The much-anticipated Game Awards usually unfold in December at glittering locations around the world each year, but that was not the case in 2020, due to the ongoing novel coronavirus COVID-19.

In line with the current restrictions on mass gatherings, this year’s presentation was streamed live on 40+ platforms instead. Only moderators and the respective production teams were on-site in London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. What didn’t change, however, was how much they whet our appetites for next year’s titles!

Next Year is Looking Good

The Last of Us II, the action-adventure title developed by Naughty Dog and published for the PlayStation 4 by Sony Interactive Entertainment cleaned up. This game was the night’s big winner, unsurprisingly, and collected, among others, Best Game Directions, Best Narrative, and Game of the Year.

The biggest titles on the list of new releases are, without a doubt, Call of Duty: Cold War, which has already gone live, Dragon Age 4, and Mass Effect. All these series have already made a name for themselves and their makers debuted the first trailers for some and new ones for others. PlayStation 5 has also got a fixed date for Returnal. This third-person shooter sci-fi psychological horror video game was developed by Housemarque. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, it will be available as of the 19th of March 2021.

Dragon Age 4’s teaser didn’t show any gameplay but allowed viewers to see more deeply into the story than has yet been possible. A new, as yet unknown, hero may be competing against a brand-new villain, the Dread Wold. The champion is led by magicians into the Tevinter Kingdom.

Mass Effect’s first trailer announced what fans have been hoping for, for ages, a return to the Milky Way! There are many clues in the teaser that seem to indicate that this next release is a sequel to the original trilogy. Viewers will have caught a glimpse of a familiar face at the end. Asari Liara, Commander Shepard’s apply and the seasoned veteran from the first three releases, popped up.

The Crimson Desert trailer also made a great impression. Pearl Abyss, its development studio, announced this title in 2019 as an MMORPG. It has now undergone its final move to a single-player game format and the teaser, which debuted at the 2020 Game Awards, underlined this fact. Viewers saw the player ending up on the gorgeous continent of Pywell, which we know from the sandbox-orientated fantasy MMORPG Black Desert Online. The teaser underscored the exquisite, finely detailed landscape design and the sketched storyline left everyone wanting more!

The Game Awards Winners

Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and Hades were frequently nominated. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the long-running title by Nintendo captured the Best Family Game. After going head-to-head with Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact, Among Us scooped the Best Mobile Game award.

The Last of Us II also prevailed in the RPG category, prevailing against some very strong contenders, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.