Summary

  • The Finals, a highly anticipated game, surprised fans with a sudden release during TGA 2023, quickly becoming a top-seller on Steam.
  • Christopher Judge's humorous dig at Call of Duty's short campaign drew laughs from the audience at TGA 2023.
  • Baldur's Gate 3 was crowned Game of the Year at TGA 2023, a well-deserved win for its size, community , and growing fanbase.

2023 has been a phenomenal year for gaming, and this December's The Game Awards event offered one of the most exciting shows in recent memory. Along with crowning 2023's Game of the Year, host Geoff Keighley and his special guests also revealed a host of world-premier trailers, new games, and exciting news, all while recognizing the many incredible achievements made by the gaming industry throughout 2023.

The Game Awards is often considered The Oscars of gaming, and this year's show ramped up the action with movie stars including Timothée Chalamet and Simu Liu, as well as video game developer royalty like Hideo Kojima, and even The Muppets' Gonzo. From surprise releases to clever quips, it's not just the many award-winning games that served as the biggest moments of TGA 2023.

The Game Awards' logo, a polygonal rendering of a golden, winged woman, above a black and gold background. At the bottom of the image, the Screen Rant logo sits next to The Game Awards logo on a triangular pattern.
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The Game Awards 2023: Biggest Announcements, Trailers, & New Game Reveals

At The Game Awards 2023, new trailers and first-time reveals made up a huge part of the show. Here’s every major announcement made at TGA 2023.

10 The Finals Get Surprise Release

Available Now On PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X/S

One of Steam's most-wishlisted games, The Finals not only received a new trailer during TGA 2023 but also a surprise release. The new free-to-play online shooter had amassed a solid following of fans eager to get their hands on it, but developer Embark Studios kept quiet on its release until the big show. Serving as one of the more memorable events of TGA, The Finals' surprise shadow drop means the game is currently sitting at #4 on Steam's Top-Sellers (at the time of writing).

9 Christopher Judge Pokes Fun At Call Of Duty

Modern Warfare 3 Gets A Dig From Kratos

Christopher Judge is no stranger to The Game Awards, having caused a stir in 2022 for his memorable - but very long - on-stage speech. This year, Judge promised to stick to a tighter schedule while also making fun of his last TGA appearance. He quipped: "My [2022] speech was actually longer than this year's Call of Duty campaign." The tongue-in-cheek comment, which references MW3's notoriously short campaign, left the crowd shocked and amused. Watch it in the above footage (via RoyMustang786).

8 Jurassic Park: Survival Is Back From The Dead

An Intriguing Trailer But No Release Date

In a surprise reveal, Jurassic Park: Survival - a previously-cancelled game - is back in development. Aside from sharing a name with the canned early-2000s Konami game, the two Jurassic Park Survivals don't seem to share too much else in common. Now in the hands of Saber Interactive and no longer focused on Jurassic Park 3, this new Survival is a first-person action game that definitely looks like a must-play for fans of the franchise. Unfortunately, a release date wasn't revealed. Watch the trailer from Jurassic World now.

7 The Old Gods Of Asgard & Alan Wake's Musical Number

"Herald Of Darkness" Performed Live

Alan Wake 2 was up for multiple awards at TGA 2023 and won some coveted accolades including Best Narrative and Best Game Direction. The horror sequel was widely praised at launch for its use of mixed media, blending in-game cutscenes and real-world footage to create a very meta experience. One of the game's most memorable sequences - a musical number from Alan Wake and band The Old Gods of Asgard (otherwise known in the real world as Poets of the Fall) - was brought to life on-stage in a rock number that definitely left an impression. The performance was one of the best of the night, and well worth rewatching via The Game Awards' YouTube.

6 Final Fantasy 16's First Story DLC Is Out Now

"Echoes Of The Fallen" Is Paid DLC

Clive, the protagonist of FF16, looks surprised within a dark, crystal structure with a red-glowing heart in screenshots from Final Fantasy 16.

Final Fantasy 16 fans have been patiently waiting for more news on the previously-announced story DLC, and a new trailer revealed at TGA was very well-received. Beyond just offering a fresh look at the content though, Square Enix confirmed that the first DLC - Echoes of the Fallen - would be available to immediately as a surprise release. The developer also confirmed a second expansion, titled The Rising Tide, is set to release sometime in Spring 2024.

5 God Of War Ragnarök Gets Free DLC

Releasing On December 12

Kratos, in gold and red armor, readies his sword in a screenshot for the new God of War Ragnarok DLC.

Rumors of DLC for 2022's God of War Ragnarok have been rampant for a while, and the news was finally confirmed during TGA 2023. God of War Ragnarok Valhalla is a free expansion releasing on December 12 - just five days after the TGA reveal. Set after the final battle with Odin, the expansion won't be story DLC as many expected. Instead, it will be inspired by the roguelite genre and focus on combat and battle.

4 Marvel's Blade Is Officially In Development

From Arkane Lyon

One of the biggest surprises from TGA 2023 was the reveal of Arkane Lyon's next game: Marvel's Blade. The title received a stylish trailer that leaves more questions than it answers, but Blade fans can look forward to a single-player, third-person action-adventure game with an M for Mature rating. There's no release window yet given for the game, but it already looks like another promising release from the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop.

3 Baldur's Gate 3 Is Now Available On Xbox

The Wait Is Over

Shortly after TGA, Larian Studios, developer of Baldur's Gate 3, took to X to reveal the game is now available on Xbox Series X/S. Xbox fans have had to wait a little longer than PS5 and PC players, and Larian had remained coy on a firm release date until after TGA. Larian had previously shared that the Series S limitations were providing issues for the port, particularly with split-screen co-op, which ended up being abandoned. The wait is now over though, with all current-gen players now able to access BG3.

2 Hideo Kojima & Jordan Peele Team Up For Xbox Horror

OD Has A Star-Studded Cast

Hideo Kojima officially unveiled a first look at his new game, OD, during TGA 2023. The enigmatic trailer gives little away - other than a star-studded cast including the likes of Euphoria's Hunter Schafer. Taking the stage at The Game Awards, Kojima confirmed OD will be a movie-esque experience the likes of which has never been seen before. The project comes in partnership with Xbox Game Studios and acclaimed director Jordan Peele, best known for his movies Get Out, Us, and Nope. Confirmed to be a horror, this is a dream come true for many still holding out for a scary game from Kojima.

1 Baldur's Gate 3 Wins Game Of The Year

A Well-Deserved Win

The Game of the Year is the most coveted award from TGA each year, and 2023's nominees were some of the toughest competition seen since the show's inception. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Baldur's Gate 3 were all up for the award, with Larian's BG3 taking the crown. Baldur's Gate 3's TGA win wasn't too surprising considering the sheer size of the game - along with its community and ever-growing fanbase - but it topped off yet another memorable night that's sure to go down in The Game Awards history.

Source: Steam, RoyMustang786/X, Jurassic World/YouTube, The Game Awards/YouTube, Xbox/YouTube