2023 has been a jam packed year for video games, breaking records and laying down the gauntlet for the rest of this generation to live up to. It feels like there’s been something new every day. Not just with all the games themselves, but the reveals too, with GTA 6’s trailer dropping, a Zelda movie being revealed, and way back in February, Professor Layton’s long awaited return. Yeah, that was this year. Despite this business though, there has been radio silence on some fronts. Here are all the things we’ve heard absolutely nothing about in 2023.
The Rock’s Video Game Movie
In January 2022, The Rock revealed he was working on a movie based on a"badass video game", and in the 23 months since, we have heard nothing about it. He joined theIt Takes Twomovie (remember that?)as a producer in April 2022, but was not cast, so it’s unlikely that these are one and the same.God of War, perhaps the most obvious adaptation, isa streaming series from Amazon rather than a movie, and again, no cast has been revealed.Does this thing still exist?
Tomb Raider
The nextTomb Raider’skey artleaked in August 2022, seemingly detailing Lara in a mentorship role as a team of new Tomb Raiders emerged. As a major fan of the series, I was far less pessimistic about these leaks than most, but since then, we haven’t heard a whisper, which makes it harder to convince myself that everything is going smoothly. Given it sits under the Embracer Group umbrella, I hope it is revealed (rather than cancelled) sometime next year.
She Dreams Elsewhere
Saying we’ve heard ‘nothing’ about She Dreams Elsewhere isn’t entirely true - the developer has shared a grand total of X videos on Twitter this year. But it was due out in 2023 and now boasts a nebulous ‘Coming Soon’ release window. As one of my most anticipated upcoming games, it’s here representing all the cool little indies that don’t have the budget for a four year long marketing cycle, but shouldn’t be forgotten about. This is made by a very small dev team and this is less to scold them for their lack of updates and more to remind you not to let this game out of your sight - I’ve got high hopes for it.
When I planned to write this,The Last of Us Factions 2and the lack of official updates was on my list. Sometimes, no news is good news.
Perfect Dark
Perfect Darkwas revealed in December 2020, and since then, the only news we’ve heard has been people leaving the studio as the game is retooled again and again. Earlier this year, adeveloper’s LinkedIn profile revealed the game might be a remake, but three years on from the reveal, fans are starving for an update.
The Outer Worlds 2
Another major absentee from Xbox’s summer showcase,The Outer Worlds 2was revealed in June 2021 with a trailer that looked like a bog-standard sci-fi game while a comedic voiceover pointed out how generic it looked. It was a good bit at the time, but two and a half years later, that joke isn’t funny anymore.
Kingdom Hearts 4
As a Disney Adult, I viewKingdom Heartsas my mortal enemy for itsbanal interpretations of the House of Mouse’s finest narratives. But even I find it strange that the last update we had on this game was some art in August 2022 that fans suspected (evidently incorrectly) wasteasing an upcoming reveal. OnceFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis out, will KH4 get some spotlight?
Death Stranding 2
Given it was only announced at The Game Awards in 2022, but there has been no news since. Kojima Productions has been working on the recently revealedOD(andpossibly Silent Hill too, if they aren’t one and the same), and clearly jugglingDeath Stranding 2at the same time. Which one of the trio we hear about next is a mystery.
Control 2
Remedyhas obviously been very busy withAlan Wake 2, butControl’skey art was revealed in November 2022, and we know nothing more now than we did then. Alan Wake 2 seems to have brought Remedy’s weird style to a new audience, so perhaps we’ll get more updates on Control soon. Remedy is also working on remakes of Max Payne & Max Payne 2 in partnership withRockstar, so who knows if and when we’ll be hearing more from Jesse Faden and The Oldest House.
Persona 5 Royal Co-Op Card Game
Made in conjunction with Pandasaurus Games, this spin-off tabletop game wasannounced in October 2022, targeting a “Q4 2023” release date. We’re here, and it ain’t. Cancelled or pushed into 2024, your guess is as good as mine.
Skydance’s Captain America/Black Panther Game
Revealed in September 2022, this is likely still a couple of years away, but given the rampant Marvel fanbase and the incredibly cool 1940s hook, it’s a surprise that this game has been kept under wrapssince its reveal 15 months ago.
