The whiplash of covering Summer Game Fest 2025 in LA

image via The Verge

June 18, 2025, 2:45 PM

• •The event lacked major game announcements and was overshadowed by political unrest.
• •The author reflects on the juxtaposition of the event's focus on video games with the real-world conflict of immigration protests.
• •The author's experience highlights the challenges of covering a video game event while being acutely aware of and affected by the external political climate.
• •Despite the unsettling atmosphere, the author expresses a continued desire to attend the Summer Game Fest and values the community of the event.

The Summer Game Fest was impacted by political unrest, specifically protests against immigration raids near the event's location. This created a stark contrast between the lighthearted nature of the video game showcase and the serious real-world events. The author describes navigating this dichotomy, attending game demos while being bombarded with news of the protests. The experience ultimately highlighted the complex interplay between the industry and the broader social landscape, despite a lack of major game announcements.

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