We are now a week deep into June and some of the month’s biggest games are already out of the gates. It’s going to be a busy month for gaming, with some big reveals expected at several scheduled industry showcase events. The Summer Game Fest kicks off on June 8, while the Xbox Games Showcase is slated for June 11. And while there’s a lot to be excited for what’s in the works, there’s plenty to look forward to for what’s almost here. June’s heavy hitters include the much-awaited Final Fantasy XVI, which includes real-time action-based combat for the first time in the series. Final Fantasy had up till now held on to its turn-based traditions. While that might split the series’ legion of loyal fans, Final Fantasy XVI still retains its deep lore, recurring characters, and epic scale. The game arrives June 22 as a timed exclusive on PS5.
Diablo IV, which is out now on all major platforms, has a lot to live up to, as well. The Diablo series has inspired countless quality dungeon-crawler RPGs over the years, but perhaps it has lost its way a bit. With Diablo III feeling like a departure in tone and tenor from series roots, and Diablo Immortal leaving a bad taste in the mouth with its focus on microtransactions, the fourth main entry in the franchise has its work cut out.
It seems the theme for June is sequels. Street Fighter 6 is back, too, with its roster of famous fighters and a brand new story-focused World Tour mode. F1 23 is out this month, as well, to serve as a handy companion to the ongoing Formula One world championship. But that’s not all — here are our picks for the eight biggest games coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch in June 2023.
Street Fighter 6
When: June 2
Where: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Capcom’s latest title, Street Fighter 6 is finally here. The latest entry in the Street Fighter series features three game modes. Fighting Ground will pit you against opponents with a new Drive Gauge system for resource management, real-time commentary, and three control options — Classic, Dynamic, and Modern. You can also try your hand at the single-player story mode, World Tour, and explore the colourful world of Metro City.
If you want to fight other players, you can also head over to the Battle Hub, one of the three game modes in Street Fighter 6. The Battle Hub also feature classic arcade titles from Capcom, and lets you meet other players and communicate with them. There’s a Street Fighter 6 DLC in the works, which means we will see new characters arrive over the coming months, including Rashid, A.K.I, Ed, and Akuma.
Diablo IV
When: June 6
Where: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
As the endless war between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages in the Sanctuary, a hero rises from the ashes, hoping to save the lands from ruin. Pick from five major classes — Druid, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Rogue, and Necromancer — and rebel against the rising evil that is Lilith, Queen of the Succubi, a horned demon that ushers in an age of darkness and misery. Explore perilous dungeons and slay hordes of blood-lusting minions, in the hopes of defeating world bosses and gaining rare, beneficial loot. Add it to your arsenal and evolve your playstyle over time to strike fear into sacrilegious foes. Summon the undead to do your bidding, transform into a bear to slash down nuisances, or whip out magical spells — they’re all devilishly fun!
The character creation screen lets you mess around with multiple variations, down to your eye colour, tattoos, jewellery, head shape, accessories, hairstyle, and more — none of which are limited by what class you picked. Skill trees are a common site in RPGs these days, with Diablo IV offering several passive, offensive, and defensive abilities to pick from and develop gradually. Marking the first open-world Diablo game, Blizzard has massive plans, which include multiple seasons, battle passes, and two expansions that are already in development.
Amnesia: The Bunker
When: June 6
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Initially slated for May 23, Amnesia: The Bunker was delayed into June. The Amnesia series is known for delivering chills and thrills and its slow and deliberate games are considered some of the scariest ever made. The series typically puts you in the shoes of a troubled and underpowered protagonist, trying to survive with minimal means available at their disposal. Aside from deep, personal, and creepy storylines, the scares come from the actual grounded nature of the gameplay itself. But, Amnesia: The Bunker is taking a slightly different route this time.
Set in a terrifying WWI bunker, the game, which came out June 6, lets players use various period-appropriate weapons and tools lying around to navigate the titular bunker and survive the horrors within. Light is once again a key mechanic and your friend in the game, while darkness is your enemy. You play as a French soldier, Henri Clément, armed with a revolver and a dynamo flashlight, trying to find his way out. Developers Frictional Games have promised a lot of player agency and possible playstyles, all of which affect the outcome of the game.
F1 23
When: June 16
Where: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Codemasters have established themselves as masters of the racing genre and their long-running F1 line of games have delivered a consistently authentic taste of Formula One racing. It is then an easy bet to say that the sixteenth entry in the series, F1 23, will likely be a worthy companion to the ongoing 2023 world championship.
