The Game Awards 2024 was a stacked show full of new reveals and updates on massive games, showcasing what we can expect to get our hands on within the next couple years. At three and a half hours long there were too many games to list them all, but these are some of the biggest reveals of the night.
A New Saga Begins
Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
The game was previously announced, but the game awards saw the debut trailer for The Witcher IV, which promises to be the beginning of a whole new saga. After Geralts’ story was finished in Wild Hunt fans suspected that Ciri may take on the role of protagonist going forward and that’s now confirmed to be the case. It’s surprising to see anything of The Witcher IV so soon considering the game only entered full production several weeks ago, meaning we probably won’t hear any more details for quite some time.
Fromsoftware announced Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer roguelike set in the lands between. The unexpected Elden Ring spin-off challenges players to survive three days and nights in a procedurally generated version of Limgrave, all while trying to grow strong enough to face the tough boss that will appear at the end. Going full multiplayer is completely new to Fromsoftware, as is the roguelike genre. The game isn’t even directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, as he works on the companies next full game. These all make for an experience that sounds jarring to the average Fromsoftware fan and I suspect we will need to see more of the game before making a full judgement. However, Nightreign producer Yasuhiro Kitao has confirmed that the title is not a live-service game, which is a huge comfort for the time being. Hopefully we don’t have to wait long for more info as Elden Ring Nightreign launches next year.
Another massive surprise came in the form of a new Fumito Ueda game. The trailer gives little away other than a sci-fi setting, but the name behind it is enough to build a bunch of hype. Fumito Ueda is best known for Shadow of the Colossus.
Multiplayer Madness
Image Credit: Hazelight Studios
Josef Fares (It Takes Two) revealed the next game from Hazelight Studios. Split Fiction is another multiplayer experience in the same vein as the studios previous two games, and this one promises a wild ride as you switch between fantasy and sci-fi settings every single level. Additionally Josef says every single level will offer unique gameplay abilities- these sometimes even changing within a level. Both gameplay and tone look like a perfect successor to It Takes Two– and the best part is we don’t have to wait long. Split Fiction launches March 2025.
Borderlands 4 shared a first gameplay trailer, showing of the series’ iconic gunplay and signature art style. Ahead of its 2025 launch, Borderlands 4 will reveal a deeper gameplay debut early next year.
The classic Turok series sees a return in the form of Turok: Origins, a third-person shooter which you can play by yourself or with friends. After a failed reboot in 2008, a proper return for Turok has been a long-time coming and fans can’t wait to find out more. For now, all we know is that it’s coming back.
Onimusha is another returning franchise. The last real Onimusha game released in 2006, that was until the announcement of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, a reboot that aims to launch in 2026- two decades after the last instalment.
A Brutal Prequel
Image Credit: 2K Games
Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel to the Mafia series that takes place in 1900’s Sicily. The game promises the feel of a mob movie, and the trailer lives up to this- making The Old Country one to keep an eye on when it launches next summer.
A huge reveal came in the form of the long-awaited Okami sequel announcement. The game is early in development and we know very little about it other than that original creator Hideki Kamiya is returning to create the game with Capcom. We don’t know anything else but Okami is a critically acclaimed game and this unexpected announcement after all this time is a huge surprise.
The final big reveal of the show was the new Naughty Dog game directed by Neil Druckmann. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is a sci-fi game, a new direction for the studio. Once again- there are very few details for now but we can probably expect another riveting and emotional story from the studio.
And that’s just to mention a few of the biggest. The show was full of other reveals like Dying Light: The Beast, Crimson Desert or Stage Fright – another piece of co-op fun from the creators of overcooked. It was one of the best Game Awards shows we’ve had in years, celebrating the whole industry and giving us a massive look forward. With everything that has been announced for 2025 and beyond the future certainly looks bright.
Featured Image Credit: Fromsoftware