On the eve of a new year, it's time to look ahead. Join Cardy, Alex, and Jesse as they go through all of the big games, films, and TV shows coming in 2022. There's a lot to be excited about so settle in.
Why not let us know what you're looking forward to the most? Feel free to sling us an email at ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai is known for sometimes playing two characters in Smash Bros. simultaneously, against himself. He's done this multiple times before, including in a Nintendo Direct to show off Banjo and Kazooie. But while this is an admittedly goofy way to play Smash, Sakurai hinted recently that he might also play other games like this, too. Like It Takes Two, for example.
When It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Sakurai posted on his Twitter, suggesting it might be possible to play It Takes Two by oneself, with two controllers. The co-op game has some pretty tricky coordinated puzzling and boss fights, but given how complex Smash can be (especially when you're, you know, the creator of the series trying to look pristine on a Nintendo Direct), it seems entirely possible Sakurai managed it.
The Game Award 2021を獲得した『It Takes Two』。
— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) December 11, 2021
ふたり専用ゲームであることが最大の障壁だけど、ひとりでできなくもない…かも? pic.twitter.com/xb2WtE8Fvn
He even included two different configurations, in a reference to his own prior comments about how he used to play with two controllers simultaneously on GameCube by stacking them vertically. Sadly, he can't do that anymore on the Switch Pro Controller without accidentally pressing L and R.
Sadly, Sakurai does not show his hand as to whether or not he actually played or intends to play It Takes Two by himself. Hopefully he can find a buddy to play it through with if not, since It Takes Two is a "spectacular co-op adventure that lays down a path of great gameplay ideas and uses it to play a giddy game of hopscotch" (or at least, we thought it was in our review).
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Steam has released its Best of 2021 lists and, while it doesn't rank the top games in each category, they do reveal which games were the most played, sold the best, and much more.
Steam's Best of 2021 lists include Top Sellers, New Releases, Most Played, Early Access Grads, Best of VR, and Controller Friendly; and games like Valheim, New World, Halo Infinite, Battlefield 2042, PUBG, Counter-Strike and Grand Theft Auto V appear in multiple categories.
The Top Sellers category features the top 100 games as measured by gross revenue and places each one into the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tier; but it does not detail how much a game has to earn for it to qualify for a new level. The Platinum Top Sellers, in alphabetical order, are as follows;
The New Releases category is measured the same way as the Top Sellers one, but games only qualify if they were released in 2021. Sorry, GTA V, but this is one award you can't win! The Platinum-tier New Releases, in alphabetical order, are as follows;
The Most Played category celebrates the games that reached the most "highest peak concurrent players" throughout the year. The games that reached the highest tier - Over 200,000 Peak Players - are as follows;
The Early Access Grads category is all about rewarding the games that left Early Access and earned the most gross revenue in 2021. The Platinum-tier Early Access Grads, in alphabetical order, are as follows;
The Best of VR category collects the top-selling VR-exclusive experiences that earned the most gross revenue in 2021. The Platinum-tier Best of VR games, in alphabetical orders, are as follows;
Lastly, the Controller Friendly category honors those games that had the most daily active controller players in 2021. The Platinum-tier Controller Friendly games, in alphabetical order, are as follows;
To see how Steam's top games compare to IGN's choices, check out all the winners from our Game of the Year Awards 2021.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Microsoft's all-digital Xbox Series S is available now at Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Gamestop. Best Buy, Gamestop, and Walmart have the Fortnite and Rocket League bundle in stock, which comes with 1,000 V-Bucks, and 1,000 Rocket League credits for no additional cost. Meanwhile, at Amazon, just the standard version is in stock.
The Xbox Series S may not be as flashy or powerful as its big sibling, the Xbox Series X, but it still plays Xbox exclusives like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 with solid results. It's also the most readily available next-gen console, so if you have some Christmas money lying around, this is a great item to use it on.
