“Look, we always planned for a, you know, a surprise release,” said Grenier. “Geoff came in and wanted to do something special and put us in the TGAs. We were gonna do a shadowdrop, you know, since day one, almost since forming this company; we did it with Apex and it worked well.”

This eventually led to Highguard being one of the games that would be showcased at The Game Awards 2025. However, Grenier noted that, in hindsight, unveiling the shooter during one of the biggest gaming events of the year was “maybe a little risky”. He also acknowledged that the creation of the trailer was a bit rushed, and that the studio had neglected to reveal the actual gameplay loop, and instead focused on creating a trailer that could be considered entertaining.

“We’ve known Geoff for a long time, and he said, ‘let me do something,’ that’s maybe a little risky in hindsight—but different, [to] take a free to play PvP Raid Shooter and do something with it,” he explained. “So we rushed a trailer together. I wish the reception had been better, but in hindsight we made a trailer to entertain really quickly, and didn’t show the gameplay loop, and what’s different and unique.”

Despite the less-than-favorable reactions Highguard’s The Game Awards 2025 trailer got, however, Grenier is still confident about the title moving forward, noting that the studio is quite experienced in making games, and how they are familiar with seeing both the highs and the lows of a release.

“So here we are. We’re launching the game now, and the team is resilient and enthusiastic,” he said. “They’ve made a ton of games in their careers; we’ve seen the highs and the lows. I think, ultimately, we believe wholeheartedly in what we’ve created.”

Highguard is a free-to-play PvP shooter, and is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The title, having just launched, has seen an interesting response from the market at large. While its user reviews on Steam are, at the time of publishing, sitting at Mostly Negative, it still saw thousands of players checking it out, peaking at 97,249 on its launch day. A few hours later, the concurrent player count has shrunk by a considerable amount, but this will likely change later since these player counts tend to rise and fall cyclically on a daily basis.

For more details on what Wildlight Entertainment has in store for Highguard, check out the roadmap, which features new Wardens, bases, mounts, and even “surprises”.

It is worth noting that the 171 million livestreams number refers only to the show itself, and doesn’t include the views garnered by smaller clips or even trailers. Along with this, viewership on paid platforms, like Prime Video where The Game Awards could also be watched, has also not been taken into account. Rather, the number has been estimated off a few platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, TikTok Live, Steam, Facebook, X, and Instagram Live, along with regional platforms like the numerous ones in China and JioHotstar in India.

In terms of individual platforms, the 4K stream of The Game Awards 2025 saw an 8 percent jump year-on-year in concurrent live viewers compared to the previous year. Taking co-streams into account, the event on a whole saw more than 2.4 million viewers at one point, which marks a rise of around 9 percent. Twitch also boasted of impressive viewership figures, coming out over 1.8 million peak concurrent viewers—marking a 5 percent year-on-year rise.

These numbers represent the continuation of the constant growth in livestreaming numbers that The Game Awards has been seeing since 2014. Eleven years ago, the show got 1.9 million views. This would rise up to 2.3 million in 2015, and so on. The first major jump in viewership numbers was recorded in 2018, which saw 26.2 million compared to the prior year’s 11.5 million. 2020 would see yet another major jump, coming up to 83 million. The trend has since continued, and the event has shown no signs of slowing down in this regard.

The Game Awards 2025 took place earlier this month, and saw Sandfall Interactive’s turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 walk away with many of the awards, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and Best Role-Playing Game, among others. There were also other winners, like Hollow Knight: Silksong, which won Best Action/Adventure, and Hades 2, which won Best Action Game. Even older games got awards, with Baldur’s Gate 3 walking away with the award for Best Community Support, and No Man’s Sky getting Best Ongoing Game. Looking to the future, Grand Theft Auto 6 won the award for Most Anticipated Game.

The event saw the announcement of many new games, like co-op shooter 4:LOOP, as well as Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios’ next major project—Divinity. Already-announced games also got new trailers at the event, like Lords of the Fallen 2 finally showcasing its gameplay, and a brand new trailer for upcoming horror title Resident Evil Requiem that gave us our first look at returning protagonist Leon Kennedy. Even saw the unveiling of two new Tomb Raider games—Tomb Raider: Catalyst and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

Aside from Game of the Year, these include Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Performance (Jennifer English as Maelle), Best Role-Playing Game, Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game. The only categories it didn’t win were Best Audio Design, which went to Battlefield 6.

Other notable winners include Hollow Knight: Silksong, which received Best Action/Adventure, and Hades 2, which won Best Action Game. Baldur’s Gate 3 won Best Community Support, and No Man’s Sky bagged Best Ongoing Game. To no one’s surprise, Grand Theft Auto 6 won the Most Anticipated Game Award.

