The Game Awards don’t just celebrate the best games of the year, they also give fans a glimpse at what they can expect to see in the future as well, with 2021’s show bursting at the seams with world premiere trailers, gameplay and announcements galore.
Pre-Show Highlights
During the pre-show, host Sydnee Goodman was on hand to take players through the host of trailers and teasers on the show:
- The King of Fighters XV announced not only another addition to the roster with Krohen, but also that a second beta test weekend will be taking place from December 17-18,
- A multiplayer game based on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is currently in development,
- Homeworld 3 will be coming to PC in Q4 2022,
- Tunic is a isometric action adventure game releasing on March 16, 2022
- Telltale Games will make a welcome return with a new game based on The Expanse, which will serve as a prequel to the hit tv series,
- Babylon’s Fall is hack-and-slash adventure from PlatinumGames coming March 2022,
- Chivalry II will be hosting a free weekend from December 9-12, with the House Aberfell expansion coming in early 2022,
- There was a new teaser for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, launching Summer 2022, along with the reveal of three new Amiibo,
- The next game from Outerloop, Thirsty Suitors, is a colourful turn-based adventure all about a woman named Jala and her slightly messy life
- There was a first look at gameplay from Evil West, which is set to launch on console in 2022,
- Have a Nice Death is a 2D roguelike comedy action-adventure coming to PC in 2022,
- Composer Takeshi Furukawa introduced a new trailer for the upcoming Planet of Lana, which he is composing the music for,
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax will be coming to Steam, PS4 and Switch on March 17, 2022.
Hellblade 2
First up on the main show was a new look at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. In the new trailer, Senua is seen leading a group of allies towards a cavern in order to lure out a giant. Showcasing the game’s environment, characters and combat, the entire trailer was completely composed of gameplay footage with no additional cinematic elements.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is currently in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Star Wars: Eclipse
Next up was a look at the latest project from Quantic Dream: Star Wars Eclipse. A collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, this new title will take players to the High Republic era for the first time.
Bethesda Codes and an Amazon Awaits
In the first batch of trailers, there were a few surprises in store for players:
- Bethesda’s Pete Hines featured in a retro style advert, which featured dozens of game codes scrolling up the screen,
- There was a new trailer for Lost Ark, the MMORPG launching in the west on February 11, 2022,
- WB Games and Monolith Productions announced that their next project will be a Wonder Woman game, with a cinematic reveal trailer featuring the Amazon warrior,
Alan Wake Will Return
Remedy’s Sam Lake was a welcome sight for fans of Alan Wake at The Game Awards, especially after he announced that a sequel is now in development at the studio. Currently slated for a 2023 release, Lake stated that this will be Remedy’s first survival horror game and that they will be “going dark” until the time is right to showcase more of the game. Until then, there was a short teaser trailer to get fans excited.
Alan Wake 2 is currently in development.
Sonic Speeds Ahead
Fans of the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise were in for a treat as there were two special announcements featuring the blue hero. First up was Ben Schwartz, who was on hand to introduce the first trailer from the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 live-action film. There was also a special message from Jim Carrey, who will return as Dr Robotnik in the sequel, which is coming to cinemas on April 8, 2022
Later in the show, there was the official reveal of Sonic: Frontiers. Set on the Starfall Islands, this new game will be an “open-zone” adventure for Sonic and is currently set for a release in Holiday 2022 on console and PC.
Trailer Batch – The Sequel
The next batch of trailers was next up on the show:
- A new trailer for Horizon Forbidden West gave more of a taste of what to expect,
- Sessions is a new initiative from Riot Games to provide content creators with music that is safe for streaming,
- Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE will be coming to the Epic Games store on PC from December 16,
- There was a new story trailer for the next expansion for Destiny 2, entitled The Witch Queen will be launching February 22, 2022,
Toyama’s Next Horror Revealed
Next up was a surprise announcement from none other than Keiichiro Toyama. Best known for his work on Silent Hill, Siren and Gravity Rush, Toyama’s next project will be Slitterhead, a horror title currently in development at Bokeh. The first project from this new studio will see Toyama team up with other former alumni from SCE Japan, including composer Akira Yamaoka and designer Junya Okura.
While the trailer featured action and horror elements, no information about the platforms or release window was given during the show.
Nightingale
Aaryn Flynn and Inflexion Games were next to present their latest project – Nightingale. Described as a shared-world crafting and survival game, Nightingale is set in a Victorian-style fantasy world, where players travel through portals as “Realmwalkers” to different destinations in order to survive and find their way home.
Nightingale is scheduled to be released on PC in Early Access in 2022.
Trailers, Part Three
Another round of trailers was up next with a variety of titles showcased:
- Tracks from Lady Gaga are now available as a new pack on Beat Saber,
- A new teaser for Gollum: The Untold Story showed the titular character craftily dispatching orcs on the hunt,
- Player Unknown’s BattleGrounds will be going free to play in January 2022,
- Somerville is the debut title from UK-based studio Jumpship,
- The release date for Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course has been confirmed as June 30, 2022,
- A new trailer for Tchia showcased how players will be able to take control of any animal in the game to aid in exploration and discovery,
- Warrior Priest will be coming to the world of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 in 2022 on PlayStation 4.