Due in part to the sheer number of games delayed out of 2021, 2022 has inherited one of the most promising video game lineups in recent memory.
Over 100 games are already scheduled for 2022, and with the new year fast approaching, we’re highlighting the most promising projects on the horizon, from tentpole first-party titles like Breath of the Wild 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Starfield to much-anticipated multiplatform releases such as Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
There’s a lot to look forward to in the year ahead, so let’s dive in. These are the 48 biggest games coming in 2022, listed chronologically by release date.
Only games with officially announced 2022 release dates/windows were considered for this list. Seasonal (e.g., Spring, Fall) release windows are based on the Northern Hemisphere.
Ubisoft kicks off 2022 with Rainbow Six Extraction, a PvE spinoff of its ultra-popular shooter Rainbow Six Siege. Built on the foundation of Siege, Extraction pits teams of three against a parasitic alien threat. The shooter saw multiple delays (and a name change) since it was revealed at E3 2019.
The first big Switch exclusive of the year, Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes Nintendo’s beloved monster-collecting franchise in a bold new direction. Arceus, the series’ first core game set in a (semi) open world, shakes up the traditional methods of encountering and battling Pokemon.
Coming seven years after the release of the original, Dying Light 2: Stay Human brings players to a new region of Techland’s zombie-filled open world. This time around, the parkour playground is four times bigger and developer Techland has worked to create more fluidity between traversal and combat. Oh, and Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian) will play a major role in the game’s story.
Sifu is a new kung-fu game from Sloclap, the studio behind 2017’s combat-focused RPG Absolver. In addition to smooth martial-arts gameplay, Sifu features a unique mechanic around death: Upon dying, the playable character will come back as an older version of themself — a metaphor for the wisdom that comes with age and experience. However, if you grow too old (i.e., die too much), death will eventually result in a “definitive game over.”
Ultra-popular PC shooter Crossfire comes to consoles for the first time early next year. Both the single-player and free-to-play multiplayer modes will be released on February 10. Crossfire developer Smilegate is handling the multiplayer component, while Remedy (Alan Wake, Control) created the two single-player campaigns: Operation Catalyst and Operation Spectre — both of which will be available at launch.
Sega’s acclaimed strategy series returns in 2022 with Total War: Warhammer 3. Developer Creative Assembly is introducing two new playable factions — Kislev and Cathay — for this third entry, as part of “the most diverse array of legendary heroes, gargantuan monsters, flying creatures and magical powers that the series has ever seen." Total War: Warhammer 3 will launch into Xbox Game Pass for PC.
The first of three big PlayStation first-party exclusives on this list, Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy’s journey as she investigates the mysterious Red Blight threatening life on Earth. It’s one of the most anticipated games of the year, and if nothing else, it promises to be stunning (as evidenced in the trailer below).
FromSoftware set loose an unstoppable hype train at E3 2019 when it revealed Elden Ring, a third-person action-adventure made in collaboration with A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. If our Elden Ring hands-on preview is any indication, Elden Ring just might live up to that extraordinary hype. Thankfully we don’t have to wait much longer to find out, as Elden Ring will be released on February 25.
The trend of asymmetrical multiplayer games based on classic horror franchises continues in 2022 with Evil Dead: The Game. In addition to a PvP mode, in which one player controls the Kandarian Demon, Evil Dead will offer co-op and single-player options. Perhaps best of all, Bruce Campell lends his voice to the game, reprising his role as Ash Williams. Groovy.
Nearly four years after it was announced at E3 2018, Babylon's Fall will be released on PlayStation consoles and PC. Babylon's Fall is another combat-focused game from PlatinumGames, the studio behind excellent action games like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata. It's playable solo or cooperatively with up to three others, though regardless of how you play, it'll require a constant online connection.
Sony's historic Gran Turismo series comes to PS5 on March 4, 2022. Racing fans are keen to see how Sony’s premier racing sim fares in its next-gen debut following the success of Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 5 in 2021. With GT7, Polyphony Digital aims to connect the past of the 25-year-old franchise “to the present and to the future.”