As for Clair Obscur, there’s no better time than now to jump in. It’s currently discounted, and Sandfall released a massive new update that expanded the post-game. Head here for more details.

We’re obviously excited and can’t wait to see what the latest edition of the event brings to the table. But we’re also hoping that it gives us news about a few titles we’re quite excited about. Without further ado, here are the things we’d love to see at The Game Awards 2025.

1. Fallout 3 Remastered Reveal Trailer

We’re itching at the chance to dive right back into what’s close to the best Fallout title we’ve played. With Bethesda doing a great job of bringing The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion back to life, we can’t wait to see what the studio does with a title that has the potential to have this one among the best remakes/remasters out there.

Given how the studio managed to modernize another of its classics, a trailer for this one would be quite nice, allowing us all to see just how well the remaster manages to recapture the magic of the original.

2. GTA 6 Trailer

Given the delay to this highly aniticpated title, we’d say it’s about time that Rockstar gives us more concrete news about it, It’s probably safe to guess that the game is atleast ready for a trailer at TGA 2025, and it would definitely reassure the gaming community at large that the game is indeed coming in 2026, given how much hype it already has behind it.

This is an opportunity to showcase what it can do, and we sure as hell hope Rockstar is ready to show off its upcoming flagship title.

3. Half-Life 3 Reveal Trailer

The rumor mill has already hinted at a reveal for Half-Life 3 at TGA, and we’re definitely hoping that it got things right this time. While Valve has chosen to let us stew in its silence on this one, that’s not to say that there is any good reason why the studio should choose to make an announcement about a title that’s going to bring back fond memories of the games that came before it.

Once again, it’s an opportunity to bring back a dormant franchise back to the mainstream and enthrall legions of players while you’re at it. Let’s hope Valve sees things the same way we do!

4. Alien Isolation 2

The next chapter of Alien Isolation is a fine choice for a reveal at TGA, considering just how well the first title managed to recapture the magic of the franchise as its players made their way to a desolate facility overrun with Xenomorphs.

With the first game’s story giving us the impression that things were only beginning to heat up, it’s more than about time that the next instalment makes itself known, and gives us an end to the agonizing wait for this follow-up to the first title.

5. The Next Metro Game Reveal Trailer

We think it’s safe to say that you’d agree that it’s about time we got a new Metro game. With speculation rife about a potential reveal at TGA 2025, this is another batch of rumors that have us hoping for their credibility.

A blend of Last Light and Exodus would certainly be a great addition to the franchise, and a trailer showcasing how the game could be the one that cements its future in modern gaming.

6. Max Payne 1 + 2 Remake Reveal Trailer

It’s always good to hear back from old friends, and Max Payne definitely fits the bill. A remake of both the first two games is already on the cards, with Remedy and Rockstar collaborating to bring both titles into one comprehensive package.

We’re hoping to see a trailer of what that new title could bring to the table, and perhaps get ourselves hyped up to dive back into an adventure that has given us so many fond memories.

7. OD

Hideo Kojima and Jordan Peele collaborating on a horror title? Sign us up! We’re hoping to hear more about this game at TGA 2025, especially after knowing that Kojima was a part of a Silent Hill title before his infamous fallout with Konami.

This is a horror title that could change the genre if you consider the prodigious skill sets of its makers, and is definitely something we want to hear more about, no matter the occasion.

8. Metal Gear Solid 1 Remake

After Naked Snake’s current-gen debut, it’s only natural to want a franchise that’s been a source of so many fond gaming-related memories to get to us sooner rather than later. We’re hoping that Konami builds on the momentum it has achieved with Delta: Snake Eater, and brings us more remakes of a franchise that continues to be a crucial part of modern gaming.

If the previous remake was any indication, this is a title that’s going to be faithful to the original that inspired it while also making it relevant enough to appeal to newcomers as well.

9. The Next Wolfenstein

We loved The New Order and also enjoyed The New Colossus, which makes us believe that six years is way too long without a Wolfenstein game in the making. Here’s to hoping that TGA 2025 ends that long wait, and that a new title in a franchise that was part of our early gaming years hits the stage and puts it back on the map.

10. Ace Combat 8

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Ace Combat series since 2019’s Skies Unknown. With the game’s producer already giving cryptic hints about a new game, TGA 2025 might just be the best place to make it official.

It’s going to be great to see the franchise come to life with Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals and any potential tweaks to the gameplay loop that Bandai Namco chooses to bring to the table.

