The Game Awards 2023 News Roundup

We’ve made it to December and with that comes The Game Awards. Despite some people acting as though the year was slow, we’ve got some heavy hitters, including Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3. Who took home the Game of the Year title though? Well, let’s get into everything.

First up let’s start with the Pre-Show, because of course The Game Awards can’t save its announcements for the main event. The Pre-Show kicked off the world premieres, starting with a trailer for the remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. I never played the original, but Josef Fares’ popular Indie title was (if memory serves) very well-liked, so it might be interesting to check out the remake.

The pre-show also took the time to reveal a few award winners, starting with Best Family Game. Super Mario Bros. Wonder took the award, beginning what I expect to be many Nintendo-focused awards tonight with Tears of the Kingdom on the docket. After that first award, we went back to trailer-focused content, with 3 world premieres.

The first was for Inscryption dev Daniel Mullins’ next game, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus. Knowing what I know about Daniel’s work, this game definitely has more to it than initially meets the eye.

The second game in the 3-trailer set was a Netflix-published title called The Rise of the Golden Idol. Presumably, the sequel to The Curse of the Golden Idol, Rise of the Golden Idol adds a new mystery and will be released on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

Last but not least in this set is Finji’s next game, an action-adventure mystery game Usual June. We won’t see Usual June until 2025, but it looks interesting.

The next segment was for the Innovation in Accessibility Award, which went to Forza Motorsport. I haven’t experienced much of Forza gameplay in a while, but it is good that they’ve made things more accessible.

The next world premiere was up next, for a game with Accessibility at its core. Harmonium the Musical is a game with heavy input from the deaf community. You play as a deaf girl with a passion for music, exploring a fantastical music-themed wonderland.

Next on the Award front was Best Esports Athlete, with Faker taking home the award. Best Esports Coach came next, going to Potter. Best Esports Event surprised no one with the League of Legends 2023 World Championship taking home the award.

The Best Esports Game award went to Valorant, which seems to have had a surge in popularity recently. Finally, the award for Best Esports Team went to JD Gaming. Now with all the Esports awards out of the way, let’s get back to stuff I’m qualified to talk about, ok?

Two world premiere trailers got things back on track, starting with Windblown. The dev team of Dead Cells has made a multiplayer action-Rogue-like that looks cute and interesting. Windblown will be coming to Early Access in 2024.

The second trailer in this batch was for a beautiful and psychedelic music game that looks very reminiscent of Rez. Explore musical landscapes in Thrasher as some sort of spiky dragon thing. I’ve never heard of Thumper, the dev’s previous game, but it looks… interesting.

Moving along we have a commercial for Samsung Gaming Hub, leading to a new trailer for Persona 3 Reload. I’m excited to enjoy the story of The Dark Hour again with the SEES members when it releases on February 2^nd, 2024.

Next was a surprise, a collaboration between Dave the Diver and Dredge. I am stupidly excited about this, though I don’t think Dave is all that prepared to catch Eldritch horrors. The collab will be released on December 15^th.

The Content Creator of the Year award went to Ironmouse, a content creator that I don’t think I’ve heard of. Ironmouse is a Vtuber though, and it is good to see Vtubers getting recognition. Congratulations to them on the award.

Getting closer to the main show, we move on to a world premiere 15 years in the making. The Tomorrow Corporation has finally made a new game! World of Goo 2 has finally been revealed for 2024, which means I’m one step closer to more Little Inferno. I’m not a pyromaniac, you are.

The last world premiere before the main show was a glimpse into a new game from the minds behind Persona. We saw an announcement for this a while ago, but it is the first time we’re seeing Metaphor Re Fantazio’s actual content. It looks like the perfect marriage of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona, and it will be released in the Fall of 2024.

Now we move on to the main event, which features none other than Geoff Keighley himself. I think he gets a little too into things, but we have more world premieres to get to. Before that, we start with the first award of the night presented by Kratos himself, Christopher Judge. The award for Best Performance went to Neil Newbon for his performance of the lovely Astarion.