Stranger of Paradise is a new type of Final Fantasy game — an action-heavy Soulslike from the studio behind Ninja Gaiden and Nioh. Despite significant differences in gameplay compared to traditional FF games, creative producer Tetsuya Nomura assures fans “there's no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through [Stranger of Paradise’s] veins.”
This Dungeons and Dragons-inspired Borderlands spinoff comes to consoles and PC in late March. Tiny Tina serves as Dungeon Master for Wonderlands’ story, which includes the return of everyone’s favorite diamond unicorn Butt Stallion and sends players on an epic quest to defeat the Dragon Lord. The voice cast includes some top talent, including Will Arnett as the Dragon Lord, Andy Samberg as Valentine, Wanda Sykes as Frette, and Ashly Burch returning as Tiny Tina.
It’s been a long road to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The game was first announced in 2010, rumored to be canceled in 2011, then actually canceled in 2012. Years later, developer GSC Game World started fresh on the series’ first numbered sequel, re-revealing it in 2020 as a “unique blend of FPS, immersive sim, and horror.” It will launch into Xbox Game Pass and will be a Series X|S console exclusive for three months.
Night School Studio’s supernatural walk-and-talk adventure is getting a sequel in 2022. Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is set in the same universe as the original, though it stars a new cast of characters, led by an environmental researcher named Riley. Lost Signals’ gameplay mechanics will largely be familiar for those who played the first, as it features the return of Oxenfree’s signature dialogue system.
The Day Before was thrust into the spotlight in 2021 after the debut of its gameplay trailer on IGN, which garnered over 4 million views on YouTube. As for what players can expect, The Day Before is an open-world MMO survival game set in a zombie-filled, post-pandemic America. In addition to the standard MMO trappings — PvP combat, resource gathering, and social hubs — The Day Before features Animal Crossing-like base building.
Forspoken has all the makings of a sleeper hit. From its interesting Isekai premise to its frenetic “magic parkour” traversal system, Square Enix’s open-world RPG has the potential to deliver big on both its narrative and gameplay. The developer is aiming to create the “highest quality visuals ever” for an open-world video game, and it was all realized by a superstar writing team that includes Gary Whitta (Rogue: One: A Star Wars Story) and Amy Hennig (Uncharted).
The next game from horror legend Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within), Ghostwire: Tokyo is a paranormal first-person game in which 99% of Tokyo’s population has mysteriously disappeared. Despite the studio’s pedigree, Tango says Ghostwire isn’t exactly a horror game, rather an action-adventure “packed with mysterious and spooky elements.”
The first mainline Kirby game since 2018, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 3D adventure set in an abandoned, overgrown city. The Switch exclusive is targeting a Spring 2022 release window.
Following multiple delays that date back to 2020, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will (hopefully) be released in 2022. Called the “biggest” LEGO game ever by developer TT Games, The Skywalker Saga is an entirely new retelling of all nine mainline Star Wars movies built in an all-new game engine.
Resurgence is a post-TNG Star Trek narrative-adventure created by a new studio that employs over 20 ex-Telltale developers. Unsurprising given the staff's pedigree, dialogue options/conversations will be featured prominently in Resurgence, though developer Dramatic Labs says there will be action sequences as well. The game tells an original story involving the clash of two alien civilizations and features all-new characters as well as fan favorites such as Spock.
Volition’s rebooted Saints Row is decidedly less whacky than the series’ previous two entries, harking back to a balance of ridiculous and grounded last seen in Saints Row: The Third. The reveal was met with some skepticism from longtime Saints Row fans, but Volition is confident in its vision, responding to backlash by saying it’s “not backing down on this game.”
Redfall is the next game from Arkane Austin, the studio behind 2017’s excellent Prey. Set in the island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, the co-op shooter lets you (and up to three friends) loose in a vampire-filled open world. It’ll be an Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusive, and it'll be available Day One on Game Pass.