11. Kingdom Hearts IV

It’s been a while since this one was announced, and we’re hoping to hear more about it at TGA. A face-off between Sora and Heartless is surely going to come with a lot of twists and turns we weren’t expecting, and this is a game that we’ve been excited about for a very long time.

Fans of the franchise are sure to share our sentiments, and this is a title that needs to be a part of the festivities and might even prompt some folks to continue celebrating long after the event is over.

12. Final Fantasy Remake Part 3

With the game’s director recently stating that it’s more or less complete, TGA 2025 is the perfect stage to introduce this one to the world. We already know that the game is down to two final titles, with one being officially finalized at the end of the year.

Well, that time is almost upon us, and we’re sure that the game is going to have something for us to chew on at TGA 2025. An update would do well to keep the hype up for a game that many are waiting for, after all.

13. New Light No Fire Trailer

A new IP from the makers of No Man’s Sky is obviously a massive draw, considering the success of the latter. It’s quite an ambitious effort from Hello Games, although its premise and new world might be different from the studio’s previous offering.

A new trailer showcasing the game’s many pillars and gameplay loop is definitely something we’re not willing to wait for, and we’re hoping that TGA is a great occasion for more news.

14. The Division 3 Revealed

The developer might have managed to begin a revival of its fortunes, but so much hinges on its upcoming projects that the studio must get things right. Fortunately, this is a studio that has no dearth of talent that can help it regain its footing, and The Division is one among them

Let’s hope that the developer manages to get its resolutions for 2026 in place before TGA 2025, and that this highly anticipated title is a part of those plans.

15. The Wolf Among Us 2

It’s rare that we have the patience to wait for a sequel to an awesome game for nearly twelve years. However, our patience has now run thin, and we’re hoping that Telltale Games gives us a snippet about a sequel to one of our favorite episodic titles.

We look at it as a new season of a show that managed to capture our hearts and minds before vanishing off the map without a trace. We’re glad a sequel’s in the making, but would like to know more about it if its makers decide that TGA is a good place to give out more news.

And that’s a wrap on everything we’re hoping to see at TGA 2025. Let’s all hope that developers around the world feel the same way as we do, and bring all of their hard work to the spotlight that it deserves.

“We’ve been working hard on projects for a very long time,” said Blow in his video. “We have a wide variety of things that we’ve been developing. They’re very complicated. Sometimes they take a while to come to fruition. Do we give up? No, we do not. We keep going, and we get them done because ultimately, even if something took nine years or 10 years to make, if you work hard for a long time, you can produce something that is tremendously good, much better than you ever expected in the beginning, and then you can finally get it out to people.”

As for his announcement, he noted that it probably won’t be “a trailer for like an RPG where you fight monsters from hell.” Rather, he noted that there’s “nothing wrong with that, but that’s not what we’re announcing.”

“If there’s any game industry events, such as something happening in Los Angeles — which I wouldn’t even know about because I have to get on a plane tomorrow morning to go to some show — if there’s something like that, some Game Awards,” he continued. “I don’t think we’re getting an award tomorrow, but if there’s something like that that also has information in it besides like awards, then just keep your eyes peeled…”

“Yeah. Just keep an eye out, because at such a place — if I were to make an actual announcement that conveyed the actual facts that I wanted to provide that people often ask about — that would be a good place to do it, to have the actual announcement that we are announcing today. All right. Thank you.”

The last major release by Blow was Braid: Anniversary which was released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch last year. Essentially an upgraded version of an indie title that was originally released on Xbox 360 all the way back in 2008. The seminal puzzle platformer presented players with complex puzzles that revolved around time manipulation and platforming.

For more details, check out our review of Braid: Anniversary, which we gave a score of 9 out of 10. While we did note that some of the gameplay sections can feel a bit frustrating, we praised it for its clever puzzles that revolve around manipulating time, as well as the new hand-painted art style that adds a lot of character to the game. Along with this, we also noted the presence of developer commentary as a great new feature.

Before Braid: Anniversary, however, the last major game that Blow had worked on was 2016’s The Witness, which was released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier apparently knows but isn’t sharing much, aside from the title being “a good one” on the recent Triple Click podcast. He noted that it’s “very cool and many will be excited for it,” including the podcast’s members. With every other big-time announcement crossed out, what could remain aside from Larian Studios’ next (potentially Divinity: Original Sin 3)?

As for his own speculations, Schreier is unsure if Sony Santa Monica’s next title (directed by Cory Balrog) will appear. While he doesn’t have any inside information on Electronic Arts’ offerings, he doesn’t expect much of a presence from the publisher.

