The Game Awards isn’t like other award shows. It isn’t so much a celebration of the year’s best games as it is a marketing platform. Sure, golden statues are handed out at the show, but the show’s main appeal is that it features exclusive game announcements. This year’s Game Awards featured more than 50 games , including some blockbuster surprises.
So what were the big stories of the night? Sonic Frontiers debuted, and it looks almost identical to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Among Us is getting a surprise VR release, and Elden Ring got a new trailer. We also got our first look at new Wonder Woman and Star Wars games. It was an E3-sized event show, even if it ended with a dud.
If you don’t feel like watching three hours of video game trailers, we’ve got you covered. Here’s every announcement from the 2021 Game Awards ceremony.
Sonic Frontiers and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 debut
Sonic fans got a double dose of news at the show. First off, we finally got a closer look at the blue blur’s new game, which was teased earlier this year. Sonic Frontiers is an open-world game, which is a huge departure for the series. Not to use a tired cliché, but it genuinely looks like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s coming out holiday 2022.
Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey also introduced a trailer for the blue blur’s next film. The first Sonic the Hedgehog 2 trailer featured Tails, a more game-accurate Dr. Robotnik, and Knuckles. The sequel will hit theaters on April 8.
Alan Wake 2 is coming in 2023
Alan Wake 2 is finally getting its long-awaited sequel. A teaser trailer didn’t show too much other than the titular Alan Wake standing on a dark street. It’ll be a survival horror game, unlike the original, which was considered an action game. It’ll launch sometime in 2023 and we won’t get more news until next summer.
Wonder Woman is getting her own game
Warner Bros, is making a Wonder Woman game. It got a very short trailer that just showed the hero posing against a black screen. No further info, including release date, was revealed.
Star Wars Eclipse is a new game by Quantic Dream
Star Wars Eclipse is a new Star Wars game from developer Quantic Dream, in collaboration with LucasFilm Games. A cinematic trailer revealed that it is set in the High Republic and features beloved characters like Yoda. The game is early in development and did not get a release window.
Elden Ring makes a grand appearance
After winning the award for Most Anticipated Game twice in a row, Elden Ring got a new trailer during the show. The story-focused clip leaned heavily on cinematics. It opens with a four-armed woman speaking, before showing off some of the game’s characters and lore. It ends with a gigantic enemy with two swords ready to attack the game’s hero.
Among Us comes to VR
In the unlikeliest story of the night, Among Us is coming to VR. The indie social deduction game will allow players to strap on a headset and enjoy killing their friends in virtual space. At the moment, it seems like only the Skeld map will be playable in the VR mode. The VR version doesn’t have a release date at the moment, but it’ll be compatible with PS VR, Meta Quest 2, and Valve Index.
Dune finally returns to the video game world
Following a successful film adaptation, Dune is finally getting a new video game. Dune: Spice Wars is the first Dune video game since 2001. The new game is developed by Shiro Games, the studio behind Northgard. It’s a real-time 4X strategy game that features playable factions and lots of spice. The game will come to PC and enter early access in 2022.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League makes a scene
After getting a cinematic trailer at DC Fandome in 2020, we finally got a closer look at Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The trailer finally showed off some gameplay, which involved members of the team running around a city and beating the crap out of aliens. Notably, The Flash made a cameo in it. The game is coming sometime in 2022 and won’t launch on past-gen consoles.
Hellblade 2 gets a cinematic gameplay trailer
Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga got a new gameplay trailer to kick off the show. It started off with a sweeping cinematic scene before seamlessly switching over to gameplay. We saw the game’s protagonist, Senua, sneaking through a dark cave before coming face-to-face with a giant. Like its predecessor, it looks dark and disturbing. No release date was given.
Horizon Forbidden West gets a new trailer
Horizon Forbidden West made an appearance at the show. The action-focused gameplay clip showed off tons of new robots. It was followed by a live orchestra performance of a song from the game’s score.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is coming to Switch somehow
We got another glimpse at stealth game A Plague Tale: Requiem. A story-centric trailer showed off some of the game’s stealth action and plenty of rats. It still doesn’t have a release date, but it’s coming in 2022 to PC and current-gen consoles, including Nintendo Switch (via the cloud), which is a shocker.
The Halo TV series made its debut
As teased before the show, Paramount+’s Halo TV series showed up during the stream. It was a particularly epic trailer showing some sweeping shots of space. Master Chief appeared at the end, and he certainly looked the part. It’ll stream on the service sometime in 2022.
Everything else
- Lost Ark is a new action MMO from Amazon Games coming to Steam on February 11.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade is finally coming to PC via the Epic Games Store on December 16.
- We got a fresh look at Destiny 2: The Witch Queen that showed off some intense action.
- Slitterhead is a new horror game from the creator of Silent Hill.
- Nightingale is a shared-world survival crafting game from Inflexion Games.
- The long-delayed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum got a new trailer, but no release date.
- PUBG Battlegrounds is going free-to-play on January 12.
- A haunting new trailer for Somerville was shown.
- Cuphead‘s The Delicious Last Course DLC is finally coming on June 30.
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 DLC called Warrior Priest is out now.
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person shooter coming to PC and current-gen consoles.
- Tchia got a new trailer and a spring 2022 release window.
- Forspoken is coming out on May 24.
- A new trailer for Saints Row showed off its third-person shooting and wacky costumes.
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is getting The Nightmare Before Christmas skins.
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands got a new story-centric trailer.
- Dokev got a wild new trailer that featured characters doing a full-on dance routine.
- A new Genshin Impact trailer showed off characters in the game’s new banner.
- Steelrising is a new steampunk action game coming in 2022.
- Metal Hellsinger is basically Doom as a rhythm game with a metal soundtrack.
- Mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe is available right now.
- Star Trek: Resurgence is a new choice-driven adventure game created by former Telltale Games developers.
- Rumbleverse is a new platform fighter, à la Super Smash Bros., from Epic Games Publishing.
- Dying Light 2: Stay Human got yet another trailer, which highlighted its story.
- Fortnite got a new trailer showing off Season 3’s new features.
- The Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt battle royale game got a new trailer.
- CrossfireX got a new trailer and a February 10 release date.
- The full 1.0 release of GTFO is out right now and 25% off.
- Synced: Off-Planet got a new trailer showing off its sci-fi shooting.
- Arc Raiders, the debut game from Embark Studios, is a third-person sci-fi shooter.
- The Matrix Awakens is a new interactive experience available now on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Pre-show announcements
- Zelda-like indie Tunic is coming on March 16.
- Krohnen is the next playable character announced for King of Fighters XV.
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is getting a multiplayer adaptation.
- Homeworld 3 received a gameplay trailer and a release window of the fourth quarter of 2022.
- The Expanse is getting a video game adaptation from Telltale.
- Babylon’s Fall got a new trailer revealing its March 3 release date.
- Chivalry 2 is getting new content including a new map, weapon, and holiday event.
- Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is coming this summer and getting new amiibo.
- Thirsty Suitors is a narrative action-adventure game from the developers behind Falcon Age.
- Western action game Evil West got its first gameplay trailer. It’s launching in 2022.
- Have a Nice Death is a 2D black-and-white action game starring the grim reaper that’s coming to early access in March.
- Indie game Planet of Lana got a trailer that focused on its original score.
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a new fighting game coming out on March 17.
