Summary
The Game Awards 2023was an exciting event that honored several high-profile 2023 releases while whetting gaming fans' appetite for 2024 and beyond. ThoughThe Game Awardsprovided the stage for a number of world premieres and announcements, there were a few games that were conspicuously absent, leaving players wondering when they will learn more about them.
Pleasant surprises like the reveal of Hideo Kojima’s newXbox exclusive gameODand the shadow dropping ofThe Finalshelped make 2023’s Game Awards a night to remember. In spite of the flood of reveals that poured through the event, some viewers may be feeling somewhat disappointed about the fact that certain highly anticipated games were missing from the show. One look at gaming social media makes it clear that many Rockstar fans were looking forward to learning 6, while some FromSoftware enjoyers are feeling a bit crestfallen aboutShadow of the Erdtree’s absence. Rumors swirled about other potential reveals and trailers as well, but alas, many of these rumors turned out to be false.
God Of War Ragnarok’s Half-Sequel
God of Warfans got a surprise when The Game Awards revealed that a freeDLC is coming toGod of War Ragnaroknext week, introducing an interesting new roguelike mode. However, this reveal wasn’t quite what fans were expecting Sony Santa Monica to unveil. For some time now, rumors have circulated about a “half-sequel” toRagnarokin the vein ofMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. With so much coverage and online chatter surrounding the title, many anticipated the rumor bubble to burst at the TGA ceremony, but it looks like fans will have to wait a little longer for an official trailer or confirmation.
Grand Theft Auto 6
Much to the chagrin of severalGrand Theft Autofans,The Game Awards did not feature any new trailers or gameplay reveals forGTA 6. In retrospect, this desire to see Rockstar’s next single-player game might be viewed as wishful thinking, as theinternet-breakingGTA 6trailerlaunched just a few days before the event. While Rockstar could have delivered a thrilling double-whammy by giving fans another taste of the game at TGA, it makes sense why this didn’t happen.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
AlongsideGTA 6, theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC was the title players most wanted to see at The Game Awards. The expectation that the DLC would be revealed at the event is a bit more reasonable, however, as FromSoftware has been rather tight-lipped when it comes toShadow of the Erdtreeupdates. Moreover,Elden Ringhas previously been featured at The Game Awards, with an impactful trailer for the game being shown at the event back in 2021.
Hades 2
Hadeswas one of the best indies of 2020, so it’s no surprise that players are bristling with excitement about the prospect of a follow-up game. This excitement has only been fanned by the relative lack of gameplay or information about the game, with only a brief trailer for the title being shown at The Game Awards 2022. With this in mind, it wasn’t unrealistic to think that Supergiant might be interested in giving fans another look at the game at this year’s event, but that didn’t wind up happening. For the time being, those looking forward to the game will be left tospeculate aboutHades 2’s storyand gameplay elements ahead of its release next year.
Supergiant Games has announced that Hades 2 will launch in 2024, but only as an early access title. A timeline for the release of the game’s 1.0 version has not been revealed.
Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima’s experimental first leap after leaving Konami is set to get a sequel, which many hope will be just as bizarre and inventive as its predecessor. Geoff Keighley has a close working relationship with Kojima, collaborating with the developer for various interviews, game reveals, and theBrain Structurepodcast. This connection, alongside the fact thatDS2(working title) was initially revealed at last year’s Game Awards, led to speculation that aDeath Stranding 2trailer at The Game Awards 2023was imminent, but this didn’t come to fruition. Kojima did still show up, though, arguably issuing an even bigger reveal in the form ofOD, a horror game he is developing with Jordan Peele.
Although it’s disappointing that players couldn’t learn more about these titles at The Game Awards, it would be hard to call the event a disappointment overall. Several other high-profile games were given time to shine on Keighley’s stage, including known quantities like Team Ninja’s exciting-lookingRise of the Roninand left-field debuts likeHello Games’sLight No Fire. Other notable games that were officially revealed at TGA 2023 include:
Announcements for unique games like theMcConaughey-helmedExodusand the eeriePony Island 2: Panda Circusmore than make up for those that didn’t make it to the ceremony this year. Games likeGTA 6andDeath Stranding 2are guaranteed to get more trailers and updates down the road, so for now, it’s worth appreciating the other promising titles revealed atThe Game Awards 2023.
MORE:Why Spider-Man 2 Didn’t Win Any Awards at The Game Awards 2023
