The Game Awards went all-digital this year with a massive broadcast across the world. While all eyes were on its Game of the Year pick, the show also brought several exciting announcements.
The biggest shock of the show was a reveal of a new Perfect Dark game by Microsoft-owned studio The Initiative. The title has been rumored throughout the year and many fans speculated it could show up during the broadcast. BioWare teased a new Mass Effect game, though it didn’t share details on it. Fortnite stole the back half of the show by revealing that Master Chief was coming to the game, as are characters from The Walking Dead. Nintendo’s much anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter turned out to be Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. Ark 2 was another highlight, which debuted an action-packed trailer staring Vin Diesel.
Aside from those topline announcements, the three-hour broadcast was a little more low-key than some were expecting. Anticipated games like Elden Ring didn’t make an appearance, and there were only a handful of major surprises. Much of the show revolved around checking in on games and studios previously highlighted at The Game Awards. Most notably, Game Awards regular Josef Fares appeared to show off Hazelight’s new multiplayer game It Takes Two.
Here’s every major announcement from the 2020 Game Awards.
Devolver Digital announces Loop Hero
Time for our first World Premiere of the night…Loop Hero! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/XbajfZVFpd
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 10, 2020
The preshow kicked off with Devolver Digital. The indie publisher revealed a new game called Loop Hero, which appears to be a retro RPG with deck-building elements. The game is scheduled for a 2021 release.
Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut coming to Switch
World Premiere trailer of Sea of Solitude just for you from @CorneliaGeppert! 🌊 #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/WiSlgCJdGx
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 10, 2020
Former Game Awards nominee Sea of Solitude is coming to Nintendo Switch. The port is a more robust rework of the original indie game, described as a director’s cut. The extended version is coming exclusively to the Switch on March 4. Sea of Solitude was previously nominated in the Games for Impact category.
New dragon combat game Century: Age of Ashes
World Premiere of Century: Age of Ashes! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/1uj5OQahm3
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
The preshow ended with a dragon flying combat game called Century: Age of Ashes. The game comes out in February, with the beta available now on Steam. It looks a bit like Skyrim meets Panzer Dragoon with a competitive multiplayer focus.
Sephiroth joins Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
New main? 🤔 World Premiere of a brand new character, Sephiroth in Super Smash Bros Ultimate by @NintendoAmerica!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/lfoeWsHNMv
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s next character is Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. A new trailer showed the villain in action slashing a sword and with one black wing. The character releases sometime this month.
Perfect Dark coming from The Initiative
Perfect Dark!! @xbox dropping the highly anticipated World Premiere at #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/7TPwFjOlgk
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Developer The Initiative unveiled a cinematic trailer for its latest project, a new Perfect Dark game. The team describes it as an eco-shooter. Microsoft previously described the studio as a AAA developer, with its current project being heavily under wraps. Rumors has previously suggested the team was working on the franchise.
Back 4 Blood is basically Left 4 Dead 3
🧟♀️ Look out for zombies 🧟♂️ in this World Premiere of @back4blood from @TurtleRock! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/XPxgTKOFMG
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A cinematic trailer and gameplay were shown for Back 4 Blood, a zombie game by Turtle Rock Studios. Turtle Rock, formerly Valve South, worked on the Left 4 Dead games and Back 4 Blood “builds on the legacy” of that series. It’s unclear if its an official sequel or a spiritual successor, but it features four-player zombie co-op that’s identical to Left 4 Dead’s gameplay.
The game will release on June 22 with an alpha starting next week, on December 17. Players can sign up here.
The Callisto Protocol is a new sci-fi horror game
World Premiere of The Callisto Protocol from @sd_studios! Need it now!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/xorEFoPiCH
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
The Callisto Protocol is coming from Striking Distance Studio. The studio is led by Glen Schofield, who worked on Dead Space. The game is described as a survival horror game, and it certainly appears to be in the vein of Dead Space. The game will release in 2022.
Open Roads is a new game from Fullbright
Road trip anyone? @A_i and @fullbright just dropped the World Premiere of Open Roads with @KaitlynDever and Keri Russell! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/9Hz7Q1DLF8
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Gone Home developer Fullbright’s new project is Open Roads. Published by Annapurna Interactive, the game is a road trip/coming of age story with a unique art style. The game features voice acting by Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut coming to PlayStation and PC
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is the definitive edition of the smash-hit RPG. New political quests, more characters, and full voice-acting for everyone. Standard Edition and Collector's Edition now available to pre-order. Coming March 2021.https://t.co/GIIwHpaPJK pic.twitter.com/Okl3pW7oTy
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Disco Elysium is finally coming to consoles in the form of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. The game features more content, including new quests. The game lands on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC in March. Players can pre-order a deluxe edition of the game now.