This time, the story mode, dubbed “Braking Point,” will make a return to the series after making its debut in F1 2021. A few familiar characters from the mode return as well. There are a host of changes coming to driving mechanics and the game UI, which will now mirror real-life F1 broadcasts. Of course, F1 23 is adding new circuits to its already rich roster of tracks, too, including the street circuit that goes through the iconic Las Vegas Strip right in time for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix scheduled for later this year.
Crash Team Rumble
When: June 20
Where: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Crash Team Rumble is a highly anticipated upcoming game that brings together beloved characters from the iconic Crash Bandicoot franchise in an exhilarating racing experience. In this action-packed kart racing game, players can choose from a diverse roster of characters including Crash, Coco, Cortex, and a host of other fan favourites, each with their own unique abilities and personalities.
The characters are divided into three roles — Scorer, Blocker, and Booster. The 4v4 online multiplayer game will have you gathering Wumpa Fruit while also defending the opposing team’s drop zone. The first team to reach the target score wins. Simple enough. But with certain novelty rules, the game promises to offer a unique multiplayer experience. The Activision-published game will not have a story mode of any kind, the developer Toys for Bob confirmed earlier.
Aliens: Dark Descent
When: June 20
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Developed by French studio Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment, you will see Xenomorphs like Facehuggers, Praetorians, Alien Queens, and more tail their prey in Aliens: Dark Descent. In this contemporary strategy game, even the sound design elicits primal dread as your character infiltrates open levels and annihilates enemies.
Having crash-landed on the backwater planet Lethe, the Squad Behavior System makes sure that your Marines react intuitively to your orders, where you manage your squad as one unit. The Xenomorphs are crafted to learn and adapt to your manners and conduct in this strategic real-time squad-based tactical action game. Avoiding detection will also be an important trick to learn. “Roll Over, Play Dead, Heel.”
Alongside combat skills and resource management, the game will also require you to keep your Marine unit sane and healthy. If or when one of them dies in combat, your character will face the consequences of the same. Whether you can return to your ship (hopefully with as many alive Marines as possible), will depend a lot on your strategic thinking, planning skills, and time management. Therefore, your test will be to build the perfect team using the five different classes of Marines, with varying specialisations, to survive.
Final Fantasy XVI
When: June 22
Where: PS5
Set in the medieval-inspired world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI puts you in the shoes of Clive Rosfield, First Shield of Rosaria, a sworn warrior who must navigate a war-torn world split into two continents. His story unravels through three pivotal segments — his teenage years, his twenties, and his thirties — all of which are aimed at highlighting his plight and complicated relationship with his brother. Being an open-world game, you’ll require a map for navigation, in addition to a fast travel mechanic for backtracking to previously visited locations and Chocobos to ride around on.
Ditching the turn-based combat from previous iterations, fights in Final Fantasy 16 happen in real-time, replete with flashy animations and elemental effects that you obtain by defeating spiritual beings called Eikons — akin to Elden Ring’s Grafted Dragon. These are further expanded upon in large-scale cinematic battles, where Eikons clash against each other with QTE prompts popping in occasionally. All roads lead back to a hideaway, where you could rest up and visit shops to purchase weapons and consumables, or head over to the blacksmith for upgrading armaments. Using the Arete Stone, Clive can also tear open a unique realm, which serves as a virtual training area to refine attacks.
Watch the Gameplay Trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, Out June 22
Final Fantasy XVI depicts its protagonists tale through three segments — his teenage years, his twenties, and his thirties
Photo Credit: Square Enix
AEW: Fight Forever
When: June 29
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Switch
Developer Yuke’s previously announced that AEW: Fight Forever would be the first title officially licenced by All Elite Wrestling. This wrestling sim features over 10 gameplay modes — including, but not limited to — singles, tag-team, 4-way, ladder, casino battle royale, and falls count anywhere. You’ll be able to customise your wrestler’s outfit, their teams, move sets, and even their entrances.
AEW: Fight Forever will feature characters like Chris Jericho, Hikaru Shida, Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson, Jungle Boy, Kenny Omega, Nyla Rose, Thunder Rosa, Ruby Soho, CM Punk, and former WCW champion Sting. You will also be able to pick from 40 weapons and jump into online co-op mode with other players. These tag-team matches will let you perform a sequence of maneuvers with your teammates, according to the game’s developer.
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