Suicide Squad On A Mission
After more than five years since their last release, Rocksteady Games showcased the first gameplay footage from the upcoming title Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. Actress Debra Wilson addressed the audience – with a few stern words for host Geoff Keighley – in character as Amanda Waller before the trailer made its debut.
The trailer showcased Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and King Shark in battle, with the story seemingly focusing on the squad’s target being Barry Allen/The Flash.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is currently in development for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
And Just Like That…More Announcements
The next batch of trailers included a few character reveals for upcoming titles:
- The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh will be joining the cast of Forspoken as the villainous Tanta Prav,
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was unveiled, with Vikings actor Clive Standen taking on the role of Captain Titus,
- A new trailer for the Saints Row reboot showcased some of the more explosive gameplay fans can expect to see when the game launches August 2022,
- The next collaboration for Fall Guys will be costumes from the iconic The Nightmare Before Christmas,
- A charity drive for AbleGamers is being held in Mech Arena from December 3-15.
The Spice Wars Are Coming
The universe of Dune is expanding with a new game from Shiro Games and Funcom. Dune: Spice Wars is a strategy game with numerous factions and gameplay options all based on Frank Herbert’s iconic creation.
When the game launches in Early Access in 2022 on Steam, Dune: Spice Wars will include a single-player mode, with multiplayer and a campaign mode launching later during Early Access.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
The chaotic caper of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands premiered a new gameplay trailer, with a little help from voice actors Ashly Burch and Will Arnett, aka Tiny Tina and the Dragon Lord. With three allies, players are the Fatemaker in the world of Bunkers & Badasses where the battles are narrated by Tina herself and are a fusion of magic and mayhem with the unique Borderlands style fans know and love.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is scheduled to be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC on March 25, 2022.
Announcements, Premieres and Reveals
More reveals and first looks came in quick succession:
- A VR version of Among Us is currently in development,
- Pearl Abyss shared a special music video, made in collaboration with 1MILLION Dance Studio as a thank you to fans of DokeV,
- A new trailer for Genshin Impact lets fans see upcoming characters Gorou and Arataki Itto in action,
- Tales of a King gone insane provided the backdrop for the new trailer from SteelRising which is set in the 18th century,
- Metal: Hellsinger showcased some of its star-studded cast in a new trailer featuring vocalists from Trivium, Lamb of God, Soliwork and Arch Enemy among others,
- Google Play Games will be officially expanding to PC in 2022.
To Boldly Go…
Up next was the reveal of Star Trek: Resurgence. Set after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation, this all-new story is being developed by Dramatic Labs – which was created by a group of former Telltale Games staff – in partnership with ViacomCBS. Featuring two playable characters, players will take the crew of the U.S.S Resolute on a mysterious journey that includes some familiar faces.
Star Trek: Resurgence is currently in development for a 2022 release on console and PC.
Announcements, Part Six
The list of reveals, trails and announcements was far from over with this next batch of delights:
- Rumbleverse is a new brawler battle royale from Iron Galaxy with elements of pro wrestling,
- A Plague Tale: Requiem debuted a new story and gameplay trailer featuring Amicia and Hugo,
- CrossfireX has officially confirmed a February 10, 2022, release date for Xbox and PC,
- A new trailer took players through some of what they can expect from the new season of Fortnite,
- Dying Light 2’s latest teaser followed a survivor trying to keep hold of a powerful UV-powered weapon against the infected,
- The Halo live-action series coming to Paramount+ in 2022 debuted the first look at the show’s cast and setting,
- 10 Chambers’ survival co-op GTFO is available now for all players,
Elden Ring
It wouldn’t be a gaming event in 2021 without some mention of Elden Ring, which won the Most Anticipated Game award. A new story trailer was the reward for fans who waited eagerly for news on the game. Focusing on a war between demigods over control of the Elden Ring to give new insight into the wider lore surrounding this hotly anticipated release.
Elden Ring is currently scheduled to be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC on February 25, 2022.
Announcements, The Final Batch
Before the end of the show, there was one more batch of trailers featuring new content and announcements:
- Two iconic cars from Ford – the Mustang Mach-E and Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE – are available now in Rocket League,
- Intel will be launching their Arc PC range in 2022,
- SYNCHED: Off Planet is a techno apocalyptic survival MMOFPS coming to PC in 2022,
- ARC Raiders is the debut title from Embark Studios and is a PvE sci-fi shooter that will be free to play when it launches on PC and console in 2022.
The Matrix Awakens
The final announcement was one that fans already knew about – the reveal of The Matrix Awakens. This new experience, made in partnership with Epic Games on Unreal Engine 5, will put players right in the middle of the action with a new story set in the Matrix universe. Introduced by franchise stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, the game is available now and for free to all on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Reeves and Moss also had one more sneak peek for fans, an exclusive clip from the upcoming The Matrix Resurrections movie coming to cinemas on December 22.
More information about The Game Awards can be found on their official website.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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