We were disturbed (and delighted) when Scorn resurfaced in May 2020 with an all-new trailer showcasing its H.R. Giger-inspired aesthetic. The first-person horror game will finally be released in 2022 as an Xbox Series X|S console exclusive.
Another Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusive, Starfield is the next epic single-player RPG from Todd Howard and Bethesda Game Studios. Howard describes Starfield as “Skyrim in space,” though he also noted it’s “a bit more hardcore of a role-playing game than we've done in the past.” The RPG will be Bethesda’s first game developed using its Creation Engine 2.
And while we’ve yet to see gameplay, BGS’s vision for Starfield became clearer over this past year; we now have details on Starfield’s mod support, robust character customization, first- and third-person viewpoints, and main factions.
2022 offers gamers an opportunity to return to Middle-earth, this time as the mischievous Gollum. Unlike Lord of the Rings’ previous “Shadow of” games, Gollum isn’t an open-world action-RPG, rather a narrative-focused adventure with an emphasis on stealth and platforming.
Relic’s legendary World War 2 RTS returns in 2022 after a nine-year hiatus. Company of Heroes 3 is set in the Mediterranean theater and introduces new features to the series such as tactical pause and a fully dynamic campaign map. While looking ahead with new innovations, Relic is also looking to its past for Company Heroes 3; the studio says this third installment will be more like the original Company of Heroes than its sequel.
The nearly 20-year wait for Homeworld 3 will come to an end in late 2022, when Gearbox releases the long-awaited space RTS sequel. Set generations after the events of Homeworld 2, Homeworld 3 raises the stakes with larger-scale battles, higher unit caps, and massive structures. It will include a campaign, multiplayer, and a co-op mode "with a roguelike twist," according to developer Blackbird.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is the next game from renowned strategy studio Firaxis. As a highly customizable character known as The Hunter, you’ll be joined on your quest to take down Lilith by notable Marvel heroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Wolverine. Midnight Suns stands out from the studio’s previous work as it incorporates a card battle system into its broader tactics gameplay. The system ties abilities to cards in a deck, similar to games like Slay the Spire.
Revealed at E3 2021, A Plague Tale: Requiem is Asobo Studio’s follow-up to A Plague Tale: Innocence. The first was regarded as one of 2019’s best narrative-focused games, and Requiem looks to build on that success with the return of brother-sister protagonists Amicia and Hugo. It will come to Xbox Game Pass at launch.
Arc Raiders is a co-op shooter from an all-new developer: Embark Studios, a team headed by former EA exec Patrick Söderlund and comprised of ex-DICE developers who worked on Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront. Set in a gorgeous sci-fi world, the free-to-play third-person shooter features 3-player co-op and an emphasis on teamwork.
Ark 2 is a video game with giant dinosaurs and Vin Diesel. That should be enough to base your purchasing decision on, though if you must know more, it’s an action-adventure/survival game set in a hostile world that blends prehistoric environments and far-future technology.
Announced back in 2017 (and properly revealed in 2021), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person, open-world action-adventure game set in a never-before-seen part of Pandora. Like the film, Frontiers of Pandora pits the Na'vi against humans and their mechs. It’s in development at Massive Entertainment, the Ubisoft studio behind The Division.
PlatinumGames finally showed off Bayonetta 3 in September 2021, four years after the game was first announced. The long-awaited reveal showed off Bayonetta’s new moves and hairstyle, along with our first look at new enemies and areas within Bayonetta 3’s ravaged Tokyo. It’ll be released sometime in 2022, exclusively on Switch.
Horror fans are going to want to keep an eye on The Callisto Protocol, a new sci-fi/horror game helmed by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield. While the Callisto Protocol looks the part of a Dead Space spiritual successor, it’s actually set in the same universe as a different game: PUBG. Regardless, Schofield and co. are aiming to “make the scariest game on next-gen platforms.”
