opted for a round of paid Early Access before release to get things rolling.

Small planet

HoYoverse’s entry into the cozy gaming area has been in the testing phase for some time. I spent some time with the game and really enjoyed my experience. And that was before they made the changes they wanted to implement based on testing feedback. Like most leisurely games, it’s relaxing. It offers players unique ways to interact with the game world and each other. (It’s quite nice to see other players’ planets just floating by.) And the choice of art style is appealing.

Yes, there are other cozy games currently available. Heartopia has been on the market for some time and has held a number of collaboration events, for example. But Petit Planet just clicked more for me. So I’ve been patiently waiting for the game’s release date.

Of course, a majority of the games featured in the stream are likely to be single-player and buy-to-play games. But,. I can still hope that I will see at least some of them.