The Most Anticipated Games of 2024 and Beyond
One of the most common complaints from modern day gamers is that “there isn’t anything new to play.” While statistics would support the notion that 2023 was one of gaming’s strongest years ever with a massive amount of high rated games launching during the year, there’s also a ton to look forward to in 2024 and beyond. So let’s ring in the New Year with a list of my most anticipated games based on my own tastes, intuition and historical knowledge of the gaming industry.
DEADROP
Developer: Midnight Society
Publisher: Midnight Society
When Midnight Society was formed by Dr. Disrespect, former Halo and Call of Duty veterans, my interest was piqued. When they announced DEADROP, an extraction shooter set in a gritty, 80’s like version of the future, my interest was piqued further. When Midnight Society announced that they would be developing the game hand in hand with the community and allowing gamers to play test DEADROP during its development cycle and offer feedback, my interest was piqued even further. And when I played DEADROP over the course of 2023, my interest truly peaked.
DEADROP is a game that takes the blossoming extraction shooter genre but makes it stylish and exciting, rather than slow and punishing like the extraction shooters that have risen to prominence. Featuring fast paced, highly mobile combat sprawled across vertically designed maps in one of the coolest original universes that we’ve seen in a while, DEADROP is a game for FPS fans to keep an eye on. When all is said and done and the extraction shooter bubble bursts, I expect DEADROP to be one of the game’s left standing that will click with gamers on all platforms for years to come.
STORMGATE
Developer: Frost Giant Studios
Publisher: Frost Giant Studios
While real-time strategy games have fallen out of the spotlight, 2024 might be the year that changes. Stormgate is leading the way for the return of the RTS thanks to the game’s roots in StarCraft which go deeper than a glance. While the game LOOKS like StarCraft in virtually every way imaginable, it’s also developed by a team that is quite literally the StarCraft team, but now separated from Blizzard Entertainment.
Stormgate will launch in 2024 as free to play and is expected to attract much of the StarCraft audience who are aching for a new game to play. Thanks to the development team’s experience and a successful Kickstarter campaign to help support its launch, it’s safe to say that Stormgate could be the shot in the arm that the RTS genre needs to put itself back on the map and enter a new golden age.
ARC RAIDERS
Developer: Embark Studios
Publisher: Embark Studios
Embark Studios has a massive hit on their hands with The Finals but did you know that they have a second game that’s already in public play testing? ARC RAIDERS is a sci-fi based extraction shooter where hostile machines have taken over the world. While there isn’t a TON of information on ARC RAIDERS that is known to the public, the overwhelming positive reception to The Finals gives us enough reason to take note and have ARC RAIDERS on our radar. While Embark is likely in no rush to push ARC RAIDERS out the door thanks to the influx of cash that they’re probably getting from The Finals, judging by how far along ARC RAIDERS appears, it’s possible that we see it enter Early Access in 2024.
ANGER FOOT
Developer: Free Lives
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Imagine if John Wick and Hotline Miami had a baby, but then you threw in a heavy dose of kicking. Anger Foot is what you would get. This stylish indie title throws fast paced gameplay, neon colored graphics and brutality at you with break neck pacing while booming bass tracks thump and you rush through each level in what feels like seconds. There is a playable demo of Anger Foot on Steam that I recommend EVERYONE try and thanks to both Free Lives history with games like Broforce and Gorn and the almost infallible Devolver Digital seal of approval, Anger Foot is likely to be a contender for Best Indie Game of 2024.
Halo Project Tatanka
Developer: Certain Affinity
Publisher: Xbox
While there’s no guarantee that Certain Affinity’s Halo project releases in 2024, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited. For quite some time now, the team at Certain Affinity (Which has supported Halo development for over 15 years) has been working on some sort of large scale, stand alone Halo experience. While nothing is official outside of the game’s existence, it has been speculated that it is the long awaited Halo battle royale. Others suspect that it is an extraction shooter while further rumors suggest that it is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, a first for the Halo franchise.
Project Tatanka is a bit of a beacon of light for Halo fans for a number of reasons; This is the first Halo game that Certain Affinity has lead development on, which is exciting. Second, Tatanka is confirmed to be a large scale Halo experience, something that many believe Halo needs to compete with the likes of Fortnite, Apex Legends, Warzone and more. While we don’t know exactly what Tatanka is or when it might grace us with its presence, it is in all likelihood the next major Halo release. And at the current stage of my life, very few games give me that “kid on Christmas morning” feeling but Halo is still one of them.
