December is shaping up to be an exciting month for gamers everywhere, not only because of the holiday season (during which many of us will finally get a chance to play the games we want to play), but also because of the Game Awards, the annual event that we all look forward to, especially Microsoft and Xbox fans.
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The Game Awards
In general, The Game Awards are a big day for the gaming industry, as we celebrate the games we've loved throughout the year. Knowing that a game that you spent time on, that changed the way you think, or that had an impact on your life, is being celebrated by others as it deserves is a very nuanced feeling.
While there are many games in the spotlight right now, The Game Awards are arguably one of the most important days of the year for Xbox fans, the Xbox team, and Microsoft come January of the year next. This may come as a surprise, because only certain games published by Xbox are nominated in the “Game of the Year” category. They nevertheless received nominations in other categories.
Starfield was arguably one of the most anticipated games of this year and one of the most controversial, with Microsoft deciding that it would be an Xbox exclusive. However, the game was nominated in the “Best Role-playing Game” category.
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What Xbox fans have to look forward to is the plethora of world premiere trailers and big reveals that Microsoft likes to make every year at The Game Awards. Historically, Microsoft likes to use this platform to make big announcements. If you don't believe me, think back to the Xbox Series X console design announcement that Microsoft made that broke the internet at The Game Awards in December 2019.
Announcement Baldur’s Gate
One of the biggest games of 2023 is, without a doubt, the massive and incredibly successful RPG game that makes players want to play D&D while playing video games, Baldur's Gate 3. If players PlayStation and PC had a great time with the game, Xbox players were tragically left out of the equation.
Larian Studios explained that they needed help getting split-screen co-op to work on the Xbox Series S|X, one of the mechanics Xbox is known and loved for, leading to a prolonged delay from the Xbox version of the game.
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Larion has since announced that further information on the game's release on Xbox will be communicated during the Game Awards. This is a real shock, as Xbox players were expecting not to see the game until 2024. Some fans are hoping that The Game Awards will be the “opening night” and that the game will be available as soon as the competition closes. event. Although this possibility is possible, it seems unlikely. On the other hand, we can expect the game to be available on Xbox servers around the world before the end of the year.
Other announcements
Although the list of games from Microsoft and Xbox for 2024 has not yet been revealed, some games have been confirmed for 2024 and gamers are expecting an announcement to be made. One of the anticipated releases is New Obsidian's RPG Avowed, with the highly anticipated Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 following shortly after. There are plenty of other games that could be planned for next year that we haven't heard about yet.
December 7th is not only the day of The Game Awards, but also the release of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, an open-world FPS that allows players to explore the beautiful world of Pandora in a whole new way. manner. This game is the last big release of 2023 that Xbox gamers can look forward to before we move into the new year.
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With Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass, and even a variety of new titles are ready to launch on the console.
Whether Xbox makes announcements or launches some of its flagship titles, one thing is certain. Xbox fans need to watch The Game Awards on December 7th for all the details, so I think I'll see you all in the comments section of the live stream!