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The Game Awards 2024 wrapped up yesterday, and the three-hour show did not disappoint. Yes, there were countless awards given out to some of this year’s greatest achievements, with Astro Bot winning Game of the Year, but it’s the announcements looking forward to 2025 that have us the most excited.
Considering the runtime, it’s hard to nail down The Game Awards 2024’s biggest announcements to just 10 games, but we’ve managed it. Some games are confirmed for a 2025 release window; others are looking into 2026 and beyond. Regardless, there are a lot of new and exciting upcoming video games to have on your radar, so let’s get into the most exciting reveals.
Best announcements from The Game Awards 2024
10. Borderlands 4
While Borderlands 4 was already teased with a 90-second trailer back in August 2024, it was at The Game Awards 2024 that we finally saw proper gameplay. Aptly named the “Official First Look”, the two-and-a-half-minute trailer picks up where previous promotional material left off, as the Psycho mask is held and then destroyed. The new big bad is introduced, the fearsome Timekeeper, a dictator who wants to strengthen his grip on this new world.
We get to see plenty of the new planet of Kairos, including an impressive sense of scale and vivid detail in the environments. The four playable characters have been shown off, too, as well as the gameplay, which goes all in on the over-the-top gunplay, vehicles, and special abilities. It’s coming sometime in 2025, and we’re hopeful it will be considerably better than the movie which debuted earlier this year.
9. Virtua Fighter
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen too much of note for the upcoming Virtua Fighter reboot/sequel other than the fact that it’s in development by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio — creators of Yakuza, Judgement, and Like a Dragon. Blending live action with some early gameplay, we see a brief snippet of the fast-paced 3D fighter for a new generation.
The VF Direct 2024 goes into a little more detail about the game. However, this presser primarily focuses on new versions of Virtua Fighter 5 instead. Rya Ga Gotoku seems like the perfect fit, given the melee-heavy action of the Yakuza games, and we’re excited to see what new developers can do with the IP.
8. Project Century
Also coming from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Project Century appears to be a brand new IP from the prolific Japanese studio. It’s currently unknown whether it’s a part of an existing series or something entirely different, but we’re excited all the same. In 100 seconds, the scene is set, and we’re going 99 years back in time to 1915, complete with music of the time and the brawling action that RGG is famous for.
One particular sequence near the end of the Project Century announcement trailer is interesting, with the protagonist walking out into the heavy rain armed with what appears to be hooked swords. Cue what looks to be a bar brawl, complete with the smashing of a broken beer bottle and bar stool, and it’s clear that visceral violence is the name of the game. In one sequence near the end, the protagonist blocks an overhead shovel strike with a crowbar and stabs someone in the head; it all looks incredibly satisfying to play.
7. Onimusha: Way of the Sword
It’s been a long time since this franchise was a mainstay in the gaming landscape, with the last mainline entry arriving all the way back in 2006. Enter Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which brings the series into the current generation in all its visual splendor. For nearly two minutes, we get to see all the iconography that these games are known for; dark castles, magic, and swordplay are front and center, with blade-wielding monsters also present and accounted for.
The latter half of the Onimusha: Way of the Sword trailer focuses on sword combat to great effect. We see a string of violent and kinetic stealth executions, as well as the clashing of blades, and even some group combat, too. The series is renowned for its otherworldly atmosphere, so naturally, there are also larger-than-life bosses against which to battle. We see a fair few giants that need slaying in the closing seconds before it’s revealed that the game will be arriving sometime in 2026 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC via Steam.
6. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Talk about kicking off The Game Awards 2024 with a bang. The very first game announced in the pre-show was Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and we couldn’t be happier. The series has been dormant since the so-so Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z a decade ago and hasn’t had a bonafide 2D entry in nearly 30 years. Developed by Blasphemous creators, The Game Kitchen, and set to be published by Dotemu (in partnership with Koei Tecmo), this 2D side-scrolling action game looks seriously top tier.
All the hallmarks of the early Ninja Gaiden games seem present and accounted for, including the cinematic cutscenes, amazing music, mythological powers, and (hopefully) brutal difficulty. It’s worth pointing out that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s aesthetics seem to have more in common with the 1988 arcade game than the NES trilogy, but with a modern flair. Interestingly, you don’t appear to play as franchise protagonist Ryu Hayabusa (though he is here); instead, you’re piloting newcomer Kenji Mozu. The game is arriving sometime in Summer 2025.
5. Thick as Thieves
Anyone who is familiar with Warren Spector’s work will know him as the father of the immersive sim and an advocate for complete player freedom. The man, who previously directed genre classics like Deus Ex and Thief: Deadly Shadows, is back with a new IP carrying the torch forward, but this time adding multiplayer into the mix. Thick as Thieves is dark and beautiful, with a distinct art style that highlights the shadows.
We’re introduced to several character archetypes in smash-cuts, such as The Hood, The Spider, and The Chameleon, each with their own power sets and traversal methods. It’s too early to tell if the final product will look anything like this trailer, but the ideas presented here have enough personality and depth for us to be intrigued. Stealth is the name of the game here, as patrolling guards occupy buildings and the streets below. Fans of modern immersive sims such as Dishonored have a lot to look forward to; how it translates to PvPvE remains to be seen.
4. Project Robot
It’s been some time since we last heard from game director Fumito Ueda, but thankfully, the near-decade of silence has been broken by an announcement about Project Robot. Unfortunately, details are scarce outside of the two-minute trailer from Gen Design, but the hallmarks are presented and accounted for. We see a boy climbing a giant robot racing against a ticking clock (giving him 60 seconds to reach safety). Just before the moment of impact, the robot’s head detaches and (seemingly) flies to safety.