The Game Awards airs on December 11th at 4 PM PST. Check out the various nominees here, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in the lead.

It also announced that the “lion awakens,” while showcasing a short clip of Soul happening upon a foreboding lion dancer. After clambering up, it poses menacingly before everything fades to black. Perhaps this is the next boss battle gameplay that we’ll be seeing, and honestly, if it’s anything like the Divine Beast Dancing Lion from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, we’re in for something special.

Phantom Blade Zero is currently in development for PS5 and PC. The last trailer showcased Pang Town and pitched battles against the faceless cult. S-GAME noted that it would take 20 to 30 hours to finish the story, but that you would only see 30 percent of the game on your first run. For even more gameplay and boss fights, head here.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake Announcement

By now, there’s been so much reported about this remake that we’d be more surprised if the developer didn’t officially announce it. Given that it’s apparently out in March – and is supposedly that “unannounced title” listed for release this fiscal year – what bigger stage could the developer possibly have in that time frame?

The Ascent Developer’s Next Game

Over four years is a long time for any developer’s next game, especially since Neon Giant was acquired by Krafton in 2022 and confirmed as working on an open-world first-person shooter. Now, it’s officially set to reveal what’s next, teasing that “Nothing is off limits.” Is this the same title or something new? What does the adorable cat graffiti have to do with anything? We’ll find out soon enough.

Control: Resonant

Based on a recently discovered trademark in Europe, this sounds about as close to a sequel as anything. Could it be film or TV related, especially since it has that agreement with Annapurna Pictures? Probably, but after FBC: Firebreak flopping and its CEO stepping down, a sequel announcement could be exactly what’s needed to re-ignite interest.

Pragmata Release Date

As one of the many releases in 2026 (four, if the rumored Dead Rising 5 gets announced), Pragmata seems due for a release date, especially after all the delays. But there’s actually a far more realistic reason why – it was recently rated by the GRAC in South Korea.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach PC Port

Speaking of age ratings boards playing spoiler, Kojima Productions’ latest title is seemingly heading to PC, according to the ESRB (who rated it “M” for Mature 17+ – shocking, I know). Considering director Hideo Kojima’s long history with the awards (and friendship with host Geoff Keighley), this seems almost guaranteed for an announcement. When it will be released is a different matter, but given the original’s gap, an early 2026 launch isn’t impossible.

Resident Evil Requiem Reveals Leon

It has already been confirmed that Requiem will be showing up at the event. So what better way to finally reveal the long-rumored Leon S. Kennedy? Even if it keeps that surprise until the game’s release, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new gameplay trailer with Leon in combat.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Release Date Announcement

With Requiem due in February and Pragmata potentially in April/May of next year, why shouldn’t Miyamoto Musashi lay claim to July or August? Thus far, Capcom has showcased extensive gameplay, and it’s looked pretty well-polished, so the Summer window would be more due to spacing out its releases than anything else.

The Duskbloods

It’s The Game Awards. It’s FromSoftware. An announcement of some kind is almost guaranteed (at least going by the past several years). With The Duskbloods serving as its next major release, it would certainly make sense to see some new gameplay, maybe even a release window.

Jurassic Park Survival Update

While Saber Interactive has provided some recent updates, it’s been three years since this was announced (at The Game Awards, no less). Perhaps all those trailers were subtly leading to this big announcement at this year’s show. Maybe John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando gets shadow-dropped instead. Either way, we’ll find out where Jurassic Park stands in terms of its development progress.

Star Wars Jedi 3 or Knights of the Old Republic – Remake

Fresh off the Twitter feed from insider Kurakasis, a “big Star Wars announcement” is allegedly coming “very soon.” He even clarified that it’s not for Star Wars: Eclipse or Zero Company. What other titles would that leave aside from the next title in the Star Wars Jedi series or Saber Interactive’s long-delayed Knights of the Republic – Remake? Nothing says they can’t be announced before the show, but either is plausible.

Project: Robot

Can you believe it’s been five years since genDesign signed its publishing deal with Epic Games for its next title? This doesn’t mean Fumito Ueda’s Project: Robot, teased at last year’s show, has been in the works for that long, but The Last Guardian was released almost nine years ago. If it’s time for an update, then there’s no better place.

Clockwork Revolution

This one is interesting for several reasons, starting with the extensive gameplay reveal at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. Tightly-paced, fairly well-polished – seems about right for a release in 2026, right? Microsoft’s crowded schedule would have you thinking otherwise, but the LinkedIn profile for Nathan Long, who worked as a senior writer and narrative designer, lists it for next year. Given he was involved as of last October, perhaps there’s a chance, however slim, that we see it at the show (and a release date announcement wouldn’t hurt either).

