A whole year of gaming has all boiled down to this moment: The Game Awards. Following a two-year absence from the stage, the annual affair has returned to the show floor with a highly-anticipated celebration of a shared love for video games.
And despite its name, the show isn’t just about awards. From new game announcements to exclusive trailers, there was plenty of gaming goodness to go around this year. God of War Ragnarök and Elden Ring emerged the biggest winners of the event, with Stray‘s double victories reinforcing the increasing appeal and popularity of indie titles in recent years.
Here’s what went down at The Game Awards 2022, for those who missed out on the action.
Main Show
Hades 2
It’s time to return to the underworld! In a surprise welcome for fans, Supergiant Games teased a first look at Hades 2, revealing a host of new characters, including a female lead, gods like Apollo and Nemesis, and the titan Chronos. Foregrounded against Darren Korb’s iconic score, the game looks to be in prime condition to welcome players back into the realm of Greek mythology. A release date has yet to be announced, but the sequel will be available in early access in 2023.
Judas
From the creator of Bioshock comes Judas, a single-player, first-person shooter. The trailer bears some traces of the Bioshock DNA, and seems to be set sometime in the future that brings grotesque creatures, relentless violence, and a decadent society. Expect to question your morality all over again when it finally lands on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC, with no word on a launch date or window just yet.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Hot on the heels of Bayonetta 4, Nintendo and Platinum Games have revealed a new Bayonetta spin-off that will come to the Switch on 17 March 2023. The game, titled Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, lets players control both Cereza and Cheshire to solve puzzles and fend off faeries in a presentation that marks a departure from the mainline series.
Destiny 2: Lightfall
Destiny 2 has never looked better. A new trailer for the Lightfall expansion shows off Neomuna in all its neon green glory, with the grappling hooks and rope darts adding to the cool factor. It will launch on 28 February 2023 to kick off the penultimate chapter of the “Light and Darkness” chapter.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League received an extended look that not only showed off the villainous quartet of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang, but also paid tribute to the late Kevin Conroy, the original voice actor for Batman, with his iconic ‘I am vengeance” line. Rest in peace, good sir.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Stand against the darkness once again when Star Wars Jedi: Survivor World drops on 17 March 2023. The sequel to Fallen Order follows an older, more rugged Cal Kestis as he journeys to new planet in the a galaxy far, far away, and comes across some easter eggs along the way, such as Kylo Ren’s lightsaber.
Earthblade
Earthblade is the upcoming project from the creators of Celeste, and it continues to uphold the platforming tradition. This time, the setting finds its roots in pixel art, and will spruce gameplay up with combat and exploration elements when it releases in 2024.
Dune: Awakening
The spice must flow, similar to how the art style of Denis Villeneuve’s movie has flowed into the pre-alpha teaser trailer for Dune: Awakening. First revealed at Gamescom 2022 in August, the online multiplayer title takes on a survival twist, and features combined combat with tanks and ornithopters. No release window has been given, but beta sign-ups are now open.
Death Stranding 2
After weeks of teasing, Hideo Kojima has finally unveiled its next project, and it’s none other than Death Stranding 2. The enigmatic trailer doesn’t give much away, but it looks just as strange as its predecessor, with creepy babies still in the picture. No release date has been set for the PS5 exclusive, though its star-studded cast, which includes an older Norman Reedus in the game, should make the wait worthwhile.
Immortals of Aevum
Immortals of Aevum is gunning for something different, as it looks to combine magic and super-fast combat with elements from the shooter genre. An ethereal, eye-catching aesthetic is the result, but only time can tell if the magic will last when it arrives sometimes in 2023.
Tekken 8
Tekken 8 promises to be a treat for old fans. Apart from impressively detailed character models, atmospheric environmental, and an aggressive new gameplay mechanic, a new trailer also teased the return of old faces, including Paul Law, and Jack-8.
Nightingale
Umbrella gliding is how PvE action survival game, Nightingale, rolls. Hints of gameplay were very brief in the game’s premiere trailer, but the premise that this co-op title proposes should be a delight for fans of Victorian culture. With little else to go on, we can only wait for more gameplay trailers leading up to its early-access launch in the first half of 2023.
Baldur’s Gate III
Fans will have to wait a little more to get their hands on Baldur’s Gate III, which is currently slated for release in August 2023. Good things come to those who wait, however, and there are plenty of that lying around in the trailer, from the reappearances of Minsc and Jaheira to the city of Baldur’s Gate itself.
Diablo IV
Blizzard saw the chance, and they made sure to take it. Diablo VI will open the gates to Hell on 6 June 2023, with a new trailer showing off some minion-slaying action in a more open-world setting. Get ready Lilith, we’re coming for you!
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Arriving on 19 April 2023, the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC will bring Aloy to Los Angeles – but not the one that we’re all familiar with. The city is now a volcanic archipelago, so get ready to use all of her tools and abilities to get through this burning inferno.
Blue Protocol
The coproduction between Bandai Namco and Amazon Games lends a classy anime touch to the action-MMO genre. Blue Protocol is set to deliver a cel-shaded world, complete with multiple character classes and weapons when it launches in the second half of 2023.
Remnant II
More third-person co-op shooting? Check. Looting and fighting in different creepy-looking worlds? Double check. Ghastly beasts? Triple check. The sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes will soon return with all of these elements in store, but an exact date has yet to be determined.
