The Game Awards is one of the most (if not the most) prestigious events in the gaming industry. With awards that honor everything from narrative to musical score, the ceremony always sees the biggest titles competing for recognition. However, one of the most popular and exciting elements of the event is the new game reveals. This section of the Game Awards is usually jam-packed with game trailers, hotly-anticipated rumor confirmations, and most importantly, world premiere announcements.
The Game Awards 2021 comes after a record year for games, with the release of critically lauded titles like Metroid Dread, It Takes Two, and Deathloop. It seems the future is just as bright, as this year's Game Awards featured several world premieres that were more than enough to get gamers excited for all of the releases yet to come.
The Big Reveals
Along with the glimpses gamers were given into previously announced titles — like the tantalizingly brief look at gameplay for the Horizon Zero Dawn sequel Horizon Forbidden West — the Game Awards 2021 was full of brand new world premieres. Here are all of the games that were revealed for the very first time during the event:
- Alan Wake 2 from Remedy Entertainment
- Among Us VR from InnerSloth
- ARC Raiders from Embark Studios
- Dune: Spice Wars from Shiro Games
- Have A Nice Death from Magic Design Studios
- Homeworld 3 from Blackbird Interactive
- Nightingale from Inflexion Games
- Rumbleverse from Iron Galaxy
- Slitterhead from Bokeh Game Studio
- Somerville from Jumpship
- Sonic Frontiers from Sonic Team and Sega
- Star Trek: Resurgence from Dramatic Labs
- Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream
- The Expanse from Telltale Games
- The Matrix Awakens from Epic Games
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from Gun Media
- Thirsty Suitors from Outerloop Games
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 from Fatshark
- Wonder Woman from Monolith Productions
The long list of upcoming games is definitely good news for gamers, particularly after a year or so of uncertainty around game development, as many developers switched to remote working. While some of these games have been heavily rumored for a while, there were also some complete (and welcome) surprises on the list.
Telltale Games' reveal that it will be releasing a prequel game to the popular sci-fi TV show The Expanse was an intriguing move as the studio's first new IP since reforming in 2019. The previously teased Sonic title is now revealed as Sonic Frontiers, a new 3D Sonic game that will hopefully redeem the series' 2D outings after Sonic Forces. Wonder Woman from Monolith Productions could be an exciting new superhero game from the developers behind Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. There are tons of surprises on this list that fans should get excited for.
The Most Anticipated Titles
Although smaller titles like Thirsty Suitors certainly look fun, with its colorful and tongue-in-cheek gameplay, it's reveals like Star Wars Eclipse that really steal the spotlight. Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream's new entry into the Star Wars franchise was heavily rumored and partially leaked, but the official reveal certainly lived up to fan expectations. As the first game set in the High Republic era, the setting opens up a whole world of possibilities for new stories, characters, and locations to explore. As a studio best known for its focus on narrative, this could be a perfect fit for the famous sci-fi series.
Similar announcements that already have a healthy fanbase and an abundance of established lore to pull from are the new Dune: Spice Wars and Wonder Woman games. The RTS game's release is riding on the back of Denis Villeneuve's recent film also set in the world of Dune, and will be an enticing addition to franchise fans. The game will utilize the historically fractured relationships between the different factions in the beloved universe — a perfect setting for a strategy game.
While little is known about Monolith Productions' new Wonder Woman game, publishers Warner Bros have confirmed that the game will make use of the popular and innovative Nemesis System from previous titles Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel. This will be an intriguing addition to a superhero game and offers up some fascinating possibilities when it comes to antagonists that Diana could come up against.
With plenty of news yet to come on this substantive new list of releases, gamers will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on developments. One thing is for certain — the next few years of gaming will definitely be a defining period for the industry.