The RPG won four awards at last year’s Game Awards including best RPG and Best Narrative.
BioWare shows off Dragon Age 4
Here it is!!! The new DRAGON AGE World Premiere by @Bioware! #TheGameAwards! pic.twitter.com/XIn19vn0VF
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
BioWare showed a brief trailer for the next Dragon Age game. Unfortunately, it didn’t reveal much of anything, but it was good to see it make an appearance. The trailer comes shortly after the studio underwent major changes that saw two top employees stepping down, including the game’s executive producer.
Crimson Desert is a new open world game
First look at @CrimsonDesert_ gameplay in this World Premiere! 🤯 at #TheGameAwards! pic.twitter.com/d5iqsj0n4D
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
South Korean developer Pearl Abyss revealed a new, next-gen open world game called Crimson Desert. The trailer showed off some gorgeous landscapes that heavily featured impressive lighting effects. It looks quite a bit like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, with a heavy focus on brutal combat, exploration, and puzzles. There appears to be a bit of as sci-fi element to it as well, another similarity to Assassin’s Creed. Pearl Abyss is the development studio behind Black Desert Online.
The Swedish Chef joins Overcooked
The Swedish Chef in @OvercookedGame?! Name a more iconic duo, I’ll wait. #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/x5ulYxpY2v
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
The Swedish Chef made an appearance and gave a speech in a comedic bit. The Muppet is a playable character in Overcooked: All You Can Eat and players can download him now for free.
Warframe gets an Unreal Tournament weapon bundle
Warframe is now available on the Epic Games Store!
Download now and claim the exclusive Unreal Tournament Weapon Bundle for free until December 24.@PlayWarframe for FREE: https://t.co/b4sl7zyXS4 pic.twitter.com/dkQS3PH1ni
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Warframe is now available for free on the Epic Games Store. As part of the release, the looter-shooter is getting a new weapon bundle based on the Unreal Tournament series. Players can claim it for free until December 24.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War season one shown
.@CallOfDuty dropping the World Premiere of Season One #BlackOpsColdWar!! #TheGameAwards #Warzone pic.twitter.com/qVTfpfiLMW
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Activision showed off a new glimpse of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s first season. It featured quite a lot of guns and jeeps, as one might expect, and seemed to tease some battle royale mode gameplay. It officially kicks off on December 16.
PlayStation 5 game Season revealed
World Premiere of Season coming to @PlayStation 5!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/UENfjNxLRC
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A new PlayStation 5 game called Season was revealed. Developer by Scavengers Studio, Season is a new indie with a gorgeous art style. Scavengers Studio is the team behind battle royale game The Darwin Project.
Vin Diesel stars in Ark 2
World Premiere of ARK II! A brutal new world of primitive survival! Continue @survivetheark's story of humankind's evolution in this next-generation sandbox survival experience! 🦕 #ARK2 #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/W8iHpLkOWf
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Am expansive, story-driven trailer for Ark 2 was shown. The sequel stars Vin Diesel and shows the actor fighting monsters and dinosaurs off with an ae in the jungle. The game features something of a sci-fi edge, with Diesel’s character discovering some sort of future tech after escaping the clutches of a T. Rex.
In addition to the game, Ark is getting an animated series in 2022 that stars Elliot Page and Gerard Butler.
Fall Guys’ winter-themed season shown
The most wonderful time of the year for the @FallGuysGame World Premiere of Season 3! ❄️ #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/l0K5bTEY0L
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A new trailer for Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout’s next season was shown, giving a glimpse of the upcoming winter update. The trailer showcases new penguin-themed costumes and snowy levels. The season begins on January 15.
Evil Dead: The Game revealed
This World Premiere is for all the supernatural horror fans, it’s Evil Dead The Game! #TheGameAwards! pic.twitter.com/AGIvpzZgkU
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Evil Dead is getting its own game. Evil Dead: The Game is coming in 2021 and seems to be a multiplayer game, though few details were revealed during its short trailer, which featured main character Ash.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins remake coming to Switch
Wow an incredible first look at @CapcomUSA_ Arcade Collection! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/p83Sud3GT8
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A remake of Ghosts ‘n Goblins, called Ghosts ‘n Goblins: Resurrection, is coming to Nintendo Switch on February 26.
In addition to that remake, the Capcom Arcade Collection is coming in February. The fine print notes that 1943: The Battle of Midway will be free, but other titles will be separate DLC. It’s unclear if those are free.