Kicking off the world premieres of the main show, we have a trailer presented by Matthew McConaughey. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d type. Anyway, Exodus is a game where your choices impact your family back on Earth, and the civilization you left behind. You take the fight to the Celestials, an alien race keen on destroying humanity. Exodus will come to PS5, Xbox, and PC at some point in the future.

Moving right along to another premiere, we have the return of Kratos. God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is free DLC coming on December 12^th, 2023. It seems to take the form of a Rogue-like exploration through a Labyrinth.

The next world premiere transitioned to the Indie side of things. The creators of Untitled Goose Game are back with Big Walk, a multiplayer party game that seems to be in the vein of Human: Fall Flat. It looks fun and silly, which is developer House House’s thing. We won’t see it until 2025, though.

Next up we spent a little time with Melina Juergens, known for playing Senua in Hellblade. She introduced a musical performance from Heilung, who did music for Hellblade 2. Luckily, we also got footage of Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga, which looks equally brutal and haunting. Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga will be released on PC and Xbox in 2024.

The next segment had Ed Boon coming out to present the Best Narrative award. Alan Wake 2 took home the award, which makes me even more sad that I haven’t played it yet. The Remedy extended universe continues though.

To my excitement, Ikumi Nakamura took the stage to present her next project. She is such a bright ray of sunshine I’m always glad to see her on stage. Her first project is called Kemuri and seems to be an urban fantasy action game. Not much is available yet as the game seems to be in the early stages, but as someone who loved Ghostwire Tokyo, I’m excited.

Next, we pivot into a new trailer for a project from Private Division and the creators of the Ori and the Blind Forest series. No Rest for the Wicked seems to be a fantasy Action-RPG in a world of Pirates, dark creatures, and royal intrigue. It will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox consoles.

While Geoff gets on my nerves sometimes, I love a good silly moment. After a commercial break, Gonzo from the Muppets dropped in to talk about…chickens? Then we had a presenter for the Best Debut Indie Game award. The award went to Cocoon, the only game nominated that I haven’t played. They were all deserving though.

Moving along the world premiere train is a montage trailer of new Sega remakes/remasters in development. The montage included new entries in the Shinobi, Golden Axe, Crazy Taxi, and other franchises.

Then Dragonball fans got a treat in the form of a trailer for Dragonball Sparking Zero, the next entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series. There hasn’t been a release date provided yet, but it will come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox consoles.

Behavior Interactive dropped by with a trailer for their collaboration with Supermassive Games set in the Dead by Daylight universe. The Casting of Frank Stone is the narrative survival horror game set in the world of Dead by Daylight. It will be released in 2024, but not much else is known yet.

Next came a trailer for Visions of Mana, the next entry in the Mana series from Square Enix. The game looks colorful and downright gorgeous. We’ll see it on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles in 2024.

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja revealed Rise of the Ronin. Coming on March 22^nd, 2024 Rise of the Ronin looks to be a stylish, gorgeous action game that can be played in co-op or solo. It seems to be PlayStation exclusive, though whether it is a timed exclusive has yet to be seen.

The next award was presented for Best Action Game, giving us a small break from rapid-fire reveals. Armored Core VI took home the award, which isn’t surprising considering what From Software was up against.

The Best Art Direction award went to Alan Wake 2, which surprised me considering Tears of the Kingdom and Lies of P were vying for the award. The winner of the Best VR/AR award went to Resident Evil Village’s VR mode, which I forgot came out this year. Best Mobile Game went to Honkai Star Rail, a much-deserved reward for a game that has swallowed my free time.

After a short commercial break, we were back at it with another Kojima trailer. Does Geoff make out with Kojima when they are in the same room? Questions I wonder about. Anyway, this trailer was for a project titled OD, which seems to be a horror game.