Crimson Desert

While not officially confirmed as of now, the open-world action RPG seems like a no-brainer to appear. A new gameplay trailer, is possible. Since it’s a regular at Keighley’s shows and is only a few months away, there’s no reason for the developer not to get the marketing train rolling.

Silent Hill 2: Born from a Wish Announcement

Silent Hill 2 remake is now on Xbox Series X/S, and Return to Silent Hill is on track for next month. Surely this is the time that Bloober Team reveals the long-rumored Born from a Wish DLC, as insider Dusk Golem has claimed for some time…right? It’s honestly hard to say at this point, given the sheer number of times it hasn’t happened, but we’re still holding out hope.

Whatever That Statue is

By now, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has confirmed that this mysterious status isn’t related to Diablo 4’s next expansion or The Elder Scrolls 6. So, unless Gordon Freeman ventures to a strange, medieval fantasy-like dimension in Half-Life 3, or Hasbro announces Baldur’s Gate 4, or FromSoft announces Elden Ring 2, it’s anyone’s guess what this could be.

Possible Appearances

Silent Hill 1 remake may seem like a long shot, but if rumors about development starting about three years ago are true, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a teaser. Silent Hill: Townfall may also finally emerge from the fog to announce a release date, especially after a retailer listing indicated a launch in March.

Clockwork Revolution may not be the only title that Microsoft brings to the show. It may very well have something Fable-related, if only to assuage concerns about its progress. Gears of War: E-Day is probably a safer bet, since we’ve seen nothing on it since June 2024, but Microsoft could be saving that for its next Developer_Direct. There’s always that rumored Starfield PS5 port and the second expansion, especially given recent teases for the latter.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see 007 First Light receive some stunning new gameplay (again, it’s only a few months out from release), but otherwise, the rest of the show is really anyone’s guess. What do you think could appear? Sound off in the comments.

While Schreier was sparse with details in his post on ResetEra, he did note that he is aware of what exactly the statue is teasing, and that he has no plans to reveal what this might be because he thinks “it’s a good one”.

“This statue is not teasing the Diablo 4 expansion,” wrote Schreier. “I don’t currently plan on reporting what it is, sorry, but it’s a good one.”

Gaming YouTuber and Streamer Luke Stephens has also taken to social media, having noted confirmation that the statue doesn’t have anything to do with God of War either. In his post, Stephens said that Cory Barlog had showed up in his recent stream’s chat, where he denied a connection with God of War. “Cory Barlog was just in chat on my stream and confirmed this is NOT God of War related,” posted Stephens, who also went on to joke that, since Barlog said that “no, it’s not gow,” he could have been referring to Gears of War.

With Schreier having confirmed that he will not be revealing what exactly it is, while also going on to deny the report by Windows Central’s Jez Corden who said that it is going to be a teaser for Diablo 4’s next expansion “but also, more,” speculation has continued to run rampant.

If we take Barlog’s word that it isn’t about God of War at face value, most speculation has ended up at it being related to The Elder Scrolls 6 in some way. Short of Bethesda’s official confirmation, however, these are also difficult details to ascertain. Schreier referring to this tease as being “a good one” also lends credence to the idea that it has to do with a major announcement.

The Game Awards 2025 is slated to take place on December 11, and going by tradition, will feature a host of new game reveals and other announcements intermingled with the various awards that will be handed out over a range of different categories. While confirmations are few and far between, there have been rumours about the a new game in the Control franchise slated to show up at the event along with a new trailer for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake.

CD Projekt RED, on the other hand, has confirmed that The Witcher 4 will not be making an appearance at The Game Awards 2025. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski made this announcement in a social media post where he wrote about being happy to see the title be an option for the Most Anticipated Game category. Along with this, rumours have also indicated that Half-Life 3 is “not supposed to” be unveiled at The Game Awards this year.

The hint of leaves on the right side and lower left indicates a greener location than The Ascent’s arcology. It’s worth noting that this will be Neon Giant’s first full-fledged title since the twin-stick cyberpunk shooter launched in July 2021.

Developed by a team of 12, it went on to sell one million copies and even received a paid DLC called Cyber Heist, which added new locations, missions, and weapons. After its acquisition by Krafton, the publisher confirmed that the developer’s next project would be an open-world first-person shooter. Whether this is the same title remains to be seen.

Other titles appearing at The Game Awards include Exodus and a new trailer for what could be Diablo 4’s next expansion. It’s also likely that Ubisoft could announce Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake.