The Game Awards 2023 wrapped earlier today, marking an epic conclusion to this year’s video game season and celebrating the best games released in the past year. The lengthy ceremony was once again hosted by Geoff Keighley, live from Los Angeles, with Baldur’s Gate 3 taking home the coveted Game of the Year award. As usual, there were a few exciting new announcements, and while some expectations were crushed, there’s still a bunch to look forward to. Standout reveals this year include a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and filmmaker Jordan Peele, a free DLC for God of War Ragnarök, yet another Skull and Bones release date, and more surprises.
Without further ado, here’s a list of the biggest announcements at The Game Awards 2023:
OD
Hideo Kojima’s presence at The Game Awards is always met with the utmost elation, though this time, he didn’t come on stage to show off more Death Stranding 2. Instead, he’s partnering with acclaimed film director Jordan Peele (Nope) to create an immersive horror experience, which the former assures is still a video game, despite its cinematic influences. It’s called OD and the teaser simply shows some facial capture tests of known actors — Sophia Lillis (Sharp Objects), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), and Udo Kier (Melancholia) — spouting some tongue twister about a hungry purple dinosaur, as a Geiger counter ticks away in the background. As previously reported, it is being developed for Xbox Game Studios and leverages cloud gaming technology.
Blade
Arkane Lyon — best known for the Dishonored franchise — is creating a ‘mature’ single-player narrative on Marvel’s Blade aka Daywalker, the superhuman vampire hunter wielding a sharp titanium sword. Set in a quarantined zone in Paris, players are tasked with hunting down bloodthirsty fiends at night and preventing the spread of infection. This marks the second vampire-based video game attempt from Arkane, having previously worked on the disappointing Redfall, and marks their first third-person experience. I just hope it maintains the comic-book art style riddled with Ben-Day dots, as shown in the announcement trailer.
Skull and Bones
Release date: February 16, 2024
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Assuring this isn’t the same old dance, Ubisoft has set a fixed release date for Skull and Bones, the naval combat game that has you climb the ranks from a rookie pirate to a kingpin, whilst besting traitors and menacing foes tucked away in the waves. The studio has also planned another closed beta event, running between December 15–18. Ubisoft+ subscribers can play it three days early, too.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Ninja Theory dropped a ghastly trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, showcasing its realistic cinematics that almost feels like an acid trip, as our returning protagonist traverses Viking Iceland to save those who’ve succumbed to darkness. With puzzles exhibited through psychotic visions, robust sound design, and gruesome hand-to-hand combat, this one looks quite exciting. Wish we knew more about the narrative, though.
God of War Ragnarök – Valhalla DLC
Release date: December 12
Platform: PS4, PS5
Having defeated Odin, Kratos finds himself washed ashore in Valhalla, accompanied by the always-jabbering Mimir. Players will engage in a highly volatile roguelike experience, overcoming trials by facing randomised swarms of enemies, culminating in a boss fight, where each death will take you back to the starting point. It’s unclear how this ties back to God of War Ragnarök’s main lore, but it appears as though he’ll face some enemies from his past life in Greek mythology while experimenting with new builds blessed by the ancient gods. And yeah, it’s a free DLC.
Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League
Release date: February 2, 2024
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League got a new trailer introducing its various supervillains — or rather, heroes who’ve fallen prey to the Brainiac’s mind control — and a glimpse at its high-octane looter-shooter gameplay, as we switch between members of the Task Force X. While originally the game was an always-online affair, Rocksteady Studios has confirmed that it will add an offline story-focused mode after launch. The game also serves as one of the late Kevin Conroy’s final voice-acting performances before his death.
Black Myth: Wukong
Release date: August 20, 2024
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Black Myth: Wukong, the souls-like title inspired by ‘Journey to the West,’ finally got a release date. Venture into the dark fantastical realm of ancient China as the titular heroic Monkey King and partake in punishing but gorgeous boss battles against corrupted creatures and humanoid enemies to seal your fate as the ultimate saviour. Experiment with spells, weapon arts, and special upgrades to ensure you live long enough to see the end and uncover the truth beneath your name. It’s out August 20 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
Rise of the Ronin
Release date: March 22, 2024
Platform: PS5
Team Ninja is exploring the late Edo period of Japan in this open-world samurai entry, as the country falls into a state of turmoil. As a nameless warrior, explore the desperate landscape or glide through the skies to reshape history by working with real-life figures like Ryōma Sakamoto and the intellectual Shoin Yoshida — with consequences governed entirely by the choices you make. Battle foes using a variety of swords and spears, in addition to deflecting flaming arrows with an oiled-up katana to imbue your weaponry with added heat. Rise of the Ronin launches March 22, exclusively on the PS5.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Release date: 2025
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
While not explicitly mentioned, Monster Hunter Wilds appears to be the franchise’s open-world take, set in the vast deserts populated by herds of armadillo-looking creatures, lightning storms, and some gorgeous ecosystems reminiscent of spore-spouting coral reefs. There isn’t much to glean from the short reveal trailer, but it does promise a 2025 release window — let’s see whether it releases before GTA VI!
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
Follow Clive and his party on two new chapters in the lands of Valisthea, as Square Enix reveals paid DLC additions for Final Fantasy XVI. One of the additions, The Echoes of the Fallen, is now available on the PS5 and is set before the base game’s final battle, forcing players to investigate the surge of some weird black crystals being sold in the market and its suspicious sellers. Meanwhile, The Rising Tide DLC is slated for an American Spring 2024 release, and promises ‘new challenges.’ The title itself won the Game Award for best score and music, composed by the legendary musician Masayoshi Soken.
The Game Awards 2023 Announcements — the full list
Beyond the highlights, here’s the complete list of game reveals and updates we saw at The Game Awards 2023:
- Light No Fire (new title from no Man’s Sky developer Hello Games)
- Rise of the Ronin (March 22, 2024 | PS5)
- Fortnite Rocket Racing (December 8 | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One)
- No Rest for the Wicked (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Exodus (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Big Walk (2025 | PC)
- Blade (TBA | PC, Xbox Series S/X)
- God of War Ragnarök – Valhalla DLC (December 12 | PS4, PS5)
- OD (TBA | TBA)
- Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League (February 2, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- The Finals (December 8 | PC)
- Lost Records: Bloom and Rage (Late 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Black Myth: Wukong (August 20, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Monster Hunter Wilds (2025 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- The Casting of Frank Stone (2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (2024 | PC, Xbox Series S/X)
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (February 28, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Skull and Bones (February 16, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen DLC (December 8 | PS5)
- Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide DLC (Spring 2024 | PS5)
- Dragon Ball: Sparkling Zero (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Kemuri (TBA | TBA)
- Jurassic Park Survival (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Last Sentinel (TBA | TBA)
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (September 9, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- The First Descendant (Summer 2024 | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X)
- Ready or Not comes out of early access (December 13 | PC)
- Asgard’s Wrath 2 (December 15 | Meta Quest)
- Stormgate early-access (Summer 2024 | PC)
- Thrasher (2024 | Meta Quest, other virtual reality platforms | PC and console launch later)
- Windblown (2024 | PC)
- The First Berserker: Khazan (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Exoborne (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Mecha Break (TBA | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Zenless Zone Zero (2024, PC, MacOS)
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau (April 23, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X)
- Pony Island 2: Panda Circus (2025 | PC)