Gears 6
Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Xbox
While Gears 6 hasn’t officially been announced, it’s no secret that The Coalition has been working on the next Gears of War game for quite some time with the criminally underrated Gears 5 now being five years old. Once one of gaming’s most popular and competitive shooters, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited for the next Gears game as it still delivers a unique cover shooter gameplay experience and visuals that few multiplayer games can match. Given the fact that The Coalition has had so much time to develop the next iteration of Gears of War, hopes are high that it can restore the franchise to glory and hopefully release in Fall 2024.
Rumors of a Marcus Phoenix Collection akin to Master Chief Collection also persist but only time will tell if they come true. Maybe we will get Marcus Phoenix Collection in 2024 and Gears 6 (if its called that) in 2025? Place your bets, gamers.
Splitgate 2
Developer: 1047 Games
Publisher: 1047 Games?
Splitgate set the FPS world on fire several times during its life cycle, injecting new blood into the arena shooter genre with its unique portal mechanic which changed the way traversal on multiplayer maps works. With polished Halo-like gunplay to go along with a slew of well designed maps, rookie studio 1047 Games blew up, expanded and quickly found that its baby, once a college project made by four students had struck a chord with gamers and found an audience.
Rather than attempt to slowly re-design Splitgate and bring it to a AAA level with new levels of funding, 1047 opted to start fresh with a brand new untitled game set in the Splitgate universe. While we don’t know if 1047’s next game will be an arena shooter, battle royale or something else, it’s safe to say that portals will probably be involved. My hope is that we at least see 1047’s next game enter alpha or beta in the New Year.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Developer: Saber Interactive
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
The original Space Marine game was my first experience in the ever popular Warhammer 40,000 universe, a choice that I will never forget. Stepping into the shoes of a badass Space Marine and taking down seemingly endless enemies in space with a chainsword and other brutal methods of disposal just never seemed to get old. Now more than a decade behind us, Space Marine 2 is utilizing new tech to look bigger, bolder and badder than ever. Even if Space Marine 2 is nothing but a pretty, gritty, blood dripping trek through the Warhammer 40K universe, that’s pretty much good enough to get by but a recent increase in quality from other 40K games such as Darktide, Rogue Trader and Boltgun also helps improve Space Marine 2’s prospects.
Bodycam
Developer: Reissad Studio
Publisher: Reissad Studio
Bodycam is one of two games in development that is attempting to use the “Bodycam” perspective rather than a traditional first or third-person perspective. The result is an unbelievably realistic visual style that has garnered the attention of many, but yet to prove itself in functionality. Bodycam is the multiplayer centered version of this idea while a separate game titled Unrecord is single-player focused. Time will tell if either game and idea from relatively unknown developers can find success.
Tempest Rising
Developer: Slipgate Ironworks
Publisher: 3D Realms
The second real-time strategy game on this list is Tempest Rising from Slipgate Ironworks and 3D Realms, which harkens back to the Command and Conquer days of RTS in comparison to Stormgate’s StarCraft heritage. With a more retro look and approach centered on the single-player campaign, universe and story, Tempest Rising really does feel like the RTS greats of the 1990’s. Try out the playable demo on Steam and you will know pretty quickly if Tempest Rising’s style clicks with you.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
Developer: Saber Interactive
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Including this game on the list blow up in my face, but having horror legend John Carpenter’s name on a videogame excites me. John Carpenter did direct “The Thing,” one of my favorite films of all time after all. This Left 4 Dead looking cooperative FPS is being handled by Saber Interactive, a team of veteran developers who have worked on everything from Evil Dead, World War Z, Halo: Master Chief Collection and yes, Space Marine 2. John Carpenter himself is a hardcore gamer and my hope is that he will work on the soundtrack for Toxic Commando as well. All I know is that the debut trailer was badass, OK? Toxic Commando is probably more likely to be a guilty pleasure than a surefire hit but maybe that’s all it needs to be.
Alara Prime
Developer: Fall Damage
Publisher: Fall Damage
Counter-Strike and Valorant have dominated the tactical shooter space for years but there’s actually two games on this list that seek to carve out a piece of the tactical pie for themselves with the first being Alara Prime. Rather than 5v5 gameplay, Alara Prime seeks to change things up with a 4v4v4 format. Fans of games like CS and Valorant may find this shakeup to be refreshing and exciting if it works, or it may feel too different and backfire. Regardless, Alara Prime is taking a deliberate risk with a spin on the tactical shooter format, which makes me excited to try it.
Ghost (Tentative Title)
Developer: Mountaintop
Publisher: Mountaintop?
