The Game Awards 2022 have just wrapped up and there is a lot to be excited about. For the uninitiated, The Game Awards is an annual awards show run by Geoff Keighly to celebrate video games and look into the future of the industry. This is accomplished by several categories’ worth of awards and big reveals from all corners of the video game development world. The show touts over fifty world premieres this year in addition to the awards themselves. This will be a rundown of the most noteworthy and eye-catching announcements from the show and the award winners in prominent categories.

Hades II was announced by developer Supergiant Games. A sequel to Hades (2020) starring the apparent sister of protagonist Zagreus from the original game on a quest to defeat the Titan of Time, Chronos.

Bayonetta Origins from developer Platinum Games comes hot off the heels of Bayonetta 3 from October 2022. It’s an action-adventure game that is set to tell the story of a young Bayonetta and her stuffed animal that can turn into a demon.

Judas is a new game from the creator of Bioshock that seems to be following close in Bioshock’s footsteps with first-person shooter action, weird magical abilities, and intricately crafted worlds.

Death Stranding 2 from Kojima Productions was announced with an appearance from Hideo Kojima himself. The trailer itself was vague but did confirm the return of Norman Reedus, who played the original game’s main character.

Horizon Forbidden West is receiving downloadable content in the form of “Burning Shores.” Set in whatever is left of Southern California, the trailer prominently showcases the Hollywood Sign being destroyed by a giant monster.

Dune Awakening received an in-engine trailer, meaning an in-progress version of what the final game will look like. It is said to be an open-world massively multiplayer online game, and the game’s aesthetic borrows heavily from the recent 2021 film adaptation of the novel by Denis Villeneuve.

Earthblade is a new game from the developers behind the critically acclaimed Celeste. Like its predecessor, it appears to be a narrative-driven platformer. The game centers on protagonist Névoa, who returns to Earth after a long absence.

Two prominent fighting game series received trailers. Street Fighter 6 showcased both returning and brand-new fighters. Tekken 8 received its first gameplay trailer as well.

A new trailer for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League confirmed that the late Kevin Conroy reprised his role as Batman for the game in his final performance within the “Arkham Universe” of video games (which includes Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequels).

Star Wars Jedi Survivor received a gameplay reveal trailer, showcasing combat with two lightsabers and a cross guard lightsaber (akin to Kylo Ren). Cameron Monaghan (who plays protagonist Cal Kestis) himself even came on stage lightsaber in hand.

Final Fantasy XVI’s director, Naoki Yoshida, made an appearance to present a trailer for the game. It gives a glimpse into the game’s story, the protagonist’s personal journey, and the fact that he has a dog party member you can pet.

Now for the awards. God of War Ragnarök won several, including Christopher Judge as Kratos for Best Performance, Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, Best Score and Music, Best Action/Adventure game, and the award for Innovation in Accessibility. God of War Ragnarök also featured a performance by Hozier of the song “Blood Upon the Snow” from the game. Stray won Best Debut Indie Game as well as the Best Indie Game awards. Final Fantasy XIV won the awards for Best Community Support and Best Ongoing Game. Splatoon 3 won the award for the Best Multiplayer Game. Bayonetta 3 won the award for Best Action Game. The award for the most anticipated game goes to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As Dusk Falls received the Games for Impact award. The Player’s Voice award (voted for by viewers of the show) was Genshin Impact. And last but most certainly not least, Elden Ring won the awards for Best Art Direction, Best Role Playing Game, Best Game Direction, and the award for Game of the Year.

Overall, it was a very exciting year for The Game Awards as it heads into its tenth year in 2023.