It’s that time of the year again—the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the games are flowing. If you’re a gamer, you know that summer is when developers and publishers, big and small, start to announce their upcoming slate of games that’ll fill up your free time for the rest of the year and beyond. But IGN Live, set for June 6-7 in Los Angeles, is the only place where the fans can get their hands on exciting demos for some of the 2026’s most exciting games. Here’s what you can expect.
First Looks and Playable Game Demos
The great thing about IGN Live is that it’s a fan-first event. Which means that fans will be able to get hands-on experience with new releases and upcoming games. IGN has already confirmed that they’ll have first looks at games like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced and the Gothic Remake. ID @ Xbox will also debut a host of new indie games with playable demos, and there will be a watch party for the Xbox Games Showcase, which includes a look at Gears of War: E-Day.
(Credit: Ubisoft)But games aren’t the only thing you can expect. You can also expect first looks at upcoming TV shows like Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, The Legend of Vox Machina, Cape Fear, and The Terror: Devil in Silver. There will also be celebrity guests like Sung Kang, who plays Han Lue in The Fast & The Furious series; Patricia Summersett, who voices Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda series; and Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Panels and Swag (aka Stuff We All Get)
One of the coolest parts of IGN Live is the free stuff. Last year, fans were basically beaten over the head with free snacks, free T-shirts, free figures, and even free consoles! I personally witnessed Meta Quest 3S and Switch 2 giveaways. As IGN prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll be unleashing some very exclusive merch (like the viral 7/10 T-Shirts). There will also be meet-and-greets with IGN personalities.
(Credit: Xbox Game Studios)But the panels are also a huge draw. One of the most exciting panels from last year’s show was of the cast of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While we don’t know for sure who will show up, we do know the cast of the popular web series Critical Roll will be making an appearance. Streaming services like Apple TV, Hulu, and Shudder will also be in attendance, and will almost certainly be showing off some of their newest shows and movies.
This is just some of the fun you can expect at IGN Live 2026. For $40, it’s one of the cheapest celebrations in town, but you can get $10 off with the code PCMAG10. Tickets are on sale now, but if you need more convincing, check out my thoughts on last year’s IGN Live.
Disclosure: IGN is owned by PCMag's parent company, Ziff Davis.