The 3 most anticipated new games from The Game Awards 2023

Contrary to most award shows, most viewers watch The Game Awards to learn about games that haven’t even come out yet. And 2023 is no exception — with the show playing host to dozens of new title announcements. Even with new DLC and gameplay trailers flying left and right, three brand-new announcements captured the spotlight. These are the three reveals we are most excited for after The Game Awards 2023.

One of the biggest reveals of the night was also one of the first, as Visions of Mana was announced less than an hour into the show. The classic JRPG series has been on hiatus ever since Dawn of Mana was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, with no new mainline titles since. However, that drought finally ended on Dec. 7 thanks to the reveal of Visions of Mana. 

Developed by Square Enix and set for a 2024 release, Visions of Mana will bring the series back in full 3D with more than a decade of genre advancement. The trailer showed off real-time action combat featuring a full party fighting simultaneously against Mushbooms and Rabites before defending a ship from a giant Kraken. While not the biggest IP in the world of JRPGs, the return of the Mana series was likely the single biggest surprise of the night.

Swedish development studio 10 Chambers has been hinting at its next project for years, and The Game Awards 2023 was the perfect place to reveal the anticipated project. Titled Den of Wolves, the cinematic trailer showed off an intense interrogation before brutally flipping the script. While mostly a cutscene, the reveal also made the daring decision to show clips of gameplay. 

GTFO broke the cooperative mold in gaming with its harsh difficulty, terrifying aesthetic, and unique content rollout. Den of Wolves looks to follow it up with a similarly violent atmosphere. The first-person shooter will pit teams of four against computer-controlled defense teams with the task of robbing bank vaults, server stations, and more. Based on 10 Chambers’ previous release, expect a title that favors strict cooperation and steel nerves over pure aiming skills.

An appearance from Kojima (or the lack thereof) will always steal the show at The Game Awards. Early in the show, a mysterious trailer appeared showing the zoomed-in face of a woman in distress before swapping to an older man. Soon after the strange teaser, the esteemed developer emerged from a brightly lit doorway to discuss his newest project. Titled OD, the game will be Kojima's return to full-fledged horror after the shuttered P.T.

While not much is known about OD, the game’s hype factor shot through the roof with the surprise appearance of film director Jordan Peele. The auteurs took a short interview about the project, with Peele praising Kojima’s previous work on the Metal Gear Solid series. Aside from that, OD has no public gameplay, cast list, or release date. The fact that the game raised so many eyebrows despite such a barebones reveal is a testament to both creators’ reputations.

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