The second game that is working to break into the tactical shooter space is code named “Ghost” from the newcomers at Mountaintop Studios. Comprised of veteran developers from the likes of Riot and Bungie, Mountaintop is a tactical shooter taking influence from the ever popular anime aesthetic. Closed testing has been happening since the game’s announcement but no footage or release date yet exist. If rumors are to be believed, Ghost will add its own twist on the tactical format by letting players switch between controlling two different characters on each map, swapping back and forth between them to defend multiple sites or angles at once. Like Alara Prime, this could prove to be a genius innovation or backfire by feeling too complicated for fans who are used to playing one tried and true way. Regardless, fans of tactical shooters should have Ghost and Mountain on their map.
Riot’s Project L
Developer: Riot Games
Publisher: Riot Games
Riot’s fighting game is quite literally the only fighting game that I have anticipated in at least a decade and there’s really one reason for that; Riot has succeeded in virtually everything that they have ever done. From League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics and even Arcane, Riot has been one on-going success story. Now turning its eye to the fighting game genre, I believe that Project L (not the final name) can be the game to put fighters in a more prominent spot on the Twitch and esports scenes. While the tag team system that Project L is utilizing scares me as a fighting game novice, the League of Legends audience is huge and millions of gamers will surely dive into a fighting game set in its universe as soon as it launches. While a “release” in 2024 might be a stretch, we may at least see some type of public testing.
World of WarCraft: War Within
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Xbox
Anyone who knows me knows that I have had an on and off again relationship with World of WarCraft for nearly two decades. Despite plenty of trials and tribulations, it can hardly be argued that WoW isn’t still the premiere MMORPG in 2024. With a recent string of good decisions and releases between Dragonflight, WoW Classic Hardcore and Season of Discovery, the WoW team appears to be hitting its stride once again. Having changed their content cadence and now being reinvigorated with new leadership and the acquisition of the former Spellbreak developers, World of WarCraft is entering a new era with War Within. Serving as the first expansion in an already announced trilogy of expansions, War Within tackles some of WoW’s most exciting lore in a long time regarding the World Soul of Azeroth, cosmic forces of Light, Void and more.
Now under the ownership of Xbox, I am expecting the quality of all of Blizzard’s games to improve with infamously impatient Activision CEO Bobby Kotick being removed from the picture. The looming potential integration of World of WarCraft into Game Pass or even eventually releasing on Xbox could also be huge steps for the WarCraft IP.
Project Black Budget
Developer: Krafton Inc.
Publisher: Krafton Inc.
The company responsible for the battle royale revolution is now working on an extraction shooter code-named “Project Black Budget.” While details are essentially non-existent with the exception of a planned release in 2024, Project Black Budget is expected to be an extraction-shooter with PUBG’s classic gunplay mechanics. Do you really need to know more than that? Keep an eye out for this one when it is revealed as PUBG is still one of the most played games on Steam.
Metroid Prime 4
Developer: Retro Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
The original Metroid Prime was one of the first truly great 3D action-adventure games from a first-person perspective. With more than 15-years passing since the last Retro developed Metroid game, Metroid Prime 4 will be Retro’s first foray back into Metroid since taking a break to develop Donkey Kong games. While originally being handled by Bandai Namco, the original version of Metroid Prime 4 was scrapped and the development baton was once again passed on to Retro. Despite being announced six years ago, we still know absolutely nothing about Metroid Prime 4. Despite all of the red flags, Retro and Nintendo’s track record makes it a pretty safe bet that when Metroid Prime 4 does arrive (It HAS to be 2024, right?), it will be a certified banger.
The “Not Making 2024, but still Hyped” list
Marathon
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: PlayStation
While there are a bunch of extraction shooters on this list, and dozens in development across the industry, Bungie’s revival of Marathon is one of the most likely to succeed. Sporting a bright, bold new look, PvP focus, deep, mysterious and sometimes insane lore, Marathon marks both the return of a legendary franchise but also a re-introduction to newer generations of gamers. While recent turmoil at Bungie and an acquisition by a recently directionless PlayStation may give some reason for pause, Bungie has a history of overcoming adversity and I expect Marathon’s eventual launch to be no different. With an absolutely huge fanbase thanks to both Halo and Destiny, as well as Sony’s marketing money, I expect Marathon to be a successful game with staying power. It just won’t release in 2024.
OD
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Xbox
Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid, Zone of Enders and Death Stranding is nothing short of a creative genius. The fact that Kojima Productions is working on a new horror game in partnership with Xbox should really be all that needs to be said to understand why OD is on this list. After the cancelation of the legendary PT/Silent Hills, gamers have clamored for Kojima to return to horror and OD will give us just that. Blending what appears to be multiple mediums with support from horror icon Jordan Peele and other A-list celebrities, cloud technology and a likely unlimited budget from Xbox, OD is a game that is probable to push boundaries and blow minds whenever it sees the light of day.