Kojima himself showed up to talk about the project. As usual, rather than giving a straight answer on what OD is, he talked around it. He suggested that it was indeed a game, but also a movie, and a new form of media. Then Jordan Peele arrived and announced his presence in the project. After a few minutes of Kojima using a lot of words to say very little, we move on to the next world premiere.

Jurassic Park is back! Jurassic Park Survival seems to be a game that lets you try to escape Jurassic Park. It will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S at a later date. The trailer was a play-by-play of the franchise’s most iconic locations and moments, so I’m curious about this one.

Zedd showed up to present the award for Best Audio Design. Hi-Fi Rush took home the award, which makes sense considering sound and music are kind of its thing. Another surprise was a trailer for Black Myth Wukong, which still looks absolutely stunning. We also finally have a release date of August 20^th, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Next up was a new trailer for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. I’m still skeptical about this one, but it does look a little better than it did the last time they showed it off. It also has a new release date of February 2^nd, 2024.

Then came the obligatory Warframe segment, showcasing the next update with a new trailer. The next update titled “Whispers in the Walls” will launch a new story chapter and add new weapons, missions, and more. The new update will be released on December 13^th.

After a brief break, we transitioned into the presentation for the Games for Impact award. Tchia took home the award, which I have heard is an exceptional game.

Next came an emotional introduction to a new world premiere trailer from Abubakar Salim. Surgent Studios has created a gorgeous Metroidvania with the help of EA Originals called Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. Tales of Kenzera will be released on April 23^rd, 2024.

The creators of Life is Strange have a new project as well. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage involves a group of girls who discover something strange in the forest that changes their lives forever. It will be released in Late 2024.

The First Berserker: Khazan got a moment to shine next, showcasing its in-engine mix of action and anime-esque graphics. It looks beautiful, but it will have to do something interesting to differentiate itself from every other Souls-like out there.

The Game Awards Orchestra then played the theme song for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. They also showcased a little bit of footage from the game. To my excitement, we got footage of Vincent, Cid, and a variety of other familiar faces. There might even be some new ones, possibly Dyne?

Interestingly, that wasn’t the only Final Fantasy announcement in this segment. There is an Apex Legends / Final Fantasy VII Rebirth crossover event. More details will be shared ahead of the January 9^th crossover.

Back to award announcements, Best Score & Music went to Final Fantasy XVI. Best Independent Game went to Sea of Stars, which I hear is well deserved. Best Community Support went to Baldur’s Gate 3, and with how many updates that game has gotten to fix bugs and issues, I agree.

The award for Best Fighting Game went to Street Fighter 6, which surprised me over Mortal Kombat 1’s stellar reception. Most Anticipated Game went to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. If I may speak for everyone, I want it and Hades II in my hands now, please.

Next up was the obligatory Hoyoverse segment, this time showing the next planet for Honkai Star Rail. The new trailer showcased new characters and a teasing glimpse of what is to come. I’m very hyped.

Of course, there was another commercial break, leading into a segment on a new game from Arkane Lyon. The Daywalker is back in Marvel’s Blade! I am so excited, and the trailer barely showed anything! Set in Paris, you’ll be able to play as the titular Daywalker, your way. It will be a third-person single-player Action-Adventure game and I couldn’t be more excited. It is still in the early stages but I am absolutely ready.

Anthony Mackie announced season 2 of Twisted Metal and presented the award for Best Ongoing Game. Cyberpunk 2077 took home the award, which seems like a strange choice to me, but I don’t make the rules here.

Another world premiere came from Lightspeed Studios. Last Sentinel looks like a cool action game with a female protagonist. It gives me Ghost in the Shell vibes in a strange way. It was just a teaser for now, but hopefully, we’ll see more soon.

This was followed by another trailer for The First Descendant, which will be released this summer. We also saw new footage of Zenless Zone Zero, which I’m still not entirely sold on yet. Thanks to the new trailer, we know that Zenless Zone Zero will be released “Soon in 2024.”

