2022 has been a solid year for the gaming industry, with big games like FromSoftware's Elden Ring and Pokemon Legends: Arceus launching to strong sales and high review scores from critics. 2022 was going to be even bigger, but release date delays and other issues have seen various titles pushed to 2023. 2022's loss is 2023's gain, though, and now next year has potential to be one of the best the industry has seen.
There are many high profile game releases expected to launch in 2023, and a new study has revealed the 10 that are the most highly-anticipated. The study was conducted by Solitaired, which analyzed Google data to determine 2023's most anticipated games. However, it should be noted that the study's use of Google data may not accurately represent the most anticipated games for next year, especially since it was focused on data compiled on June 21. This could have greatly skewed the results, and so fans should keep that in mind.
According to the research done by Solitaired, here are the most anticipated new games of 2023.
- Starfield
- Hytale
- Ark 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Street Fighter 6
- Off the Grid
- Payday 3
- Final Fantasy 16
- Dead Space
- Kerbal Space Program 2
Starfield from Bethesda took the top spot, though it should be noted that this top 10 is a good example of how the results could have been skewed based on when the data was collected. It makes sense for Starfield to be one of the most-searched games on Google around the middle of June, as that wouldn't have been long after the game was spotlighted at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. Ark 2 was also featured at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, which could explain why it's so high on the list.
The same goes for the Resident Evil 4 remake and Street Fighter 6. Both games were revealed in June at the latest PlayStation State of Play, with a Capcom follow-up event giving fans another look at both titles. This would also explain why the list has some glaring omissions, with one of the biggest being the untitled Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel, which hasn't been seen for quite some time.
When one considers that the original Breath of the Wild is one of the highest-rated video games ever made, it's silly to think that hype for the sequel is being outpaced by far more obscure games like Hytale and Off the Grid. Regardless, this list does give fans somewhat of an idea of titles that people are wanting to learn more about, and it will be interesting to see how many of these games manage to live up to the hype.
Source: Solitaired