Summer of Gaming 2024 is here, and IGN Live is bringing fresh surprises and reveals for some of the hottest upcoming games, movies, and shows. While Xbox, Summer Game Fest, Sony, and more are taking the time to show off what they’ve got in store for players in the near future, we’re digging into the details with developer interviews and first-look trailers to learn more about what makes the future of gaming brighter than ever.
This article shines a light on the biggest moments from IGN Live days one, two, and three to make sure you don’t miss even one highlight. You can read the full weekend schedule here.
IGN Live Day 2: The Biggest Announcements
IGN Live kept our Summer of Gaming weekend going with more interviews with the developers behind games like Sonic x Shadow Generations and sneak peeks at highly anticipated projects like Phantom Blade Zero. We’re now past the halfway point of the weekend, but Day 2 still brought a lot to keep the hype train rolling.
Child’s Play is bringing gaming to children in need
Child’s Play has been helping kids gain access to games for more than two decades, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. At IGN Live, we spoke to the company’s executive director, Travis Eriksen, about how Child’s Play helps hospitals utilize technology to raise the spirits of those who need it most.
Casper van Dien and Offworld talk Starship Troopers: Extermination
IGN revealed today that Starship Troopers: Extermination will leave Early Access and come to consoles on October 11, 2024. To celebrate, we caught up with the team behind the co-op bug shooter and Johnny Rico himself to talk about what this next chapter means for players going forward and what sets the experience apart from other games.
Takashi Iizuka answers our Sonic x Shadow Generations questions
Sega’s year of Shadow the Hedgehog rolls on with Sonic x Shadow Generations this October, so we caught up with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka to learn more about how this powered-up remaster changes the game. In addition to promising a sizeable amount of content dedicated to the Ultimate Lifeform, our chat includes gameplay footage of some of Shadow’s new levels.
Spiders highlights new companions and locations in Greedfall 2
We sat down with Spiders CEO Jehanne Rousseau at IGN Live to give us a closer look at the team’s upcoming RPG sequel, Greedfall 2: The Dying World. This first-look video includes combat footage while Rousseau explains why existing fans can find some new things to love.
Playing and talking about Demon Spore with Null Games
We sat down with Null Games at IGN Live to learn more about how Demon Spore brings its gross monstrosities to life. This top-down action rogue-lite is best examined in motion, so head of community Matthew Rorie and head of PR Nick La Tona picked up a few controllers to show us the ropes.
Speedrunning Shovel Knight with Yacht Club Games
Yacht Club Games’ Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope is one of the biggest indie games of the last decade, and it was a joy watching the team speedrun it for IGN Live. This is a quick look at a classic retro-inspired platformer you can’t get anywhere else.
The Black Butler English dub cast chats about the Public School Arc
IGN Live gives us an opportunity to go hands-on with upcoming games and talk with the crew behind some highly anticipated movies, but we brought a few surprises for anime fans, too. Sebastian Michaelis actor J. Michael Tatum and Ciel Phantomhive actress Brina Palencia spoke to us about what it was like to return to the series and how they fell back into their roles.
Taking a closer look at the High On Life comic book
Squanch Games’ sci-fi comedy FPS, High On Life, is getting a comic book, and we got a closer look at it during IGN Live. Writer and narrative director Alec Robbins talked to us about how the comic fits into the franchise’s story, some of its new characters, and the comics (and even manga) that inspired it.
Deadpool and Wolverine are taking over Marvel Snap
Marvel Snap took the mobile gaming world by storm, and it’ll soon crossover with the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Deadpool and Wolverine. We spoke with some of the team from Second Dinner for a better look at the duo’s limited-time mode as well as a few of the other changes coming to the superhero card battler.
Going hands-on with Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade Zero has wowed players with its fast-paced combat, so we knew we had to get our hands on a demo for IGN Live. During our live playthrough of developer S-Game’s highly anticipated action game, we got face-to-face with tough enemies and learned to use a handful of deadly weapons.
An exclusive look at Bye Bye Earth
Bye Bye Earth composer Kevin Penkin put together a behind-the-scenes look at how the music for the upcoming anime came to be. The clip reveals more about what influenced Penkin when creating the show’s music, but it also comes with an exclusive sneak preview of a scene from the series ahead of its premiere this July.
Talking about the future of Teamfight Tactics with Riot Games
The Teamfight Tactics team swung by IGN Live to talk more about how they keep their League of Legends spinoff feeling fresh and unique among its competitors. Our eight-minute interview with gameplay director Stephen Mortimer and senior product manager Christina Jiang also gave us a better look at how the experience will continue to evolve going forward.
Metaphor ReFantazio looks like another Atlus hit in the making
Persona series director Katsura Hashino and Atlus senior localization producer Scott Strichart talked with us at IGN Live about how Atlus is using all of its experience to make its next game, Metaphor ReFantazio. Our time with the team revealed an exclusive look at their ambitious new RPG along with new details about what it took to bring it to life.
