Excitement surged among gamers ahead of Geoff Keighley’s monumental 10th Game Awards, highlighting significant game reveals. Notable announcements included The Witcher 4 featuring Ciri, Elden Ring Nightreign’s new adventure, and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic. Capcom surprised with Onimusha’s revival and Okami 2, while Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios introduced Project Century. Other highlights were GenStudio’s mysterious Project: Robot, Hazelight’s Split Fiction, Borderlands 4’s return to form, and Virtua Fighter’s long-awaited comeback, promising thrilling developments in the gaming world.
For several days, excitement bubbled among gaming enthusiasts, thanks to a few enterprising journalists who caught wind of the evening’s festivities: the 10th anniversary of Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards promised to be monumental, featuring significant game reveals. To keep us energized until the early hours of the morning, we definitely needed that! As is customary, we present a roundup of the 10 most noteworthy announcements from this prestigious video game awards ceremony.
The Witcher 4: A New Chapter Unfolds
What an astonishing reveal! This highly anticipated title has just kicked off full production, and we were treated to an enticing glimpse through its inaugural cinematic trailer, likely rendered on an unreleased Nvidia graphics card. Although details remain sparse, one key piece of information stands out: Ciri is set to take center stage as the protagonist, and her character design exudes elegance!
Elden Ring Nightreign: A New Adventure Awaits
From Software and Bandai Namco are not finished with the Elden Ring saga, and rightly so, considering the acclaim surrounding the original game and its expansions. This time, however, we’re in for a fresh experience, emphasizing collaboration and increased freedom of gameplay. Miyazaki and his team have intriguingly introduced the term ‘survival’ in their communications, leaving us curious about its implications. This standalone chapter is set to launch in 2025.
Intergalactic: Naughty Dog’s Bold New Venture
As the evening’s grand finale, Intergalactic stole the show! This is the latest original title from Naughty Dog, renowned for classics like Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted, and The Last of Us. Developed in secret over the past four years, The Heretic Prophet has yet to showcase its gameplay. Nonetheless, the cyberpunk aesthetic revealed in the trailer, infused with nostalgic 80’s vibes, has us eagerly anticipating more. While we may have to wait a while, it’s thrilling to see such a talented studio embark on a new intellectual property of this magnitude.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword – A Surprising Revival
Another unexpected announcement! While Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds is likely to dominate their schedule for the upcoming year, they’ve already teased their plans for the following year with a trailer for the new Onimusha title. This series, which debuted on PS2, boasted four installments, including a beloved third chapter featuring Jean Reno and a unique blend of 90’s France and feudal Japan. The upcoming installment aims for a more serious tone, but will still include the engaging mechanic of absorbing defeated demons’ souls for power. Expect its release in 2026.
Okami 2: A Beloved Classic Returns
In a moment of pure joy, Geoff announced that Okami, one of the crown jewels of the PS2 era, is set to receive a sequel from Capcom, in collaboration with the renowned Hideki Kamiya. This unexpected revival is still in its early development stages, but it’s a project worth keeping an eye on. For those who haven’t yet experienced the original, we highly recommend playing the ‘Zelda of the PS2’ in its HD format, available on nearly all platforms.
Project Century: A New Direction for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios
The creative minds at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios are clearly not taking a break. With their pirate-themed Yakuza game on the horizon for early next year, they have unveiled Project Century, which transports players to Japan in 1915. The tone appears to be significantly darker, featuring more intense combat animations and a grittier protagonist. This marks the first new franchise from RGG since the acclaimed Judgment, making it a title to watch closely.
Project: Robot – A Mysterious New Adventure
Among the major surprises of the evening was a new project from GenStudio, founded by Fumito Ueda, the mastermind behind the iconic trilogy of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. While the project currently lacks a title, the teaser trailer hints at Ueda’s signature style, reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus but set in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Split Fiction: A Cooperative Journey
Josef Fares took to the Game Awards stage to unveil an extended gameplay trailer for Hazelight studio’s next creation, Split Fiction. True to the studio’s cooperative roots, this game is designed to be played in pairs, whether locally or online. In this new adventure, players will take on the roles of two authors navigating through their narrative simulations: one crafting medieval fantasy tales and the other delving into science fiction. Promising diverse and engaging scenarios akin to It Takes Two, we eagerly await what the developers have in store for us with this upcoming title, set for release in 2025.
Borderlands 4: The Next Chapter in the Series
Putting aside the disappointing film adaptation released earlier this year, the Borderlands franchise continues to thrive among fans. Its signature looter shooter formula, playable cooperatively since the first installment, is set to return without drastically altering its core mechanics. Thanks to the debut gameplay trailer, Borderlands 4 showcases refined artistic direction, featuring impressive character models and polished environments. The game is expected to launch sometime in 2025 across PC and consoles.
Virtua Fighter: A Classic Returns
After a long hiatus, Sega’s iconic fighting game franchise is finally making a comeback! Although it may not have the same mainstream appeal as Tekken, Street Fighter, or Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter remains a cornerstone of 3D fighting games. With its unique technical gameplay relying on a more limited set of buttons, VF’s return is sure to excite long-time fans. More details are expected soon, as a dedicated live event for this new installment is on the horizon.
In the realm of Pokémon, fans have been avidly collecting trading cards, with some fetching extraordinary prices. However, a particular seller recently faced challenges with a less-than-friendly buyer…
Meanwhile, Path of Exile 2 is proving to be a formidable challenge for players, even those well-versed in the hack-and-slash genre. The difficulty is largely…