As the lights faded out from the stage at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, gamers and media personnel across the globe took a breath as we reflected on the nearly four-hour event that had just taken place. An event that, in the past, had been criticized as coming across as more of a very long commercial rather than an awards show. One that also often underplayed the horrid state of the industry in regards to layoffs and toxic work culture. Though some of these same criticisms can be attributed this time around as well, I must hand it to Geoff Keighly–this was a pretty spectacular event. I’m still peeved that some categories didn’t get a stage presence, being brushed away by Geoff as a means to get to the next big announcement, but it’s a tricky balancing act, for which I can sympathize with Keighly. And credit to him, some of the announcements he unveiled at this year’s event were, simply put, jaw-dropping. So let’s go through a few of the night’s most hyped moments and gush about the games we’re looking forward to the most.

5. Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Capcom has been on a generational run of late. From breathing fresh air into their Resident Evil series with a slew of impeccable remakes to taking chances with a title like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. It seems that this run won’t be ending any time soon as they announced a couple of out-of-the-blue titles that had many of us, myself included, gasp with giddiness. One of which is a new entry in the much-adored Onimusha series titled, Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The series hasn’t seen a new mainline entry since Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams released back in 2006. The game looks fantastic and seems to be a part of Capcom’s strategy moving forward where the company would like to focus on “re-activating dormant IPs that haven’t had a new title launch recently.” Onimusha: Way of the Sword is slated for a 2026 release.

4. Untitled Fumito Ueda Game

Few game designers hold as much prestige and esteem as Fumito Ueda. Creator of some of the greatest games the medium has ever seen like Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda-san brings a unique touch to his games that are unlike any other. So you can imagine that when genDESIGN revealed a trailer showcasing the next title from the mind of this incredible director, many of us were understandably freaking out. This untitled project seems to veer more towards science fiction than fantasy, a departure from what we’ve become accustomed to seeing from Ueda-san. Seeing the (I’m assuming) protagonist scaling the spines of a large mech with an eerie operatic choir filling the background was enough to give me chills.

3. Project Century

Ryu Ga Gotoku may compete with Capcom as the hardest-working studio in the business. Having released quite a few bangers of late with their Ichiban-led Like A Dragon series, they’re now venturing back in time to 1915 and back to, seemingly, their 3D real-time brawler roots. The snippets that were shown in the trailer ooze a style that feels appropriate for the period while evoking a flair that looks modern. Very excited to see how a narrative in this period of Japan’s history pans out, though it’ll likely be a couple of years until we’re able to do so.

2. The Witcher IV

We all knew that a new entry in The Witcher series was on its way. We all knew that it would likely star Ciri as its protagonist. Yet, seeing it for the first time, in all its Unreal Engine 5 glory, was a joy to behold. Although some pause should be taken due to CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 release debacle, the team has proven that they are capable of making generation-defining titles. Which The Witcher 3 was and Cyberpunk 2077 eventually became. Here’s hoping the studio has learned from their past mistakes and shut out the opinions of executives and shareholders so that they can release a great game when it’s ready.

1. Okami Sequel

When I tell you that it took every bit of my being to not scream at the top of my lungs so as to not wake my sleeping wife at the reveal of this announcement, I’m not kidding. The original Okami was one of the defining games of my early adolescence. A game that I still consider to be one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful titles to ever exist with one of the most ingenious combat systems. To think that nearly twenty years later we’d be getting a reveal for a sequel with Hideki Kamiya back at the helm, is a dream come true.

What were some of your favourite announcements at the 2024 Game Awards? Let us know in the comments below!