Sony’s biggest first-party release of 2022 is undoubtedly God of War: Ragnarok, Santa Monica Studio’s follow-up to IGN’s 2018 Game of the Year. Ragnarok continues the father-son story of Kratos and Atreus, while introducing new characters from Norse mythology such as Thor and Odin.
Batman is dead, and the duty of protecting Gotham has fallen to Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood — Gotham Knights’ four playable characters. The third-person brawler supports single-player and two-player co-op with a combat system that’s been “entirely redesigned” from the developer’s Batman Arkham game.
2022 is the year Harry Potter fans will finally be able to embark on their own adventure through the Wizarding World. Based on teaser footage, Hogwarts Legacy includes many of the activities you’d expect from a proper Harry Potter RPG: character creation, the Sorting Ceremony, magic lessons, potion brewing, Quidditch, and more. It will seemingly be released sometime after April 15.
Beloved space/physics sim Kerbal Space Program returns in 2022. The sequel introduces new parts, spacecrafts, and buildings, as well as quality of life improvements such as a moveable launch tower and a skippable launch countdown. Developer Intercept Games says it’s “creating a reliable foundation on which players and modders alike can build for another decade or more.”
A new horror game in the Layers of Fear series is slated for 2022. Developer Bloober Team revealed the project with a teaser trailer, showcasing its use of Unreal Engine 5. The series’ previous entry, Layers of Fear 2, was released in 2019 and earned a 9/10 from IGN.
Even with Elden Ring, Starfield, and the next God of War due out in 2022, the year’s biggest game is arguably Breath of the Wild 2 (official title TBA). Nintendo has been tight-lipped about the sequel thus far, though it did reveal some Breath of the Wild 2 gameplay at E3 2021. Breath of the Wild sits atop our list of the best Switch games and at number five on our list of the best video games of all time.
The unexpected Nintendo-Ubisoft collaboration continues in 2022 with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, a sequel to 2017's Mario + Rabbids Battle Kingdom. The follow-up features less linear levels, a more fluid combat system, and nine playable characters, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, and their Rabbid counterparts.
Nightingale is a shared-world game from Inflexion Games, a new studio comprised of ex-BioWare developers, including the renowned studio's former GM Aaryn Flynn. It's billed as a survival-crafting game with first-person combat featuring guns, melee weapons, and magic. Nightingale is housed in a fantastical Victorian setting, which Flynn says is "as rich and full of history and life as anything we’ve worked on in the past."
The Outlast Trials is a co-op spin on Red Barrel’s terrifying horror franchise in which you attempt to survive sadistic, Cold War-era human experiments. While the series’ first two games were strictly single-player, Outlast Trials can be played alone or with up to three others — as the developer said, “It’s always better to shit your pants in good company.”
Shadow Warrior, the fast-action FPS that’s lain dormant since 2016, returns in 2022 with Shadow Warrior 3. The series’ next adventure sees protagonist Lo Wang and sidekick Orochi Zilla embark on a quest to “recapture an ancient dragon they unwillingly unleashed from its eternal prison.”
After months of rumors and speculation, Sega officially unveiled Sonic Frontiers, the next main entry in the blue blur's series. We saw our first proper teaser for the game just as 2021 came to a close, teasing the "open zone" gameplay, environments, and more in a game that aims to “lay the foundation” for future Sonic titles, according to Sonic Studio’s Takashi Iizuka.
Nintendo’s colorful shooter is back with its familiar ink-splattering multiplayer and an all-new single-player campaign. Called Return of the Mammalians, the campaign focuses on the return of mammals to the world of Splatoon. It’s multiplayer, meanwhile, retains its core mechanics while introducing new weapons and customization options.
Taking place in the same universe as Rocksteady’s Batman Akrham series, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice league is a one-to-four-player action game set in an open-world Metropolis. The playable characters are Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang — all of whom will have unique abilities and customizable weapons.
