Video game fans all know that good announcements should never be taken for granted. That’s why events like E3, Summer Games Fest, and Nintendo Directs get so many viewers. Everyone wants to see game developers and publishers go all out to sell players on their latest offerings. Below you’ll find the 10 best examples of video game announcements over the last calendar year of 2022.
Tekken 8
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
What a year 2022 was for the fighting game genre. First, one major fighting game got a new game announced (we’ll get to that one later), and then just a few months later Tekken 8 was teased at EVO with a short clip of Kazuya Mishima smirking at the camera. While this wasn’t the official reveal, the big day came later when the game’s first trailer served as the opener for the September State of Play stream.
Tekken is one of those classic fighting game franchises that has managed to slide its way into the hearts of the fighting game community (FGC) and casual players alike. The fact that it was one of the major reveals for a State of Play is proof of the game’s far reach. Even better yet is the fact that all signs seem to be pointing to a 2023 release for Tekken 8 unlike the long wait in the leadup to the Tekken 7 console launch.
Death Stranding 2
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
After the mixed critical and fan response to the original Death Stranding, much of the internet seemed to think Hideo Kojima would pivot to a different genre with some kind of new horror game. Some even still believe he’s the one behind the indie project Abandoned. However, Kojima proved that he’s still hard to predict with the announcement of Death Stranding 2 at The Game Awards 2022.
Sadly, it might be a little while before the second-ever strand-type game comes to the PS5. The trailer at The Game Awards didn’t mention a month, quarter, or even a year. If it’s anything like the original game, then players won’t be digging into Death Stranding 2 until some time in 2025. Still, just the mention of anything Kojima-related is sure to get people excited no matter how far away the release date is.
The Witcher Remake
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
The remake that almost nobody was talking about (except Witcher fans) was finally announced this year, causing everyone else to realize how good of an idea it is to remake The Witcher. The only part of the trilogy that hasn’t come to consoles may finally find its way there in the future. CD Projekt hasn’t announced what platforms the game will come to, but the fact that Witcher 2 and 3 are on consoles bodes well for Xbox, PlayStation, and even Nintendo fans.
These massive open-world action RPGs are known for being some of the best-looking games when they come out, and with the title being built on Unreal Engine 5, it certainly has the right foundation for building a game that looks good and plays like a dream. Like other major games announced this year, there’s no clear indication of when this game might come out, but it’s almost certainly not 2023.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
Part two of the action RPG Final Fantasy VII: Remake was finally revealed this year and it looks like it may massively change the path of our heroes from Midgar compared to the original game. The Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth reveal trailer showed off some scenes of Cloud with Sephiroth, and the blonde spiky-haired soldier with Zack as well. It’ll be interesting how the new game digs into these relationships even more than the original did.
Better yet, the end of Remake essentially makes it so anything can happen in Rebirth. Besides the fact that Final Fantasy VII has so many fans, the reality that the story will be vastly different is extremely exciting for both new and old fans. Everybody knows that Aerith dies, but this time around it’s possible that someone else might take the fall. We’ll just have to wait until the Winter of 2023/2024 to find out.
Hades II
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
In a world where video game sequels are as commonplace as brand-new IPs, indie studio Supergiant Games just kept putting out one critically acclaimed standalone title after another. For the first time ever, Supergiant Games announced that it is working on a sequel to one of its original games. Hades II, the follow-up to the 2018 roguelike, was announced at The Game Awards 2022.
Right now, not much is known about Hades II, but based on the reveal trailer it maintains the telltale isometric camera from the first game. More importantly, the gameplay that made the first title a game-of-the-year contender also appears to be back in full force, albeit with a new main character. Hades II doesn’t have a release date or release window yet, but if development started shortly after the Hades console launches, then they’ve likely been at work on it for one and a half to two years.
FIFA Changing to EA Sports FC
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
While technically not a new game announcement, it’s still massive enough to deserve a spot on this list. Since 1994, EA Sports has been putting out soccer video games with the blessing of the FIFA license. After nearly 30 years, EA decided they would not renew their licensing agreement with the international governing body of the biggest sport in the world.
It has already been confirmed that EA Sports has an agreement with La Liga for clubs and players, and it’s certainly likely that more partnership announcements are coming in the future. Additionally, the presence of the moneymaker that is Ultimate Team makes it hard to imagine EA splitting up with FIFA could possibly go wrong. It’ll be interesting to see how EA Sports steps into this new world with EA Sports FC in 2023.
Judas
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
After years of anticipation and speculation about what Kevin Levine’s next project will be, Judas was finally revealed at The Game Awards 2022. Not much is known about the game at this point, but anyone who has seen Bioshock gameplay or their trailers would definitely recognize this trailer as being a Levine product. It’ll be interesting to see how he essentially starts over again with a brand-new world.
Still, it’s safe to say that if Judas is anything like Levine’s past work, then fans of his games are in for a good time. There were parts of the reveal trailer that even made the game look like Bioshock, such as the different powers the main character was using which were reminiscent of the Vigors in Columbia and Plasmids in Rapture. As of right now, there’s no set release date for Judas.
Street Fighter 6
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
We teased this a little earlier on and now it’s finally time to talk about Street Fighter 6. Say what you will about the original logo for the game, at least they heard the feedback and changed it. Plus, if a little logo is the worst the internet can say about your unreleased game, then that bodes extremely well for the next entry of the Street Fighter franchise — especially considering the relatively lukewarm reception Street Fighter V received.
So far, the beta and trailers that have come out for Street Fighter 6 have received nothing but praise from critics and the internet at large. The open-world gameplay is looking good, the graphics are taking a massive step forward from SFV, and fans can hardly wait to get their hands on the game despite the odd-looking cover art. Street Fighter 6 is set to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 2, 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
Three years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduced the world to Cal Kestis, it was announced that he will be returning in a brand-new game titled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. This game takes place after Fallen Order, which places it after the events of Revenge of the Sith but before A New Hope for those of you who haven’t played the first game.
As the title implies, this game will focus on Cal’s struggle to survive the Empire’s relentless hunt for the few remaining Jedi following the mass extermination of their kind at the hands of the clone army, Darth Vader, and Darth Sidious. The best news of all is that fans won’t have to wait long since Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is scheduled to launch in just a few months on Mar. 17, 2023.
Kingdom Hearts IV
10 Biggest Video Game Announcements of 2022
Last but certainly not least is one of the most unexpected reveals to happen in 2022. Kingdom Hearts IV was revealed to the world as a part of the 20th-anniversary celebration. Sure, it makes sense that it was revealed then, but considering how long the gap in releases was between Kingdom Hearts II and III, seeing IV for the first time just three years after the last game came out was relatively surprising for fans.
The action RPG franchise known for melding Final Fantasy with Disney worlds looks to be taking a turn towards a more realistic setting shown off in the original trailer. While this is likely just one of the game’s worlds, it is markedly more lifelike than any world seen in the previous games. There’s currently no set release window for the game, but hopefully, Kingdom Hearts IV doesn’t take as long as III to come out.
Published: Dec 27, 2022 12:00 pm