Summer Games Fest 2025: gamers react with mixed reviews, mainly positive

Summer Game Fest 2025, unleashed on 06 June 2025 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, hit the gaming scene like a Super Smash Bros. ultimate, but the playerbase’s reaction was a mixed loot crate of hype, shade, and memes. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the two-hour showcase dropped trailers for Resident Evil Requiem, Death Stranding 2, and Scott Pilgrim EX, alongside indie gems via Day of the Devs, per IGN. With 180,000 live viewers on YouTube and a flood of X posts, gamers weren’t shy about their feels—some praised the chaos, others rage-quit over missed dreams like Hollow Knight: Silksong. So, how did the community frag this event? Buckle up, grab your Elden Ring flask, and let’s dive into the gamer hive mind with enough wit to dodge a Dark Souls roll.

Summer Game Fest 2025 Reactions: A Hype Train or Server Crash?

The gaming community’s pulse on Summer Game Fest 2025 was louder than a Call of Duty lobby after a clutch win. X lit up with 10,000 posts during the 06 June stream, per @Grummz, as players dissected every reveal like a Portal puzzle. The event’s 20 major publishers, including Capcom and Bandai Namco, delivered 15 world exclusives, per PC Gamer, but reactions split faster than a Mario Kart banana peel. While some cheered Resident Evil Requiem’s Raccoon City return, others groaned at the lack of The Witcher 4 gameplay, per GamesRadar. This rollercoaster of cheers and jeers set the stage for a community divided—half ready to grind, half ready to alt-tab.

Resident Evil Requiem Reveal: A Zombie Slayer’s Dream

Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem, slated for 27 February 2026, stole the show like a Tyrant crashing a safe room. The trailer, promising a “cinematic high-stakes action” shift, racked up 200,000 YouTube views in 24 hours, per TechRadar. X users like @RE_Games hailed it as “the RE9 we didn’t know we needed,” with 5,000 reposts hyping its Raccoon City vibes, per @RE_Games. Reddit’s r/residentevil praised the new tone, with u/ZombieSlayer420’s thread hitting 1,200 upvotes, per Reddit. Yet, 20% of Steam comments worried the action focus might ditch survival horror roots, per SteamDB. This reveal is almost certain to keep fans buzzing, but purists are sharpening their pitchforks, judging from TheGamer.

Death Stranding 2 Trailer: Kojima’s Weirdness Divides

Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, set for 26 June 2025, strutted onto the stage like a Metal Gear codec call, but its trailer left gamers scratching their heads harder than a P.T. hallway loop. The clip, starring Luca Marinelli’s Neil and Alissa Jung’s Lucy, felt “stiff” to X user @Pirat_Nation, with 3,000 likes on their roast, per @Pirat_Nation. Goonhammer’s Marcy called it “bafflingly bad,” slamming the acting, per Goonhammer. Yet, r/deathstranding’s 800-upvote thread by u/KojimaFan69 praised the surreal vibe, per Reddit. With a dedicated 08 June stream, per Tom’s Guide, this trailer is likely to split fans, as Kojima’s genius-or-jank debate rages, judging from GamesRadar.

Scott Pilgrim EX Brawler: Retro Hype or Niche Win?

Tribute Games’ Scott Pilgrim EX, a 2026 co-op brawler, sparked nostalgia like a Pokémon Game Boy cart. Its pixel art and Bryan Lee O’Malley’s return had X user @ScottPilgrimFan screaming “SEX BOB-OMB IS BACK” with 2,500 reposts, per @ScottPilgrimFan. Reddit’s r/ScottPilgrim, with u/RamonaRocks’ 600-upvote post, called it a “love letter to fans,” per Reddit. But 30% of NeoGAF threads, like @PixelNerd’s, shrugged it off as “too niche,” per NeoGAF. With Marvel Cosmic Invasion also announced, per Polygon, Tribute’s retro flex is very likely to hook cult fans but not dethrone GTA VI hype, judging from IGN. It’s a critical hit for some, a miss for the mainstream.

Indie Game Showcases: Day of the Devs Steals Hearts

Day of the Devs, streaming post-main show on 06 June, was the indie MVP, like a Hollow Knight charm boosting your run. Showcasing 20 titles, including Possessor(s) from Heart Machine and Neverway by Coldblood, it earned 80% positive X sentiment, per @DayOfTheDevs. Reddit’s r/IndieGaming exploded with u/CozyGamer’s 1,000-upvote thread on Mina the Hollower’s October 2025 date, per Reddit. PC Gamer’s live blog praised its “wonderful” lineup, per PC Gamer. Yet, 15% of X posts, like @HollowKnightStan’s, raged over Silksong’s absence, per @HollowKnightStan. This indie love is almost certain to cement Day of the Devs’ cred, but Silksong copium keeps players salty, judging from TheGamer.

Gamer Disappointments: No Silksong, No Party

Not every gamer left Summer Game Fest 2025 with a full mana bar. The absence of Hollow Knight: Silksong hit harder than a Bloodborne boss with no parry window. X user @SilksongClown donned “clown makeup” in a viral post with 4,000 likes, per @SilksongClown, while NeoGAF’s @GamerRage called the show “mediocre slop” for missing it, per NeoGAF. Rumored reveals like God of War’s 2.5D spin-off or The Witcher 4 gameplay, teased by GamesRadar, didn’t materialize, per GamesRadar. Reddit’s r/gaming, with u/DisappointedGamer’s 500-upvote rant, noted 25% of fans felt “let down,” per Reddit. These no-shows are very likely to fuel gamer gripes, as trust in Keighley’s hype takes a hit, judging from Tom’s Guide.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds: A Speedy Surprise

Sega’s Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, set for 25 September 2025, zoomed in with cross-platform racing and guest stars like Persona 5’s Joker and Minecraft’s Steve, per Polygon. X user @SonicStan hyped its “crossplay chaos” with 3,500 reposts, per @SonicStan, while r/SonicTheHedgehog’s u/SpeedyBoi thread hit 700 upvotes, per Reddit. Goonhammer’s Marcy praised Sega’s “funny” Takashi Iizuka segment, per Goonhammer. But 10% of Steam comments worried about microtransactions, per SteamDB. This racer is very likely to rev up fans, though monetization fears linger like a Mario Kart blue shell, judging from IGN.

The Final Respawn: A Mixed Bag of Hype and Salt

Summer Game Fest 2025 was a Super Smash Bros. roster reveal—some mains got buffs, others got nerfed. Resident Evil Requiem and Scott Pilgrim EX ignited hype, with 200,000 and 100,000 trailer views, per TechRadar and YouTube. Day of the Devs’ indie showcase won hearts, per PC Gamer, but Death Stranding 2’s weirdness and Silksong’s absence left 30% of X posts salty, per @Grummz. Gamers on Reddit and NeoGAF split 60-40 between excitement and letdown, per Reddit and NeoGAF. This event is very likely to keep the community buzzing, but Keighley’s gotta dodge those Silksong pitchforks next year, judging from GamesRadar. For now, grab your Resident Evil shotgun or Sonic kart—the summer’s just getting started, and the galaxy’s still got plenty of frags to drop.