What's Cooking at TGA 2025? My Irreverent Guide to the Game Awards' Biggest Mysteries
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The Game Awards 2025 is shaping up to be another wild ride of reveals and surprises, with confirmed looks at Resident Evil Requiem and Exodus, alongside tantalizing possibilities like Hades 2 on more consoles or a glimpse of Kojima's next enigmatic project – but don't hold your breath for Half-Life 3, mate, even my magic can't conjure that just yet!
Right, so The Game Awards 2025 is just around the corner, and honestly, it feels less like an awards show and more like Geoff Keighley's annual magic show. You know, the one where he pulls a dozen rabbits out of a hat, half of them are new game announcements, and the other half are celebrity cameos looking a bit bewildered? Fair dinkum, it’s always a spectacle. While everyone's busy arguing over who *should* win Game of the Year – and trust me, there'll be plenty of digital ink spilled on that – my wizarding eye is firmly fixed on the secrets and surprises. The new reveals, the cheeky teasers, the absolute chaos of fresh possibilities!
Originally reported by Simon Cardy for IGN South Africa, we've been poring over the tea leaves (and a few leaked spell books) to get a handle on what might actually drop from the digital ether. No, we're not talking about some mythical 'Half-Life 3 is finally real, I swear!' type of dreaming just yet – we'll get to those later, mate. And let's be realistic, GTA 6 and The Witcher 4 are firmly off the menu, with CD Projekt Red already having confirmed no Witcher news. But stick with me, because even with those behemoths out of the picture, there's still plenty to get genuinely buzzed about.
### What We Know Will Be There (Probably, Mostly)
First up, let's talk about what's been confirmed, or at least, what’s emitting enough magical resonance that we can't ignore it. You might have seen Geoff Keighley’s social media post about a mysterious, demon-covered monolith appearing in the Mojave Desert. 'Regal. Inspiring. Thickness.' His words, not mine – though I reckon 'thickness' might apply to some of the fan theories floating around! Most of the wilder speculation – Diablo, God of War, Elder Scrolls 6 – has been pretty thoroughly debunked, leaving us all scratching our heads and wondering what Eldritch secret it’s actually guarding. What do *you* reckon it is, then? Another experimental AR game from a tech startup? A new rhythm game starring Geoff himself? The possibilities are optimistically chaotic!
What we *do* know, without having to consult ancient scrolls, is that we're getting a fresh look at **Resident Evil Requiem**. Due early next year, the rumour mill has been churning harder than my breakfast smoothie about the return of *Resident Evil 4* hunk, Leon Kennedy. Is this finally the moment Capcom confirms his chiseled jaw and perfect hair will grace our screens again? My gut (and a rather strong desire for more Leon) says 'yes, please!'
Then there's **Invincible VS**, the fighting game based on the brilliant comic and animated series. They're promising a new playable character reveal, which is always a treat. Who are you hoping for? My money's on Battle Beast, purely for the chaotic energy he'd bring to the roster. Or maybe Robot? Imagine the tech-wizardry they could pull off with his moveset.
And speaking of pedigree, **Exodus** from Archetype Studios is on the docket. These are former BioWare developers, folks! That sort of *Mass Effect* lineage sets expectations stratospherically high, doesn’t it? I’m genuinely excited to see if they can capture that same magic of galaxy-trotting RPG goodness. If anyone can conjure up a spiritual successor to those early BioWare days, it’s gotta be them, right?
We'll also get a new **Total War** game from Creative Assembly. After 25 years, the series still holds a special place in the hearts of strategy buffs. Here's hoping it's something genuinely innovative and not just another historical reskin, though I do love a good historical reskin if it’s done well, mind.
And finally, for confirmed magical acts, we have Evanescence. Yes, *that* Evanescence, performing 'Afterlife' from the *Devil May Cry* Netflix adaptation. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate a bit of Amy Lee, but if I could cast a spell, I'd swap that out for 'Bring Me to Life' with Nathan Fielder in an airline pilot uniform doing backing vocals. Tell me that wouldn't be peak chaos! Alas, we can’t always manifest our most absurd desires.
### What Might Be There (If the Stars Align, or Geoff Wills It)
Now, let's wander into the ethereal realm of 'what *might* be there.' This is where the whispers get louder and my internal thought-algorithms start working overtime. **Clair Obscur: Expedition 33** broke the nominations record, so it’s fair to say it's on a lot of minds. Could we see a release date for its free update, maybe even a cheeky little shadow drop of a new dungeon? That would be a proper Keighley move, wouldn’t it? Just appear out of nowhere, like a rogue spell.
Another nominee darling, **Hades 2**, is currently enchanting PC and Switch players. But what about the PS5 and Xbox crowd? Could one of 2025's best games finally get a wider console release? It just makes sense, doesn't it? More players getting to experience that roguelike magic is always a good thing.
Amazon Prime Video's **Fallout Season 2** drops on December 17th, and knowing Geoff's love for Hollywood glitterati, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ella Purnell and/or Walton Goggins grace the stage. A little sneak peek of the wasteland action to come? Yeah, I reckon that’s a safe bet. Synergy, mate, synergy!
Speaking of cinematic excellence, **007 First Light** from the *Hitman* maestros at IO Interactive is looking sharp for its March 2026 release. We're well overdue for another Bond fix. So, a big reveal – the villain's identity? Who’s singing the theme tune? – feels like it’s on the cards. Imagine a live performance of the Bond theme at The Game Awards. That's big-budget, triple-A spectacle right there.
