Over time, The Game Awards has become just as synonymous with trailers and announcements as it has with actual awards for video games. This year was no exception with huge announcements for gamers to be excited about from the surprise unveiling of Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console which is due to release next holiday season, to a full-length trailer for PS4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, and the reveal of two new League of Legends spin-off games currently in development. However, it was the reveal of the first official PlayStation 5 game that really caught the industries' attention.

While we already know about a number of AAA games that are in development for the PS5 and Xbox Series X such as Overwatch 2 or The Elder Scrolls 6, Gearbox Software announced a new “looter-slasher” title called Godfall that will be releasing on the PS5 and Epic Games Store during the consoles release window of Holiday 2020. From the trailer to the developer and the fascinating new genre, here’s everything that we currently know about the PS5 exclusive, Godfall.

RELATED: Best Moments At The Game Awards 2019

godfall co-op

What is Godfall?

During The Game Awards 2019, Gearbox Software released the first trailer for Godfall, a modern fantasy action RPG coming to next-generation platforms from developer Counterplay Games. Similar to Destiny 2 or The Division 2, Godfall is a games-as-a-service title and is said to fit into its own genre of games called “looter-slashers.” Developer Counterplay Games describe Godfall as a third-person loot-driven fantasy action RPG that can be played entirely solo or cooperatively with up to three players.

“Our goal with Godfall is to reforge fantasy ARPG-style loot progression and third-person melee combat into a whole new genre: The Looter-Slasher,” Keith Lee, Godfall Creative Director and CEO of Counterplay Games, wrote in a PlayStation Blog post. “Namely, our game is uniquely one-part gear driven and one-part player-skill driven. Godfall retains the desire for offense-oriented, mastery-driven combat, rewarding you with head-turning, powerful loot that then inspires your next set of character builds.”

Story & Gameplay

As mentioned above, at its core Godfall is an action-RPG that utilizes third-person melee-based combat with a focus on player skill and combat mastery. Players can complete the entire game alone or play with up to two additional players, which lines up with similar games in the genre like Destiny 2’s three-person fireteams. Creative Director of Godfall, Keith Lee has described the team’s approach to game design as “tightening up the combat circle.” Players will be able to equip two primary melee weapons at a time and will have ranged attacks available that work on a cooldown system.

godfall trio

When it comes to the story of Godfall, the world is split up into five different realms: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit. The player’s character acts as one of the last remnants of the Knight’s Order, in charge of trying to stop an oncoming apocalypse. There will be three playable classes to choose from and play styles can be further influenced by a variety of weapon classes, ancient class-based armor sets known as Valorplates, and augments or mods that can be applied to these armor sets.

Release Date & Platforms

Godfall has been confirmed for releases on the PlayStation 5 and PC through the Epic Games Store in Holiday 2020, being the first confirmed game for release on PS5. Despite coming from a new studio, California based studio Counterplay Games is made up of industry veterans that have worked on the likes of Ratchet & Clank, God of War, Destiny 2, Diablo III, Overwatch, Gears 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Titanfall 2, Battlefield, Star War Battlefront, and much more.

Trailers

Right now, PlayStation and Gearbox have only released the official reveal trailer for Godfall. Counterplay Games CEO, Keith Lee has confirmed that players will hear much more about the game in Spring 2020, leading up to its Holiday 2020 release window.

RELATED: Sony Patent Could Hint at PlayStation VR 2.0 Design

godfall avatar armor

From everything that has been revealed so far, Godfall appears to be offering something a little different in terms of gameplay compared to other games on the market. Gearbox Software and Counterplay Games have made a very smart decision in partnering with Sony and targeting the PS5 release window for the launch of the game. Despite the next-generation having the advantage of backward compatibility, players are going to be looking for new games and experiences to play on their brand new consoles and that gives Godfall the potential to come out of the gate strong.

Godfall is also going to be a major game on people’s minds over the next year as it’s currently the only game that has been confirmed for PS5 and the second game confirmed as a next-generation launch title following Halo Infinite on the Xbox Series X. PlayStation and Gearbox Software are gearing up to release the next Destiny with Godfall and this gives them a great opportunity to come out of the gate strong and unrivaled.

Godfall releases on PC and PS5 in Holiday 2020.

MORE: Should BioShock Return to Rapture or Go Somewhere New?