What is your most anticipated game of 2022? Vote in the poll below or let us know in the comments!
2022 is shaping up to be a big year for Nintendo. Not only will it be celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Switch, but we’re also - hopefully - going to hear a whole lot more about Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and, perhaps most exciting, the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In addition, Mario will once again jump beyond video games to the big screen with Chris Pratt, of all people, taking on the role of the legendary plumber in Super Mario: The Movie.
While that is enough to inspire any fan to yell out “yahoooo!” whether you think Chris Pratt is right for a stocky Italian plumber or not, Nintendo is also known for its big surprises and delivering that which we least expect. Will we hear more about the fabled “Switch Pro”? Will Metroid Prime 4 or the long-rumored Metroid Prime Trilogy finally be revealed? It’s also been quite some time since Super Mario Odyssey was released. Could Nintendo be planning to release its sequel or a brand new experience in step with the upcoming film? The possibilities are truly endless, but let’s take what we know and look ahead to what we can expect from Nintendo in 2022.
The big question on everyone’s mind going into 2022 is undoubtedly whether the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will actually make its way to the Switch before 2023 begins. As it stands, Nintendo has committed to a 2022 release window, but as we know, an initial release date is never a lock.
Despite it being nearly five years since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we’ve seen very little of this new entry, and we don’t even have a proper name for it yet. The much-anticipated sequel was announced in 2019 with a brief teaser, and we didn’t get another glimpse of Link’s newest adventure until Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct.
Another question is: what will it run on? Even though Breath of the Wild earned many perfect review scores from outlets like IGN, it wasn’t without its technical problems, even with the Switch being a brand new platform at the time. While it’s hard to overstate what magic the game DID accomplish, its inconsistent frame rate and sub-par draw distance did, for brief moments, take some out of what is otherwise a sublime experience.
Considering Breath of the Wild launched alongside the Nintendo Switch in 2017, many have assumed its sequel would be a showcase for the more powerful Switch that has been rumored for what feels like centuries now. There were various reports that teased a new model would arrive in 2021 with upgraded internals, a 7-inch OLED display, a faster Nvidia Corp. graphics silicon that will make 4K resolution possible when docked to a TV, and more. Instead, we received the still-great Nintendo Switch - OLED Model that did provide a better screen, but added nothing to improve performance.
Nintendo has repeatedly said it has “no plans” to release another Nintendo Switch model at this time, but it also said the same thing just five months before announcing the Switch OLED Model. With Nintendo, anything is possible, and while we should keep our expectations in check, never say never in regards to a dream announcement. It’s just important to note that, no matter what plans Nintendo actually has, pandemic supply shortages have massively hit gaming hardware production and may have altered what it thought its 2021 and even 2022 would look like. Either way, Zelda fans will soon, hopefully, have another incredible adventure to get lost in.
The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild may be the most-anticipated game for many, but that doesn’t mean Nintendo doesn’t have a ton of other games in the works for the roughly 93 million Nintendo Switch owners out there.
In early November 2021, Nintendo shared a graphic that detailed the biggest upcoming exclusives headed to the Switch in 2022, and the first major game set to be released is Pokemon Legends: Arceus on January 28. While it isn’t the full open-world Pokemon experience many had hoped for, it looks to be a big departure from the tried-and-true formula of the previous Pokemon entries. This new adventure takes place in the feudal past of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl's Sinnoh region and will have players exploring wide-open areas in their quest to catch ‘em all.
Nintendo will also be continuing its trend of letting third-parties release cloud versions of games that probably wouldn’t run as well natively, and the first one up in 2022 will be Dying Light 2 on February 4. On the non-cloud front, exactly a month later, Square Enix’s tactical RPG Triangle Strategy will be released with an art-style that is reminiscent of Octopath Traveller. Triangle Strategy is the last game on Nintendo's list of confirmed 2022 games that has a definite release date, but there is still plenty more to discuss.
