Steam will host pre-release game demos during E3 2020’s original dates

Steam will showcase pre-release game demos during E3 2020’s original show dates.

From June 9-14 the PC games platform will showcase games set to be released within the next year via its Steam Game Festival.

The digital event is the work of The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley and originally premiered as a spin-off to the Awards show in December 2019.

The Steam Game Festival was also held in the absence of this years’ Game Developers Conference, enabling PC players to sample demos of over 40 games during the planned dates of the event.

At the time, the Festival was said to be targeting demos from independent developers who were no longer able to showcase them at GDC 2020.

In a new post on Twitter, Keighley has confirmed the Game Festival will be expanding to other platforms in the future.

E3 2020 was officially cancelled last month, amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Game Awards host Keighley had previously criticised E3 organiser the ESA for failing to evolve its plans for the 2020 event.

Keighley – who also organises the E3 Coliseum event – said ahead of E3’s cancellation that he would not be attending because he felt ‘uncomfortable’ with plans for 2020.

The ESA has since confirmed it won’t be holding a digital version of E3 2020.

A number of games publishers are set to hold their own online events in the absence of E3. Xbox will hold a digital event to replace its plans for the show, as will Devolver Digital and Limited Run Games.