Blizzard Survival Game
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Xbox
Blizzard Entertainment has built its legacy by taking new genres in bloom, simplifying them, covering them Blizzard magic and then polishing those games to levels that most developers just can’t match. WarCraft, StarCraft, Diablo, World of WarCraft and Overwatch are all examples of this. Heroes of the Storm was almost another case when Activision cut its life unjustly short as it competed with DOTA 2 and League of Legends. Knowing this, when Blizzard announced that they were developing a survival game in a brand new universe, many were naturally excited.
The survival game genre has been hot for a few years now, but has been plagued by buggy releases and elements so hardcore and admittedly annoying to many, that they haven’t yet struck big with much of the “mainstream” gaming audience. This creates quite an opportunity for Blizzard to slide into with it’s survival game, rumored to be titled “Oddysee.” If Blizzard can launch an attractive survival game with some of the genre’s ugly edges trimmed off, it just might find itself with a massive audience and be the game that everyone has been looking for.
Light No Fire
Developer: Hello Games
Publisher: Hello Games
Light No Fire may be the most ambitious game on this list, making it’s release date an even bigger mystery. No Man’s Sky developer Hello Games has moved onto its next project after spending years redeeming its iconic project and fulfilling its premise. Instead of creating a seemingly endless galaxy like No Man’s Sky, Hello is instead seeking to build one planet that is the scale of an actual planet in Light No Fire. So image exploring and traveling through a world as big as the real Earth. This one world will be shared by all players of the game.
The initial footage of Light No Fire revealed at The Game Awards in late 2023 looks impressive but we don’t know much about the gameplay itself. Will Light No Fire feature combat? What is the “point” of the game? Is it a survival game, an MMO or something else? While there is a lot to be determined about Light No Fire, there’s no doubt that Hello Games is once again looking to push boundaries in the gaming space which is exciting.
League of Legends MMORPG
Developer: Riot Games
Publisher: Riot Games
As stated earlier, Riot Games has yet to miss its mark and given that it has poured years of development into its MMORPG set in the League of Legends universe, there’s a serious shot that it might become the biggest MMO of all time. While details are scarce and Riot has somehow avoided leaks, the League of Legends universe has all the ingredients to host an MMORPG that can survive and grow for decades. If you’re a fan of League or MMORPGs in general, this game is one to watch. My hope is that we will finally see it in 2024 and if we’re lucky, maybe some type of public testing begins.
The “These Games are in Development but not officially announced” list
Id Software’s Next Game
Developer: Id Software
Publisher: Xbox
id Software perfected the modern DOOM formula with 2020’s DOOM Eternal, which ranks among my favorite games of all time. Since the release of DOOM Eternal’s second expansion, The Ancient Gods Part Two, id Software has been secretly working on whatever comes next for them. With The Ancient Gods Part Two potentially putting the Doomslayer on hiatus, rumors have been rampant that a Quake reboot is in order, supported by both Quake and Quake II receiving remasters with new lore. Whatever id is working on is sure to excite given the team’s history and talent. Expect to see it revealed in 2024.
Dennaton’s Next Game (Sector X)
Developer: Dennaton
Publisher: Devolver Digital
The developers of Hotline Miami changed the gaming industry alongside their partners at Devolver Digital and reminded the world that small teams and hyper-focused games can go toe to toe with AAA studios when it comes to value. Piecing together an impeccable package of action packed, unforgivingly fast-paced gameplay, a bright neon colored art style, violence and enough 1980’s Miami vibes to choke on, Hotline Miami still stands as one of the greatest “indie” games of all time.
Dennaton has been hard at work on their next project since the release of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number in 2015. While we’ve technically seen nothing of it, the above image was taken from a wild Devolver press conference a few years back and seem to indicate that Dennaton’s next work will be a sci-fi based side-scrolling shooter. Given the eight year time jump since Hotline Miami 2 though, who knows what is going on with Dennaton’s next game or when we may possible see it.
Neon Prime
Developer: Valve Software
Publisher: Valve Software
Any time that Valve releases a new game, the industry stands still. From Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, DOTA2, Team Fortress to Half-Life (We won’t mention Artifact), few companies in the gaming industry have experienced as much success as Valve. With that said, Valve is reportedly working on a new competitive game lead by “IceFrog,” known as the creator of the mega successful DOTA franchise. According to rumors, Neon Prime is a third-person shooter with classes and some overlap with DOTA from a gameplay perspective, but with potential sci-fi setting ties to Half-Life. Could this be the actual delivery of Epic’s canceled shooter-MOBA hybrid concept that was “Paragon?” Time will tell but if IceFrog is leading development of a new competitive game of any kind at Valce, everyone should take note and competitive gamers should start stretching.
Let me know what games you are looking forward to and feel free to leave comments with games that you think I missed on this list!