Spring 2022 will not only bring back the beloved Advance Wars franchise with Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp, but it will also see everyone’s favorite pink puffball of happiness return to the spotlight. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is another 3D open-world-ish take on an established franchise, and the story looks to take players to the ruins of a civilization long-gone that is giving us some The Last of Us vibes. Seriously.
Summer 2022 will bring with it the first major expansion for Monster Hunter Rise in Sunbreak. The first, quick tease of gameplay showed a terrifying new monster in an “eerie new setting,” and Sunbreak as a whole is also said to include a new story, new locales, even more monsters, hunting actions, and quest ranks, to name a few.
There are a few big games that only have a 2022 release window, and these include Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Splatoon 3 was first announced in February of 2021 and looks to take players to a big desert metropolis hub city that will let them participate in both multiplayer and single-player activities. Splatoon 3’s campaign is called “Return of the Mammalians” and focuses on… well… the return of mammals in the world of Splatoon. It also appears that customization will play a much bigger role and players will be able to take an adorable companion creature with them into battle.
Next up is Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, which was unveiled during E3 2021’s Ubisoft Forward. Alongside new characters like Rabbid Rosalina, Sparks of Hope is promising to feature many more open levels and a new, less-restricted battle system that does away with the original’s grid movement.
Almost four years after its original announcement, Bayonetta 3 gameplay was finally shown during Nintendo’s September 2021 Direct and it didn’t disappoint. We were all treated to Bayonetta going head-to-head with a massive kaiju monster, a tease of some of the new areas and enemies she will encounter, and a devastated Tokyo that looks to be the main location of part of the game. The final shot also had conspiracy theorists jumping through the roof as it appears Vergil from Devil May Cry may be finding his way into this universe.
However, we all know these games aren’t all Nintendo has up its sleeve. Nintendo has, at times, been the master of surprises, and there is a pretty good chance we are in for some in 2022. Here are a few educated guesses of games we will at the very least hopefully see, if not necessarily get to play next year.
Metroid Prime 4. This long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was announced back in 2017 with only a tease of its logo, and the game went dark until Nintendo revealed that its development was being restarted at Retro Studios, the developer of the original trilogy. Now, at the tail end of 2021, we’ve seen both the announcement and release of a new game starring Samus Aran in Metroid: Dread without so much as one new detail on Metroid Prime 4.
Could 2022 be the year we see what Retro Studios has been cooking up? After all, it will be the 20th anniversary of the original Metroid Prime. If not, there continues to be rumors that we may finally get our hands on the Metroid Prime Trilogy. These rumors have been swirling around for years now, and they eventually have to be true… right?!
While on the topic of remasters/re-releases, there are still a few leftovers from the Wii U’s library that have yet to make their way to the Switch. Chief among them are HD ports of both The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but there’s also Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and even NES Remix Pack, the latter of which inexplicably never got a new entry in the form of new NES games or even SNES, N64, Game Boy, or GameCube games. Seriously Nintendo, please bring those back! None of these have necessarily been confirmed, but given that Wii U ports have been a staple of the Switch’s library every year, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the last major games from the console make their way over.
Next, with the release of Pikmin Bloom on mobile devices, many fans have been screaming to the skies, “Where is Pikmin 4?!” After all, in 2017, Shigeru Miyamoto said Pikmin 4 was “progressing,” but shared no further details. Could Pikmin Bloom be setting the stage for its big reveal? Anything is possible!
It’s also about time we heard any news about the future of the Super Mario series, which had its last proper entry in 2017 with Super Mario Odyssey. We’ve been treated to various Mario games since then, like Super Mario Maker 2 and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, but it’s the perfect time for Mario to go on his next mainline journey to undoubtedly save Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser.
