The games industry has had a number of award shows over the years, but none of them are as hyped up as the Game Awards. The event, which will be taking place on December 9, typically features announcements and game reveals alongside the accolades and sparkling trophies, and has even had higher viewership numbers than the Oscars. Along with the highly anticipated announcements of upcoming releases and projects, rumors inevitably swirl amongst communities of gamers as they speculate about what the Game Awards might bring.
Established in 2014, the Game Awards in recent years have revealed the continuation of the Mass Effect series, the upcoming sequel to Telltale Games' Wolf Among Us, and Vin Diesel's involvement in the 2022 release Ark 2. With last year's event taking place virtually, fans will be glad to see the event return to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles for the Game Awards 2021. Hopefully, there will be lots of exciting announcements to get gamers hyped about a whole host of new releases and news. However, there are a few key rumors that players are hoping to see confirmed in particular.
The Breath of the Wild Sequel Everyone Is Talking About
With its predecessor a worthy award winner in its own right including Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure, and Best Game Direction at the 2017 Game Awards, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is already hotly anticipated by gamers. Although not much is currently known about the elusive and as yet untitled sequel, gamers have been hoping for more information ever since it was announced in the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct. Although it's likely that Nintendo will make any further announcements for the game at another Nintendo Direct, there is reason to hope players may find out a little more at the upcoming Game Awards.
The Legend of Zelda fans think Executive Producer and host of the Game Awards Geoff Keighley has hinted at the game's inclusion in the show in a recent tweet. Granted, the tweet is vague enough that it could be referencing a great number of games, but Keighley's mention of a Game Awards world premiere of a game that has been in development for 2.5 years could quite possibly point to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
Fable Fans Are Crossing Their Fingers
The Fable series was an Xbox exclusive franchise of fantasy action RPGs first released in 2004. The games were a hit with players, but the series ran into some hot water when developer Lionhead Studios closed in 2016. Fans of the series worried that this spelled the end for the heroes of Albion, but hopes were ignited once more when it was rumored that a fourth game was being developed by Playground Games and that a new open-world role-playing game was in development at the studio.
Then in July 2020, during the Xbox Games Showcase, a reboot of the classic series was revealed to be in development. Although the release date is still very much TBC, gamers know that the game will be coming to the Xbox Series X and Microsoft Windows. They're also hoping for some more news of Fable during the Game Awards, potentially with more setting and plot details, and perhaps even a release window.
BioShock Is Back In Business
The lauded and much-loved FPS series BioShock may also be getting an announcement about its fourth installment at the Game Awards 2021. Players already know that the next BioShock is in development, but with eight years since BioShock: Infinite was released, things have seemingly been a little quiet at Cloud Chamber. The original game was groundbreaking and memorable for all of the right reasons, and fans of the series have been eager for the next installment from the new studio.
There have been a number of leaks already, from rumors of two new city locations to a hint at a title — BioShock: Isolation. There are several things that gamers have heard about the new game already, including an open-world setting, faction systems, and that it will be developed in Unreal Engine 5. Although a lot of these details are yet to be confirmed, the Game Awards seems like the perfect time for an official reveal. A more recent leak points to a new trailer dropping at the event, even if the release date may still be a ways off.
World of Warcraft Could Be Coming To Consoles
Perhaps one of the world's most well-known and popular MMORPGs, World of Warcraft has been a mainstay of gaming culture since its release in 2004. However, the online multiplayer has only been available to PC players, and for years fans have been waiting for the announcement that it will finally be coming to consoles. There have been near-misses, like the supposed clue in 2020 when World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was rated for the Xbox Series X in Brazil. This turned out to be merely a mistake, and gamers were forced to wait a little longer.
Now another rumor has begun to circulate, thanks to an alleged line of code found on the official Xbox website that shows World of Warcraft: Complete Edition in the "Upcoming" section of the site, set to be released on December 9 (the same day as the Game Awards). This unconfirmed leak could point to a potential announcement during the show related to the port from PC to consoles. The rumor is still tenuous, and there has been a lot of skepticism in the gaming community as to its veracity, but there's no doubt that if it is true, the news would be massive for the franchise.
Big PS5 Reveal Could Be On The Horizon
Following the second best-selling home console of all time was a tall order, but the PS5 has more than proven that it's up for the challenge. Despite near-impossible odds for players to actually get their hands on the console, the PS5 has still sold incredibly well, and it's even outselling its predecessor console. Many fans are expecting PlayStation to have another surprise prepared for the Game Awards this year. Recent announcements include a remake of the fan-favorite Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the console, but with the Game Awards only days away, it's likely more exciting news will be on the way.
Video game data analyst Millie Amand has been responsible for some leaks in the past that have proven true, and their recent tweet about the Game Awards had gamers speculating anew. Although brief and frustratingly cryptic, the tweet referenced the awards show with a hashtag for the PS5, along with a GIF of an excited Monica from Friends, with Millie mentioning that this will be their reaction to the upcoming news. Fans have theorized that the inclusion of the famous Friends character could be a reference to Sony Santa Monica and the new sci-fi game being developed there, but players will have to wait until December 9 to get confirmation.