The Game Awards 2021 – 10 Announcements That Could Happen

Though the year is coming to a close, there’s still one big show left – The Game Awards 2021, taking place on December 9^th. With somewhere between 40 to 50 games, including a “lot of content” for 2022 and 2023, there are a number of potentially big announcements to be had. Let’s take a look at ten that could possibly happen and why.

Next Mass Effect – New Trailer

On N7 Day, BioWare revealed a new teaser image for the next Mass Effect, which featured a massive crater in the shape of the Geth. The developer has had a pretty steady presence at The Game Awards for years now, dropping trailers for the next Dragon Age and even confirming the next Mass Effect’s development. Would it be too predictable to have a follow-up trailer for this year? Probably but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Next Dragon Age – New Trailer, Possible Title Reveal

What seems even more predictable is the next Dragon Age receiving a new trailer. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said in October 2019 that it could potentially release before fiscal year 2023. So it makes sense to ever so slightly ramp up promotion around now. Perhaps an official title reveal? The first gameplay trailer? Anything is possible but this may also be a good opportunity for both EA and BioWare to reassure fans that development is progressing smoothly, especially with the recent departure of the project’s senior creative director.

Silent Hill

The saga around the rumored Silent Hill reboot has been going on for almost two years now and shows no signs of letting up. Its “reveal” has been hyped for a number of different occasions including last year’s TGA show but nothing thus far. And while Bloober Team may be working on something Silent Hill-related with Konami, Sony is apparently working on its own title – VGC still claims a “prominent Japanese developer” to be on the project while Gematsu claimed it was Kojima Productions. Given the history surrounding Kojima, Keighley and The Game Awards, a reveal for a new Silent Hill would seem obvious but there’s too much in flux to really be sure. Either way, if it is announced – and exclusive to the PS5 – then it’s a strong set-up for Sony’s 2022 first party line-up.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Release Date Announcement

Nintendo hasn’t shied away from appearing and making an impact at The Game Awards, whether it’s unveiling Persona 5’s Joker for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or the reveal of Bayonetta 3. Kirby and the Forgotten Land was recently rated by the ESRB – this seems to indicate that development is close to completion. As one of the major upcoming exclusives for the Switch in 2022, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to expect a release date announcement at TGA 2021. Perhaps it may even be the release month which will be narrowed down as we get further into the new year.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel Trailer

The Game Awards also happens to be where Champion’s Ballad, the second and final DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was announced. So it doesn’t seem too impossible that a new trailer for the sequel could suddenly drop, especially since there’s been little to no new information since E3 2021 (and it’s still set to release in 2022). We have pretty much no idea about the state of development or how much progress has been made in the past few months. It’s a coin-toss, for sure, but one that we really hope ends up happening.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Trailer

According to VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb in October, the original plan was to showcase Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 at E3 2021. However, because of all the other announcements, Microsoft decided to do “something” later in the year. While Grubb believed that those plans could change, Jez Corden of Windows Central later reported on sources that claimed it could be shown off at the end of the year (which points to The Game Awards). Again, while it’s not exactly set in stone, this would be a fairly big stage to showcase its progress.

Avowed Trailer

What seems a bit more unsure is Avowed. Several new details were reported by Corden in October like the presence of various classes, a two-handed combat system, weapon enhancements and much more. However, it was noted to be in pre-production at the time and approaching its alpha state (some environments like caves didn’t even have lighting and textures applied). Both Grubb and Corden felt that it could be present at The Game Awards but that it may also be too early.

Mortal Kombat 12 Announcement

With MultiVersus finally revealed and being developed by Player First Games, all attention has shifted back to what NetherRealm Studios is working on. The safe bet was on Injustice 3 since the studio has alternated between it and Mortal Kombat for the past several years. Rumors had also claimed a Marvel vs. DC game to be in the works. However, Jeff Grubb reported in August that based on what he’s heard, it’s actually Mortal Kombat 12 that’s in development. The reasons for this are manifold – WB Games has a very ominous future following the merger of Discovery and AT&T and various internal studios like NetherRealm could be sold (though Warner Bros. previously denied rumors of the same).

As such, it would make more sense to develop a title that doesn’t primarily need licensed characters, making Mortal Kombat a good option (and one that WB Games is confident about). If Mortal Kombat 12 actually ends up being real, then an announcement at The Game Awards sounds about right given the series’ history.

God of War Ragnarok – New Trailer

With the Xbox announcement (or announcements) that are rumored to happen, it wouldn’t be too odd for Sony to reveal something in response. Silent Hill sounds nice, if unreasonable, so there are many other things it could go with like dropping a new trailer for Horizon Forbidden West or just throwing caution to the wind and confirming that long-rumored Bloodborne remaster. But it seems far more likely that a new trailer for God of War Ragnarok could be showcased since it helps sustain hype, provides another update for fans and maybe offers a hint at the release window. It may be a long shot and not as “safe” as simply releasing a new trailer for Forbidden West. But it also depends on just how comfortable the SIE Santa Monica is to showcase new things. Either way, here’s hoping.

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Announcement

Silent Hill already feels like a stretch – mainly due to how long it’s been rumored – but Metal Gear Solid on top of this? That too the rumored Metal Gear Solid 3 remake from Virtuous? As out of left field as it sounds, there could be some solid basis for Konami to at least announce that the project is in development. After a report from VGC that Virtuous was developing the remake, a LinkedIn page for a former lead software engineer from the studio revealed that he had worked on an “unannounced triple A action adventure game remake” from October 2018 to June 2019.

If this is indeed MGS 3 Remake, this could possibly mean it’s been in development for some time and not just pre-production (judging from various other things that were accomplished). Even if the reported original plan was for Konami to announce it in 2022, it could very well move up its schedule and make an impact early.

Gotham Knights – New Gameplay and Release Date Announcement

Also slightly out of left field is that Gotham Knights could have some new gameplay (especially since the last trailer at DC FanDome was mostly story-focused). It kind of makes sense when you consider that its release window – which is apparently Spring 2022 – was leaked in some recent marketing concept art. If Warner Bros. ends up not showcasing Mortal Kombat 12 or any other major titles, perhaps it could opt for Gotham Knights instead. Who knows? The Spring 2022 release window may even be made official at the awards.