Skip to main content

Save your money: 2022 is going to be gaming’s next big year

It’s no secret that 2021 has been a quiet year for gaming. While the indie scene has been as active and exciting as ever, larger studios have had to delay their biggest games, largely due to development challenges posed by having people work form home. While we’ve seen some high-profile hits like Deathloop and Resident Evil Village this year, many of 2021’s most anticipated titles ended up moving to 2022.

If you feel like you haven’t played many new games this year, that’s about to change. As it stands, 2022 is shaping up to be the biggest year in gaming since 2017.

That statement might elicit some initial eye rolls. Gamers tend to make that claim at the start of any given year. With so many major studios churning out major releases, any year can look good on paper. The reality is that not all of those games end up being good; the hype cycle is always viewed through rose-colored glasses. Games like Kingdom Hearts 3 drummed up excitement heading into 2019, but ultimately ended up slipping off the radar come “game of the year” season. And don’t even get me started about Cyberpunk 2077.

Kratos in God of War Ragnarok.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pandemic upsets routine

Companies also tend to drop aspirational release dates for games that they can’t always keep. Sony originally claimed God of War: Ragnarok was coming in 2021, which felt like a laughably unrealistic goal designed to better sell the then-upcoming PlayStation 5 in 2020. Delays ultimately gutted 2021’s schedule, though for good reason. The challenges of developing games during a pandemic added extra complexity to an already complicated process. We’re lucky that any major releases that involved tens of thousands of moving parts came out at all.

The 2021 spillover is exactly what’s driving 2022’s overly packed schedule. Games that were supposed to be huge holiday hits this year will now launch early next year, and that’s creating a bizarre change in how we’re used to seeing games launch. Generally, September through November is the busiest time of any given year, as companies release their biggest games in a few densely packed months. That lets them end the year on a strong financial note, buoyed by parents who need to get gifts for their kids during the holidays. After that, the industry goes into hibernation for a few months before picking back up.

A giant battle in Elden Ring.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Instead, January and February 2022 look more like what you’d expect from the fall season. The year is set to kick off with three heavy hitters: Elden Ring, Rainbow Six Extraction, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. That momentum keeps rolling in February with Horizon: Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Saints Row, and Dying Light 2 Stay Human. March is already stacking the deck, too, with Gran Turismo 7, Kirby and the Forgotten City, Marvel Midnight Suns, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands leading the pack.

And that’s only the first three months.

A stacked lineup

We’re essentially going to get two year’s worth of games compressed into one. We won’t see the usual dry spells as publishers wait to release their biggest games; it’s going to be a free-for-all. Just look at what else is on tap for 2022: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3, God of War: Ragnarok, Redfall, Gotham Knights, Ghostwire Tokyo, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a brand new Sonic game … and that’s barely scratching the surface. This doesn’t include promising indies like Stray, niche titles like Triangle Strategy, or whatever big titles will get a surprise reveal at next year’s E3.

Link runs across Hyrule in the sequel to Breath of the Wild.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Naturally, not all of these games will be released as planned. Just as is the case in any year, some of the biggest titles will be bumped around and wind up in 2023. I’d put money on games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora quietly slipping off the calendar. Even still, a third of these titles could move to 2023 and we’d still be looking at a year that’s bound to gum up backlogs.

While the social lockdowns of 2020 got more people gaming than ever before, it wasn’t the best time to introduce fans to the medium. The game release cycle quickly started slowing down as studios simply couldn’t capitalize on the momentum. That’s going to change in 2022. Start budgeting now.

Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
Want to predict the next big Nintendo Switch game? Just rewind 5 years
nintendo switch five year cycle fire emblem engage characters

When it comes to the video game industry, we're currently living in an age of speculation. Players are no longer satisfied just getting news on upcoming games by patiently waiting for announcements. Insiders and leakers have become a fundamental part of the game hype cycle in the social media age, fueling a need for unofficial scoops. When a gaming livestream gets announced, it's usually surrounded by tons of rumors, leaks, and predictions that set some high expectations. It's easy to get disappointed by something like Nintendo's September Direct when leaks from high-profile insiders wind up being a bust.

But what if I told you that you can become your own insider, especially when it comes to Nintendo Switch? Yes, you can create your own realistic predictions with ease rather than getting let down by enticing Reddit threads. All you have to do is follow Nintendo's development cycle patterns, which have become crystal clear following today's Direct showcase.
Five-year plan
The deeper we get into the Nintendo Switch's life cycle, the more clear patterns in Nintendo's release cadence are starting to show. If you look at the company's first-party 2022 release calendar, you might notice that it looks a little familiar. That's because a good half of it has been comprised of sequels to games that hit the console in 2017.

Read more
Our 5 biggest predictions for the September Nintendo Direct: Metroid, Zelda, and more
Samus gives a thumbs up in Metroid Prime.

Following months of Nintendo-related leaks and a third-party showcase in June, the second full-fledged Nintendo Direct of 2022 is finally happening. February's show had neat reveals of games like Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Mario Strikers: Battle League, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Nintendo Switch Sports. Now, Nintendo Switch players hope the September 2022 Nintendo Direct will give a clear idea of what to expect throughout the rest of this year and into the first months of 2023.
Ahead of the showcase's announcements, rumors about a couple of key Nintendo classic remasters heavily circulated. There are also delayed Nintendo Switch titles that we hope finally get release dates. Although there's a chance that none of the following predictions will come to fruition tomorrow, it's still fun to guess what might pop up. As such, here are five announcements we hope to see at the September 2022 Nintendo Direct.
Metroid Prime returns

 
Metroid fans ate well last year with the release of Metroid Dread, but they've still waited since 2017 for the long-delayed Metroid Prime 4. Although there's nothing to suggest that Metroid Prime 4 will pop up here just yet, a remaster or remake of Metroid Prime seems much more likely. A Nintendo Switch version of the GameCube classic was subject to rumors for years, but rumblings of the game's existence really ramped up in 2022. 
From Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb to prolific Nintendo leaker Emily Rogers, the more reliable parts of the gaming rumor mill say that some sort of Metroid Prime rerelease project is in the works at Nintendo. Grubb even claims that it's coming this year, so Nintendo would need to reveal it very soon if that's true. If it is real, the biggest question surrounding Metroid Prime on Nintendo Switch is just how much of a reimagining it is. Will it be an HD port, a more substantive remaster, or a from-the-ground-up remake? Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer to find out. 
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess get rereleased 

Read more
Midyear progress report: Here are the best games of 2022 so far
Aloy swimming underwater.

We’re already nearly halfway through 2022, and it’s been an unusual year when it comes to new video game releases. The first quarter of 2022 was loaded with massive hits that eclipsed 2021’s holiday season. Major releases slowed to a drip after March though, creating a front-loaded year for gamers. Even with a slower cadence, however, each month has brought some excellent new titles -- some of which were easy to miss.

The midway point of any year serves as a good excuse to stop and take stock of what’s launched so far. You likely already know the biggest releases (such as the Radahn-sized elephant in the room), but there’s a whole sea of vibrant games worth catching up on during this slow summer. Here are the best games we’ve played so far this year.
Elden Ring

Read more