Then we have a duo of Marvel adventures. **Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra**, helmed by the legendary Amy Hennig (*Uncharted*!), got pushed out of early 2026. Delays are never fun, but perhaps this is the moment for a full gameplay reveal to show us Captain America and Black Panther kicking Nazi butt in WW2? And while we're talking Insomniac and Marvel, a bit more of **Marvel’s Wolverine** wouldn't go amiss, even if it's not due till late 2026. Just a tantalising glimpse, Geoff, that's all we ask!
Over on the PlayStation exclusive front, Housemarque's **Saros** looks set to follow *Returnal*'s sci-fi shooter footsteps in March. More on that, please! And **Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet** from Naughty Dog might be a way off – if you reckon you're playing this in 2026, you're dreaming harder than I do about a Burnout reboot – but given it was unveiled last year, a deeper dive isn't out of the question.
Xbox needs some love too, doesn't it? We’ve seen precious little of **Fable** gameplay, and **Gears of War: E-Day** remains largely a mystery. Come on, Xbox, show us the goods! And **Forza Horizon 6**, set in Japan, is arriving next year. Imagine the sheer beauty of Playground Games' Tokyo. I'm already mentally drifting around Shibuya. A big reveal, maybe showing off the cover car, would be absolutely standard for a driving game, wouldn't it?
And it wouldn't be a Keighley production without a dash of Hideo Kojima's enigmatic genius, would it? He's up for a few awards for *Death Stranding 2: On the Beach*. But will we get more of **OD: Knock**, his Xbox horror exclusive that's conjuring up *P.T.*-level unsettling memories? Or perhaps a tease for his PlayStation espionage action exclusive, **Physint**? Kojima loves to keep us guessing, like a mischievous digital trickster. You never know what he's going to pull out of his sleeves, do you?
Another legendary developer, Ken Levine, has been toiling away on **Judas** for what feels like an eternity – it's been over 12 years since *Bioshock Infinite*! My excitement for this one is off the charts, but my gentle skepticism for a release date feels equally high. I won't get carried away until I see actual dates on the calendar.
And I've had a little play of **Phantom Blade Zero**, the punishing sword action game from S-Game. It was meant for 2025, so a release date reveal feels like a proper possibility. Bring on the punishing swords, I say!
Finally for this section, FromSoftware's **The Duskbloods**, a Switch 2 exclusive co-op action RPG, has been quiet since April. Given Hidetaka Miyazaki's past TGA reveals, a deep dive into this one for its 2026 release seems perfectly plausible. What dark, enchanting world awaits us this time?
### What We Can Dream Will Be There (If I Could Cast a Perfect Spell)
Alright, deep breaths, mate. We're venturing into the land of pure, unadulterated dreaming. The sort of 'what if I accidentally summoned a dragon to my living room?' level of ambition. At least we don't have to wish for a **Hollow Knight: Silksong** release date anymore – bloody hell, that's a weight off everyone's shoulders! But will Team Cherry tease DLC for one of 2025's best games? Even I won't go *that* far into the realm of fantasy. Or will I?
**Donkey Kong Bananza** surprised everyone by taking the 3D platformer launch window for Nintendo, but could a new 3D Mario game be announced? With the *Super Mario Galaxy* movie on the horizon, it wouldn't be the weirdest cross-media synergy. A long shot, yes, but a fun one to ponder.
What feels a *tad* more plausible is something new from Cory Barlog. The **God of War** director has been rumoured to be cooking up something outside of that universe for ages. The Game Awards has a history of bringing back past GOTY winners to tease their next big thing, so my little wizard heart has a spark of hope here.
Following that thought, **Elden Ring** and **Baldur’s Gate 3** were both behemoths. FromSoftware might bring *The Duskbloods*, sure, but what about a new single-player action RPG in that renowned FromSoft mould? **Bloodborne 2**, anyone? I almost feel bad even mentioning it, knowing the collective digital cries it would unleash.
And Larian, after *Baldur’s Gate 3*'s multi-year gestation, must be cooking up something new. A tease, perhaps? Is it **Baldur’s Gate 4** or something completely different? Given their creative wizardry, either would be utterly fascinating.
BioWare, the original **Baldur's Gate** legends, are back in space with **Mass Effect**. Could we get a glimpse into where the story's heading? Or, dare I dream, some **Mass Effect 5** gameplay? That might be pushing my magical manifesting abilities a *little* too far, even for me.
And speaking of dreams, the ultimate unicorn: **Half-Life 3**. Rumours have been swirling like a poorly cast portal spell that it's in development, with an announcement imminent. Could it *actually* happen at The Game Awards? Geoff Keighley and Valve have history, but Valve operates like its own impenetrable fortress these days. Don't get me wrong, seeing Gordon Freeman pop up would be like seeing a real-life dragon, but I won't believe it until I’m playing it. My skepticism is dialled to eleven for this one, mate.
So, what’s *your* dream Game Awards reveal, eh? Let us know in the comments below. Mine, as ever, would be a full **Burnout** reboot from the original Criterion team, because frankly, sometimes I just want to crash cars without consequence and pretend it's still 2005. A wizard can dream, can't he?
Tags: The Game Awards, Gaming News, Game Reveals, Industry Predictions, Gaming Hype
Original article: IGN South Africa