Soaking in vibrant roguelike gameplay with the team behind Atomic Picnic
While gamers try to keep up with an ocean of roguelike experiences sweeping the industry, Atomic Picnic is looking to stand out from the crowd. We learned more about how BitCake Studio and Mad Mushroom are creating a unique third-person co-op shooter during our interview with the team at IGN Live. If you’re looking for a bullet-heaven-inspired adventure that isn’t pay-to-win, this one’s for you.
IGN Live Day 1: The Biggest Announcements
IGN Live kicked off with sneak peeks at the next season of The Legend of Vox Machina, Nightdive Studios' The Thing video game remaster, the upcoming Borderlands film, and so much more. Plus, we got to sit down with some of the creators and cast members behind a few upcoming projects.
The Legend of Vox Machina cast talks Season 3
Crtical Role's Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, and Travis Willingham stopped by IGN Live to talk about The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 and how it evolves on the Dungeons & Dragons show's first two seasons. After IGN exclusively revealed that the show will return on October 3, 2024, the crew told fans can expect the series to stay fast paced as the story continues to unfold.
Ludwig announces Offbrand Games
Twitch streamer and YouTuber Ludwig is opening up Offbrand Games, a video game publishing company, and took the time to talk about it at IGN Live. He says the company gives him an opportunity to work with developers, treat them fairly, and get even more great games out into the hands of gamers.
"There's absolutely a space for mutual benefit there," director of strategy Jason "Thor" Hall said. "What comes first is the players every single time. You can't run a studio, you can't run a publisher without the players. They're what matters the most."
Alien: Rogue Incursion developer talks true VR terror
Chief product officer at Survios, TQ Jefferson, had a few words to share on his upcoming Alien VR game, Alien: Rogue Incursion. At IGN Live, the developer spoke about how important it is to deliver on an Alien experience that lives up to the decades-long franchise while offering gaming fans something they've never seen before. Will it make you want to rip your VR headset off? Probably, but that's kind of the point.
An interview with the Borderlands movie cast and a sneak peek
IGN Live gave us the opportunity to speak with a lot of great game developers and some of the cast members behind your favorite movies and shows, but it also allowed us to reveal some sneak peeks at upcoming projects, too. Today, we revealed a one-minute clip from the upcoming Borderlands movie that shows off actors like Kevin Hart and Cate Blanchett as they explore the world of Pandora and deal with a few Psychos along the way. Then we had the opportunity to learn even more about live-action Pandora during our conversation with he cast.
Playing Borderlands 2 with the cast of the Borderlands movie
The Borderlands movie is the latest video game adaptation set to come to the big screen, so naturally, we had to play Borderlands 2 with some of the cast. Director Eli Roth, Tiny Tina actress Ariana Greenblatt, and Krieg actor Florian Munteanu all joined us on stage to loot and shoot, all while Claptrap watched.
Taking a closer look at McFarlane Toys' Batman Forever set
McFarlane Toys' Brian Walters dropped by IGN Live to show off a collection of new toys based on 1995's Batman Forever. Then, the Wand Company CEO Chris Barnardo unveiled a handful of new collectibles inspired by Bethesda Fallout series, including a wearable Pip-Boy.
Talking to the crew behind Netflix's Exploding Kittens animated show
Netflix is turning the classic game, Exploding Kittens, into an animated show, so we caught up with co-showrunner Matthew Inman and the voice of God Cat, Tom Ellis, to talk about how things are going. During our eight-minute chat, we learned about the tone the series is going for and even managed to get an early look at a trailer before its premiere later July 12, 2024. You can also check out a batch of exclusive posters for Exploding Kittens above.
Nightdive Studios' next remaster is The Thing
Nightdive Studios has proven to be an expert at breathing new life into classic video games, and this time, the studio is setting its sights on a remaster for the original Xbox and PlayStation 2 spinoff, The Thing. The first trailer for this suffocating body horror game reveals that the experience fans know in love truly is back, and this time, it's got a new coat of bloody paint.
Talking all things Middle-earth with the cast of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power returns for Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video this August, so we took the time to learn more from some of the faces featured on the show. During our time with Arondir actor Ismael Cruz Cordova and Isildur actor Maxim Baldry, we got a better understanding of their characters and what to expect from the next batch of episodes.
Matthew Mercer explores Nibelheim in Final Fantasy 7 Playthrough
Matthew Mercer is best known for voicing all of your favorite video game and TV show characters, but he's also something else: a big fan of Final Fantasy 7. We sat down for him at IGN Live and learned more about how he came to love the series and what it's like working on Critical Role.
Squirrel With a Gun locks and loads with August release date trailer
You probably don't need to know much about Squirrel With a Gun to understand what it's going for, but we'll explain anyway. This creative third-person shooter comes from developer Dee Dee Creations and sees players using, well, guns to fight off and escape evil, suit-wearing humans. It's coming to PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam on August 29, with console versions set to arrive later this year.
An exclusive look at The First Descendant gameplay
The First Descendant is Nexon's upcoming free-to-play third-person shooter that sees players looting and shooter while using stylized exo-suits. While the studio was busy announcing its release date of July 2, 2024, at Summer Game Fest, we had the pleasure of debuting a new look at some of its fast-paced gameplay.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
