On December 12, The Game Awards will once again be on live-streams everywhere and with it, the preceding weeks of leaks and rumors become especially packed with all sorts of information. Every developer, from Atlus to Zynga, is being scanned for any movements or hints as to any secret projects. Some leads are somewhat credible, while others are just fan fiction. All will potentially be proven right or wrong within a matter of days.
As is the case every December, The Game Awards, produced by industry veteran Geoff Keighley, is one of many annual video game awards ceremonies, but is perhaps one of the most recognizable awards programs (next to GDC, AIAS, etc.). The difference between this ceremony and others is this one is significantly more dedicated to world premieres and gameplay reveals than other programs like it, making it a prime target for leakers and rumor mill churners alike. Below are some notable rumored titles to be potentially revealed at The Game Awards 2019.
Batman: Arkham Legacy
One of the more plausible rumors out there, a reveal of a new Batman game from developer Warner Bros. Games Montreal seems to be imminent. One bit of evidence comes directly from the developer’s Twitter account, where its most recent tweet was posted on September 23. It shows a six second clip of emblems shifting from one to another, and more evidence also seemed to suggest that this was connected to a Batman storyline called the Court of Owls. WB Games Montreal’s last game, Batman: Arkham Origins, was released in 2013, and with the noted and persistent public absence of Rocksteady Studios, it seems perfectly natural to assume that the Montreal team was given another shot at Batman.
Then on November 26th, a YouTube channel named SLCMOF posted a video claiming that it had obtained information from a reliable source. It indicated that not only was the Batman project that was teased by WB Games Montreal imminent, but that it was also set to be announced at The Game Awards 2019 under the title Batman: Arkham Legacy. The subtitles of Origins and Legacy alone ostensibly point to the same thing - the roots of Batman.
New Crash Bandicoot Project
This rumor may not be as substantiated as one of a new Batman game, but it does seem to have some weight behind it. Coming from Twitter account @New_WabiSabi, its sources point to the existence of a new Crash Bandicoot title in the works. According to the source, developer Vicarious Visions is once again heading up this project, although this seems to be a new iteration in the franchise as opposed to a remake. This is in addition to the Crash Bandicoot easter egg found in a recent PlayStation commercial.
The success of recent Activision remakes have led to somewhat of a turning point in Activision’s publishing strategies. Before 2017, the publisher did not seem too interested in greenlighting remakes or remasters in the wake of the remaster resurgence era that arose during the PS3 and 360 generation.
Consumer interest in Crash Bandicoot was not exactly as big or as obvious as it is today, but that resurgence of interest in the IP started to become a little more tangible shortly after the release of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale in 2012. The absence of Crash in the game, amid such hunger for his presence there, left somewhat of a void to be filled. Activision was hiding away the rights to the IP while Sony was left catching the heat for the lack of Crash.
During and after the enormous success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy in 2017, Activision clearly saw an opening in the market for more remakes, as is also evident in the recent release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It also released Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled in the years after to similar success.
With this in mind, it is clear that Activision is not done with any of its IP, as its executives have all but confirmed to be interested in, not just more remakes but potentially new entries in franchises. This lines up well with this new project rumor, and with neither franchise having an announced title in the works, The Game Awards 2019 is an appropriate place to start the marketing hype.
Remakes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2
Speaking of Activision being hungry for remakes, another rumor that sprouted up from internal sources is that of a remake of the two skating classics, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2. The source belongs to the same Twitter user responsible for the new Crash Bandicoot rumor, @New_WabiSabi. It explained in a few tweets that there were a set of demos of the two games being circulated internally for testing.
If Activision has learned anything within the past five years, it is that it can release significantly successful remakes of original PlayStation titles and cultivate IP for further iterations. It did so with Crash and Spyro. Going by its recent history and future plans, Activision is definitely eager to re-dip its toes in the success of other dormant franchises, such as the super successful and fondly remembered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series for the original PlayStation.
Remastered Metroid Prime Trilogy for Nintendo Switch
This rumor is indeed back in time for this year’s Game Awards. From Twitter user, @LeakyPandy, Nintendo is rumored to be working on a few Metroid games, including the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Switch.
Originally rumored to be revealed at The Game Awards 2018, Nintendo showed nothing in the way of Metroid, much to the dismay of everyone everywhere. Then, a month later in January 2019, Nintendo announced that the previously teased Metroid Prime 4 would be significantly delayed to give former Metroid developer Retro Studios the time to take over and restart the project. The absence of the remastered Switch trilogy from The Game Awards 2018 made sense in hindsight.
However, the chances for it to actually show up this time are indeed high. With the original rumor coming off of a listing by a Swedish retailer, and these new rumors starting to pop up again, the time is right to announce this remaster. After all, this initial reveal could set up a second reveal at, presumably, Nintendo’s annual January Direct.
The Game Awards 2019 will take place on December 12, 2019.