Transformers Reactivate
It’s time to roll out! Transformers: Reactivate is a brand-new online action game for one to four players, and it seems to involve desperate humans re-rigging a defunct Autobot to fight against a swarming Deception attack. A closed beta is planned for 2023, with no word on an official release date just yet.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the latest brainchild of Focus Entertainment and Don’t Nod, starring a pair of ghost hunters who vowed to protect the living from lingering ghosts and specters. Like most Don’t Nod games like Life is Strange, the game will likely feature challenging decisions that impact the overarching narrative when it releases at the end of 2023.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
The galaxy is in peril, and Lieutenant Titus has returned to the fight. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 sees the ultramarine blasting and slicing through the Tyranids, as it gears up for its launch in 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Meet Your Maker
Build, raid, and upgrade. Meet Your Maker is the an action PvP game that pushes players to outsmart others – either alone, or with a group of friends. It looks fun with a lot of personality on display, and is due to release on 4 April 2023.
Crash Team Rumble
Crash Team Rumble is probably not the Crash Bandicoot game fans were expecting. Marking a departure from the traditional formula, the title pits two teams of four against each order in a fight for fruit. It supports cross-platform play, and will be available sometime in 2023.
The Lords of the Fallen
The Lords of the Fallen is exactly how one expects a dark fantasy action-RPG to look like. Bearing elements of the souls-like genre, the game exudes strong Game of Thrones presence, and is due to arrive on 28 March 2023.
Crime Boss: Rockay City
Two words: Chuck Norris. Now, more words: Michael Madsen, Danny Glover, Danny Trejo, and Vanilla Ice. Crime Boss: Rockay City gathers of these names and place them in a criminal underworld set in a fictional version of 90s Florida, where players work together to become crime leaders. The stealth action first-person shooter is landing hot on 28 March 2023.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
All hail Idris Elba! The renowned actor will be joining Keanu Reeves, who’s reprising his role as Johnny Silverhand, in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty when the DLC drops sometime next year.
Armored Core VI : Fires of Rubicon
Surprise, surprise! Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon made a welcome appearance when nobody thought it would, and it looks nothing short of breathtaking, especially when compared to its PlayStation days. The excitement is real, and will likely hit a new high when the title drops in 2023.
Final Fantasy 16
There’s more of everything in this new “Revenge” trailer for Final Fantasy 16, from combat action and the colossal Eikons to party members. The highly-anticipated RPG is launching on 22 June 2023, and will be a timed PS5 exclusive.
Pre-Show
Dead Cells Return to Castlevania
Dracula is back, baby! The popular roguelike is getting a crossover with Castlevania for its next DLC, with a stylish, shiny trailer showing characters from Symphony of the Night, one of the most popular entries in the franchise. Dead Cells Return to Castlevania will release during the first quarter of 2023, and seems to promises a hell of a time.
Vampire Survivors
The pseudo rogue-like makes a surprise debut to mobile! Previously available on PC, Vampire Survivors is now free to play on both the Play Store and App Store.
Valiant Hearts: Coming Home
Eight years on from the original Valiant Hearts, Netflix has taken a crack at adapting a mobile game version of the 2014 puzzle-adventure title. The new title is coming soon to smartphones, with no exact date given.
Returnal
Embrace death over and over again – this time on a new platform. PS5 hit Returnal is heading to PC in early 2023, bringing with it the exciting time-looping shooting action that enthralled and surprised many.
Hellboy Web of Wyrd
This one’s a stud. Hellboy Web of Wyrd sports a gorgeous cel-shading art style that honour its comic book roots, with Lance Riddick lending his voice to the iconic character. The game is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, with no word on a release date just yet.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
A new trailer for Horizon Call of the Mountain gives a better look at the VR title, which is set to release on 22 February 2023. Just like the core games, it sees players using a bow and other tools to fight machines, allowing them to live out their Aloy dreams.
Post Trauma
Here’s one for the horror fans. Post Trauma promises plenty of scares in store, with survival horror puzzles, murky shadows, and creepily silent environments waiting to be stumbled upon. The game is set to release on consoles and PC at an undisclosed time.
Atomic Heart
Soviet-inspired first-person shooter, Atomic Heart, packs is in a generous amount of explosion and combat action, as it prepares for its launch on 21 February 2023.
Scars Above
Combining sci-fi exploration with shooter elements is Scars Above, which is currently slated for launch on 28 February 2023.
Among Us
Among Us is getting a new mode, and it’s none other than some good, old hide-and-seek. It’s just as they say, you can run, but you can’t hide.
After Us
After Us seems to feature the nice little blend of platformer elements and an environmentalist story, with its release slated for Spring 2023.
Replaced
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Replaced is a sci-fi platformer that looks set to bring pixel art, combat, and platforming when it drops sometime in 2023.
Street Fighter 6
It’s not all street fighting with Street Fighter 6. The highly-anticipated title has packed in some mini-games like bottle chopping, board breaking, and basketball blocking, and will debut a cool-looking 2v2 mode. Releasing on 2 June 2023, it bring back familiar faces alongside some new characters, including capoeira fighter Dee Jay and the gladiator brawler Marisa.
The Game Awards 2022 certainly didn’t skimp on the trailers this year, ensuring that there was plenty of gaming love to go around. A hearty congratulations to all the winners, and see you for next year’s iteration!
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Trinity Sun