These are all in the realm of possibility, and of course we also continue to have some more improbable pipe dreams like the return of F-Zero and Star Fox, an official English language release of Mother 3, and the next Mario Kart game… if Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ever stops selling, that is. One can wish, but we’re not putting too much stock in those hopes just yet.
2022 will be the first full year of the expanded offerings of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, and it will be interesting to see how Nintendo adds to its service that was met with a not-so-positive reception when it was released in late October. While it is great to have access to various N64 and SEGA Genesis games, many of these ports have been suffering from input lag, frame rate issues, sound delays, incorrect controller layouts and more.
This issue is magnified by a price hike as Nintendo decided to charge $30 per year more for this upgraded version of Nintendo Switch Online. All these benefits, concerns, and more begs the question - Is Nintendo Switch Online worth the price of admission? While that’s for each person to decide and for Nintendo to prove, It’s important to note that it also includes access to Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Happy Home Paradise DLC that normally costs $24.99 USD, but, there is still a lot to be desired from Nintendo Switch Online, and its feature-set is well behind those offered by Sony and Microsoft for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
However, Nintendo has promised to “improve and expand” the Switch Online service in the future, which makes sense as the number of players that access its online features has now exceeded 32 million - which is six million more than this time in 2020. Will this mean more classic games added to the service from Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube? Maybe there will be more exclusive items like the N64 or SNES controllers or further DLC for Nintendo’s biggest games? Fingers crossed that 2022 sees Nintendo’s online service broaden its horizons.
While games are the bread and butter of Nintendo’s repertoire, it has recently made it a priority to expand the reach of its franchises through amusement parks and movies. Set for a theatrical release on December 21, Super Mario: The Movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.
Additionally, Kevin Michael Richardson will voice Kamek, Fred Armisen will voice Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco will voice Foreman Spike. For those worried, it was also confirmed that longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet will have a series of featured cameos in the upcoming film.
This new project doesn’t appear to be a one-off experiment, as reports have also stated Seth Rogen will reprise his upcoming role as Donkey Kong in a new solo film. Could this be the start of the Nintendo Cinematic Universe that will bring the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s Subspace Emissary to life? Why not?
We may also hear more plans for the Super Nintendo World theme park that is currently open at Universal Studios Japan and is set to open at Universal Studios in Orlando in 2025. It was recently revealed that there will be a Donkey Kong expansion at Universal Studios Japan, and one can only imagine what else is being discussed behind closed pipes.
Pokemon is also getting the theme park-treatment, as The Pokemon Company announced a long-term partnership with Universal Studios Japan that will let these companies “jointly explore groundbreaking entertainment that will immerse guests into the world of Pokémon with innovative technology and creativity beginning in 2022.”
And with that, we’ve looked at most everything we can expect from Nintendo in 2022. However, if we’ve learned anything from the 132-year history of this company, it's to always expect the unexpected.
We can’t wait to see what 2022 holds for Nintendo, and we look forward to sharing and celebrating all the biggest moments with you on IGN.com and through our weekly Nintendo Voice Chat podcast. As the Switch enters Year 5 with no signs of stopping, we all should be ready and excited for one truly special Rainbow Road ride.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Fortnite is currently down and Epic has confirmed it is investigating a solution to stability issues that led to the game servers being taken offline.
The Fortnite team shared the unfortunate news on its @FortniteStatus account on Twitter and promised to update players "as soon as more info is available."
Earlier today, Fortnite players began experiencing login, matchmaking, and other issues when trying to play the battle royale game, and the issues quickly became severe enough for Epic to step in and shut down the game as they worked towards a solution.
Server downtime is not uncommon during the holiday season, but it is yet unclear if this particular issue stemmed from an influx of players or something else entirely.
On Christmas Day, the Nintendo Switch eShop was having similar issues and players couldn't create Nintendo Accounts, purchase games, redeem gift cards, or even browse the online store.
We will update this article as soon as the servers are back online and, until then, be sure to check out all the goodies that are part of Fortnite Winterfest 2021, including outfits based on Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