Mr. Door, Alan Wake, and the Old Gods of Asgard made an appearance next with a unique musical performance. The performance was a little goofy, but I appreciate the commitment to the bit. Maybe next year we’ll see Jesse Faden again?

GTFO: The Final Chapter showcased a new trailer, revealing spooky enemies and new gameplay. The developers also revealed a new Sci-Fi heist game called Den of Wolves. It looks very Cyberpunk-y and I am interested. We also got to see a trailer for Exoborne, a new extraction-based sci-fi shooter that you can wishlist now.

Matt Mercer arrived to present new info on Asgard’s Wrath II, an immersive VR game. Asgard’s Wrath II will be playable on December 15^th for Meta Quest devices. It is also free with the purchase of a Meta Quest III.

The Fallout TV series had its segment next, showcasing what vault-dwelling fans can expect. The trailer looked interesting, but it was clearly a “Here are the best elements of what we’ve got for you” style presentation. I’m curious about how it all comes together. Fallout will be on Prime this April.

The cast of the series also presented the award for Best Adaptation. Unsurprisingly, The Last of Us won Best Adaptation, though it had some steep competition in Castlevania: Nocturne and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Afterward, we saw a No Man’s Sky retrospective, leading into a segment with Sean Murray. Hello Games has been working on a new game, as well as new content for No Man’s Sky coming in 2024. This new game is a “multiplayer Earth” designed to be as varied as No Man’s Sky’s universe. With biomes and real-size mountains. Canyons, rivers, lakes…a borderless world you can explore with other people.

The early-stage trailer showcases building, rideable dragons, boats, swimming, exploration, and more. Light No Fire does not yet have a release date, but let’s hope Sean Murray learned from being too ambitious early in No Man’s Sky’s development.

Shang Chi himself (Simu Liu) took the stage next to present new content for Stormgate, an RTS we’ve seen several times before. The new trailer showcased more of the campaign, and a character voiced by Simu Liu. Stormgate will come to Steam Early Access in 2024. Before ending the segment, Simu also presented the award for Best Action-Adventure Game, which went to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

More awards inbound! Best RPG went to Baldur’s Gate 3. Best Sim/Strategy Game went to Pikmin 4, which was a nice surprise. The award for Best Sports/Racing Game went to Forza Motorsport. The Best Multiplayer award went to Baldur’s Gate 3, adding to its stack of awards for the night. The Player’s Voice award went to Baldur’s Gate 3. I mean, you can’t say no to Astarion’s face really.

Another commercial break gave them time to move stuff around for the next segment. Final Fantasy XVI’s DLC was announced, starting with the “Echoes of the Fallen” DLC expansion. The second DLC known as “The Rising Tide” was also announced. You can buy “Echoes of the Fallen” today, while “The Rising Tide” will be available this spring.

The award for Best Game Direction was given out next. Surprisingly, Alan Wake 2 took home the award, though I think Tears of the Kingdom or Baldur’s Gate 3 were more deserving.

The next segment involved a game I’d never heard of called The Finals. It seems to be a team-based shooter with a heavy focus on environmental destruction. You can play The Finals now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The last world premiere of the night was for Monster Hunter: Wilds, presumably a successor to Monster Hunter: World. I’m not exactly the Monster Hunter type, but I know a ton of folks who will be hyped for this. Monster Hunter: Wilds will launch in 2025.

Presenting the award for Game of the Year was Timothee Chalamet, or as I like to call him, the sickly Victorian child. The award for Game of the Year most deservedly went to Baldur’s Gate 3. Though I have to say, this was a tough year, with Tears of the Kingdom and several other great games. I’m curious to see how the Phenixx Gaming staff pick their games of the Year this year.

With that, the Game Awards came to a close. I’m not sure that the back half of the show was as interesting as the front half, but there were some exciting announcements in there. If you want to watch the whole show, check it out below.