Microsoft Flight Simulator comes to Xbox Series X summer 2021
Prepare for take off! Here’s the wonderful World Premiere of Flight Simulator coming to @Xbox! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/WhifW6veQk
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A new trailer for Microsoft Flight Simulator showed off the game playing on Xbox Series X. The game, which won Best Strategy/Simulator Game this year, is coming to the console in summer 2021.
Returnal gets March 19 release date
From @PlayStation studios, here is a new look at Returnal in this World Premiere!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/P4VccbuOU5
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal is coming March 19. Sony Studios’ upcoming shooter is being positioned as one of the PlayStation 5’s big exclusives in 2021, alongside the new Ratchet & Clank and Gran Turismo games.
Josef Fares shows off It Takes Two
.@josef_fares giving us the first look at It Takes Two from @HazelightGames in this World Premiere✌️ #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/wkQuDzHvTU
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Hazelight’s next game is It Take Two. Game Awards favorite Josef Fares revealed the colorful multiplayer game. The title is a major departure from Hazelight’s previous games, opting for a more comedic, cartoonish approach. Like previous games from the developer, it’s a two player, story-driven co-op game.
Like Hazelight’s last game, A Way Out, It Takes Two will have a friend pass, which gives players an extra copy when they buy the game. The game releases on March 26.
The Elder Scrolls Online next expansion is Gates of Oblivion
WOW!! World Premiere of @ElderScrolls Online!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/zJb4Nuam46
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A trailer for The Elder Scrolls’ Online’s next expansion, Gates of Oblivion, was shown. The cinematic trailer didn’t reveal much, only confirming the title and that the next DLC is coming sometime in 2021.
Monster Hunter Rise gets January demo
WOW! An amazing new look at @MonsterHunter Rise coming to Nintendo Switch in this #TheGameAwards World Premiere! pic.twitter.com/8dZMCzXdyH
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
The upcoming Nintendo Switch game Monster Hunter Rise got a new trailer, which shows a bit more of the story. A demo for the game is coming in January ahead of its March 26 launch.
Western shooter Evil West revealed
Your very first look at @PlayEvilWest by @Focushome here at #TheGameAwards! pic.twitter.com/gmP2gmp4Yl
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A new Western game called Evil West was revealed. The game appears to be an action game where players fight monsters and demons in a Wild West setting. Developed by Snowrunner studio Focus Home Interactive, the game is coming sometime next year.
Among Us shows off next map
This World Premiere is highly sus! Your first look at the brand new map in @AmongUsGame then vote @geoffkeighley out… #TheGameAwards! pic.twitter.com/lqFYtmLE8a
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Among Us’ new map was revealed during the show. The Airship is an airplane level that features ladders and shortcuts to navigate. The map is coming in early 2021. The game now also has a Geoff Keighley mask that is available on Twitch for a limited time.
Master Chief, The Walking Dead come to Fortnite
New hunters in @FortniteGame revealed in this World Premiere!! Master Chief! @Ninja! Daryl and Michonne from #TWD!! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/4qKSAXNpxv
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
Master Chief is coming to Fortnite’s latest season. The classic Halo map Bloodgulch is coming to the game’s creative mode as well. Players can play capture the flag in a re-created version of the map starting tomorrow morning.
Daryl and Michonne from The Walking Dead are joining the star-studded season as well. The latest season already features Kratos and The Mandalorian.
Skyrim comes to Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass just announced The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (console), Among Us (PC only), & Yakuza 3,4,5 Remastered are all coming soon. Plus, enjoy EA Play (now on console, coming to PC December 15)! Join today & get 3 months of Ultimate for $1 right now: https://t.co/EeLaZWCX6j pic.twitter.com/PRw7RikShB
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
It wouldn’t be a big gaming event without Skyrim. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is officially coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 15. The announcement follows Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Bethesda. As part of the deal, the publisher’s entire catalogue will come to the service.
Several Yakuza remasters are coming to Game Pass as well, including Yakuza 3 through Yakuza 6.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story makes an appearance
World Premiere of Ruined King: A League of Legend Story from @RiotForge and @AirshipSyn!! ☠️ 👑 #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/HwfyYSEGVd
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
The single-player League of Legends spinoff Ruined King got a new trailer that shows the game in action. Revealed at last year’s Game Awards, it appears to be a turn-based RPG. The game is scheduled for an early 2021 release on console and PC, including Nintendo Switch.
New Mass Effect game teased
Last World Premiere of the night!! The new @MassEffect looks AMAZING. @Bioware #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/API9wWZ36o
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 11, 2020
A teaser trailer for a new Mass Effect game was shown. No details were given beyond a confirmation that a new installment of the series is in development. BioWare recently lost two of its senior members in a sudden studio shake-up.
