The Game Awards, also known as the “Oscars of gaming,” took place on Thursday night (December 8th) and recognized the best and brightest in the gaming industry. The event not only debuts some of the top titles from the year but also serves as a platform for major announcements from leading studios such as Capcom, Blizzard Entertainment, and Bandai Namco.
The most anticipated category of the night, Game of the Year, was awarded to Elden Ring from FromSoftware. The game, launched in February, has a score of 96 out of 100 on Metacritic, a website that aggregates reviews of games, films, and other entertainment products. Since its release, Elden Ring has sold over 17 million copies and is currently the best-selling multi-platform Japanese game in history.
In addition to Game of the Year, the awards ceremony was also marked by several game announcements that will mostly be released in 2023. Here are the main ones:
New characters for Street Fighter 6
Capcom’s upcoming title was a standout during The Game Awards’ opening show with a new trailer that revealed four new characters in the franchise: Dee Jay, Manon, Marisa, and JP. The presentation video provides a general overview of the latest additions to Street Fighter 6. The game will also feature various mini-games as well as a single-player campaign.
Street Fighter 6 will be released on June 2, 2023, for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Hades 2
One of the biggest surprises of the night was the announcement of Hades 2, the sequel to the game of the same name released in 2020. The title was a hit and not only won over the public but also caught the attention of critics. Hades became the first game in history to receive a Hugo Award, which honors the best science fiction and fantasy works.
Now, the first sequel from Supergiant Games will feature a female protagonist, still following the roguelike style.
The release date has not yet been announced, but it was said during The Game Awards that Hades 2 will have early access in 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The next title in the Star Wars franchise will be released on March 17th next year, and fans are already eager to see what’s in store.
At The Game Awards, a new trailer showcased some gameplay for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which takes place five years after Fallen Order and follows the new adventures of Cal Kestis. The game will be released for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Death Stranding 2
Another announcement that no one saw coming was the sequel to Death Stranding, which was announced during The Game Awards, complete with an interview with Hideo Kojima, the game’s creator himself.
DS2 will see the return of some actors from the original title, but according to Kojima, it will be bigger and better and, like its predecessor, will be available exclusively for PlayStation (this time on the PS5).
The release date has not yet been announced.
Diablo 4
With a presentation by Halsey before the trailer debut, Diablo IV finally got a release date. On June 6, 2023, we will follow the story focused on Lilith, Queen of Hell, and her return to the Sanctuary.
Diablo IV will be released for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in three editions.
Final Fantasy XVI
The new trailer of the next game in the Final Fantasy franchise closed out The Game Awards’ announcements. In the launch video, it’s possible to see how Clive Rosfield turns into Ifrit, which confirms fan theories.
The trailer also shows a lot about the gameplay and how the death of Joshua, Clive’s brother, changes him forever. Final Fantasy XVI will be released on June 22, 2023, for PlayStation 5.
Brazil in esports
At this year’s The Game Awards, Brazil shone in two of the three esports categories. The LOUD organization won Best Esports Team with its VALORANT team – this year, LOUD became a world champion in the modality and was the only Brazilian team to be nominated in the esports categories of TGA.
In addition, the coach who accompanied the team in the victory, Matheus “bzka” Tarasconi, also won in the category of Best Esports Coach.
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