For context, this is the same director who previously spearheaded PlayStation masterpieces such as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, so we are expecting a game that’s as large in scale as it is in ambition. The studio’s previous effort, 2016’s The Last Guardian, had a few quirks when it finally debuted nearly 10 years after first being announced. We are hoping that Project Robot doesn’t take anywhere near as long from reveal to release and is a more consistent experience in keeping with earlier efforts.
3. Okami sequel
It’s been nearly 20 years since Okami first arrived on the PS2 and Nintendo Wii, with the cult hit later receiving HD ports for PC, Xbox, and PS4 in more recent years. One of the biggest surprises of The Game Awards 2024 is the fact that a fully-fledged Okami sequel is in early development, spearheaded by Hideki Kamiya and a revived Clover Studios, too. The trailer arrived with fanfare as a live orchestra introduced the eagerly anticipated game to the stage.
Barely anything is known about the Okami sequel other than the fact that we know it’s on the way. We wouldn’t expect this game for the next few years, but just having confirmation of its development is good enough for us. The brief project teaser touches on all the right notes; whimsical woodwind instrumentation, gorgeous brushed artwork, and the titular Okami (meaning wolf in English) are here.
2. Elden Ring Nightreign
We should stress that Elden Ring Nightreign is definitely not a sequel but a standalone co-op-focused adventure set in The Lands Between. Given the immense popularity of the developer’s Game of the Year 2022 award-winning title, it wasn’t out of the unexpected to see more from this world, especially so hot on the heels of the beloved expansion Shadow of the Erdtree earlier this year, too.
Elden Ring Nightreign receives a three-minute gameplay trailer, highlighting more of the brutal fantasy action that fans will love, with a couple of surprises thrown in for Soulsborne veterans as well. You’ll be able to explore the open world and slay beasts and bosses of all shapes and sizes in a trio, expanding the co-op versatility seen in the base game. What’s even better is that the title is arriving sometime in 2025 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, so we have to wait too long for our next RPG fix.
1. The Witcher 4
Without question, the most exciting announcement from The Game Awards 2024 has to be the full-scale unveiling of The Witcher 4. CD Projekt RED has kept Project Polaris under wraps for some time, but now we finally get our next slice of dark fantasy action nearly a decade after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, this time with Ciri at the wheel. If there’s one thing that can be said about Andrzej Sapkowski’s world is that it is grim and depressing, and that appears to be the case for the fourth entry in the saga, too.
The Witcher 4 trailer opens with a young woman being dressed up to be sacrificed to the “gods” who live in the forest to spare her village. Well, that doesn’t work for Ciri, who rushes after the woman, telling her to run, and heroically slays the beast, declaring that there are no gods here, only monsters.
We briefly hear Geralt’s voice at the end of the trailer, indicating he may play a role in the story (possibly through flashbacks) as the torch has firmly been passed here. Magic, monsters, and decision-making will make up the bulk of the experience, and we can’t wait to play it. We just hope that CD Projekt RED takes its time with this one, only releasing it when it’s ready.
Everything announced at The Game Awards 2024
While we’ve given you our picks for the top 10 announcements at The Game Awards 2024, that’s leaving hours’ worth of coverage off the table. For your convenience, we’ve rounded up everything that was announced at last night’s show, so you’re fully clued up on what’s coming in the future.
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is revealed
- One Move Away receives a world premiere trailer
- Slay the Spire 2 gameplay is showcased
- Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC is announced
- Thick as Thieves gets a debut trailer
- Shadow Labyrinth (from Secret Level) debuts
- Steel Paws, a mobile game from Yu Suzuki, is coming to Netflix in 2025
- Kyora, from the makers of Core Keeper, gets a 30-second teaser
- Sifu developer Sloclap showcases soccer sim Rematch
- Solasta 2 gets a world premiere trailer
- The Witcher 4 is finally revealed, with Ciri as the protagonist
- Elden Ring Nightreign debuts a co-op standalone take on the FromSoftware RPG
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is coming to PC on January 23, 2025
- Catly, a game about cats, is coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, and Apple devices
- Project Robot is teased from the makers of Shadow of the Colossus and Ico
- The Outer Worlds 2 gets a release window trailer for 2025
- Split Fiction, a new game from the developers of It Takes Two, is coming in March 2025
- Steel Hunters, developed by Wargaming, gets a world-premiere trailer
- The Long Dark is confirmed to be coming to early access in 2026
- Borderlands 4 gets its first gameplay trailer
- Clive Rosfield is confirmed for Tekken 8, launching on December 16, 2024
- Virtua Fighter is coming back, developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Project Century, another Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio game, is revealed
- Turok Origins is announced, bringing the dinosaur shooting franchise back
- Warframe 1999 gets a release date
- Palworld: Feybreak update is coming on December 23, 2024
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword gets announced and is coming in 2026
- The First Berserker: Khazan is coming on March 27, 2025
- Dying Light: The Beast is slated for a Summer 2025 release window
- Stage Fright, from the developers of Overcooked, gets a world-premiere trailer
- Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is announced, featuring actors from the HBO show
- The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is coming to PC on April 3, 2025
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds gets announced with a brief teaser
- Mafia: The Old Country is coming in Summer 2025
- Dispatch, from former Telltale developers, is announced, starring Aaron Paul
- An Okami sequel is announced to be in early development
- Naughty Dog announces its next game, Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet
