This week's gaming news features a whole lot of anticipation, whether it's for the Game Awards or Fortnite's next hunger for Season 5. Game Rant has compiled some of the biggest gaming news stories from this past week together into a concise post for fans and enthusiasts to stay up to date on the most important events in the industry per week. Highlighting the most relevant stories, this list is not inherently and totally objective, and will not contain every news story this week. Rather, this is intended for gaming fans who want a quick rundown on the largest/most impactful stories that occurred in the last week in games.
Fortnite Kicks Off Season 5 with the Mandalorian, Kratos
Once again, like every new season of the ubiquitous battle royale game,
Fortnite has exploded back into the mainstream following Season 5's Galactus event. Season 5 brings with it a whole slew of changes, including tons of new "hunters" from around the galaxy.
Star Wars' The Mandalorian joins the fight alongside
God of War's Kratos, and
Fortnite's promising even more legendary "hunters" like those throughout the next season.
Additionally, new locations from different dimensions have made their way on to
Fortnite's map, such as an ancient battle arena and the crystalline desert near the Zero Point.
Fortnite's Season 5 also brings with it few new weapons, including the Mandalorian's sniper.
Persona 5 Strikers' Localization Leaked, Alongside an Anniversary Tease Next Year
After a long holding pattern for fans in the west,
Persona 5 Strikers is finally being localized and released on February 23, 2021. After a leaked announcement trailer went viral, it was confirmed that The Phantom Thieves would be returning in the
Persona 5 musou spin-off/sequel. An even more surprising announcement was the game would not only come to its original PS4 and Nintendo Switch platforms, but
there's also a Steam PC port coming as well.
This announcement also comes on the back of a potentially exciting tease from Atlus producer and director Kazuhisa Wada. Wada mentioned that
next year's 25th anniversary will come with exciting announcements from Atlus. Obviously that could be any number of possibilities, whether it's a legacy
Persona remaster/re-release of some kind, or even a tease for
Persona 6.
Cyberpunk 2077's Pre-Orders Soar
Just a week out from its long-awaited and long-delayed release date,
Cyberpunk 2077 is already selling surprisingly well. Pre-orders alone have been noted by CD Projekt Red's CFO Piotr Nielubowicz as "visibly higher" compared to any
Witcher game before it. On Steam,
Cyberpunk 2077 continues to peak at number one on the Top Sellers list, less than a week prior to launch. Probably not shocking to many, considering the hype behind this game is massive.
CD Projekt Red and
Cyberpunk will also be introducing an embargo to any streaming and video content until December 9, attempting to keep all players on equal footing prior to release. Additionally,
Cyberpunk 2077 will also include features specifically for those streaming the game, helping curb any issues with copyright and the DMCA.
RELATED: Twitch and the DMCA: How Streamers Can Protect Themselves from Copyright Issues
PAX 2021 Dates Announced, With a Covid-19 Caveat
PAX tentatively announces its 2021 convention dates, alongside a lengthy statement addressing concerns with the Covid-19 pandemic. "With optimisim and safety in mind," PAX states that in the scenario where it is indeed safe to hold mass gatherings, PAX's 2021 will move forward. At the moment, PAX East is planned for June 3-6, PAX West is planned for September 3-6, and PAX Unplugged is planned for December 12.
According to PAX, PAX South will not be happening due to a timeline conflict, and more information will be shared on a potential PAX Australia in 2021 "in the next few weeks." It is worth noting that, should the situation change and mass gatherings are not viable, PAX will not hold a convention and/or host virtual gatherings instead.
The Game Awards Announces Multiple Presenters, Musical Guest
With the show airing next week,
The Game Awards has been on a tear lately with presenter and special guest announcements. Celebrities like Tom Holland, Brie Larson, and Gal Gadot are all attending the show as presenters. Veteran games actor Troy Baker will also be presenting for an award, as well as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder will be attending as a musical performer, presumably for Pearl Jam's thematic role in Game Awards contender
The Last of Us 2.
There's also been a few teases for game announcements at The Game Awards as well, with
Dragon Age 4 confirmed for the show.
Among Us will showcase its latest map at The Game Awards show as well. Presumably many more surprises will be at the show as well.
BioWare's Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah Depart From the Studio
Two of
BioWare's key executives have announced departures from the game developer. BioWare general manager Casey Hudson and
Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah announced their departure from EA's esteemed development studio after over 20 years between both of them. Announced via press release, EA's chief studios officer Laura Miele celebrated their work as "an essential part of the studio's history."
Hudson was best known for his work on
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the
Mass Effect series, making them the RPG powerhouses they're known as today. Similarly, Mark Darrah had an indelible impact on
Dragon Age's development. Both are moving on to their own respective enterprises, none of which have been revealed yet.
MORE: The Game Awards 2020 Predictions