It’s been a wild year for video games, with extreme highs and lows in equal measure. We’ve had so many blockbuster game releases – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Baldur’s Gate 3 – but we’ve also had a year of terrible worker redundancies and layoffs, and a general malaise about the state of the economy and wider world. In all its facets, 2023 has set the stage for a very interesting sequel.
What does the gaming landscape look like in 2024? Will the games industry achieve stability? Being more optimistic about the future, what games will we see from the biggest developers around? What new trends will emerge?
Let’s gaze into the crystal ball, and attempt to predict what might happen in one of the most unpredictable years in gaming yet. Here’s the GamesHub video game predictions for 2024.
Video Game Predictions for 2024
More game cancellations will be announced
Before the games industry’s current situation improves, it will likely get worse. According to analysts, a major period of expansion in the pandemic years has not been sustained, with ambitious company and project growth worldwide now on a course of correction. It feels likely, after recent trends, that we may lose some of the announced projects of 2024 and beyond as a result of cost-saving measures – and in some unfortunate cases, corporate greed.
In 2024, we expect to see a number of game cancellations, potentially for already announced projects. The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is allegedly in some trouble, and may be officially shelved in 2024. A number of other projects may face the same fate. We hope not, for the benefit of the talented teams working behind the scenes to make upcoming games happen, but after the year we’ve had, more cancellations might be on way.
The rise and rise of cosy games
As everyone knows, it’s been a difficult year on multiple fronts – not just within the games industry. Between cost of living pressures and global conflict, there’s so much to worry about. And that’s why cosy games will be a big feature of 2024.
Sometimes, you just need to sit down with a game that’ll transport you to a more wholesome, tender world with simpler tasks, and the opportunity to really relax. Games like Tales of the Shire (currently due in 2024) will provide an avenue for players to experience brain-massaging good vibes, and escape from the real world. Expect a new wave of cosy games in 2024, with plenty of opportunity to tune out and chill.
Devil May Cry gets a remake from Capcom
The original Devil May Cry games are absolutely fantastic – but even with a snazzy HD remaster available on modern consoles, the initial trilogy is very dated. Its camera angles are wild, its boss battles are occasionally unfair, and there’s plenty holding it back from being truly appreciated by new, modern audiences. But with the series being one of Capcom’s all-time bestsellers – and given the recent slate of successful Resident Evil remakes – it feels like high time for a return in remade form.
We anticipate that Capcom will continue its winning streak in 2024 with – at the very least – the announcement or release of a Devil May Cry remake. To be clear, there is no news about a remake on the way, and we have no insider knowledge one way or another – but it’s always good to ask politely for the things you want. Truly, we hope this eventuates in 2024.
Everything is Fortnite now
With the release of the excellent Fortnite Festival, and experiences like Lego Fortnite and Rocket Racing, Epic Games has made a definitive statement: everything is Fortnite now, and Fortnite is everything. The game is now more like a service platform, and will likely continue to expand with new games and experiences in 2024.
Rather than Epic Games releasing titles as standalone in the coming year, we’re more likely to see new games releasing within Fortnite – whether free, or paid. Lego Fortnite could certainly have been a fully-fledged, paid release with its all-encompassing survival-adventure gameplay. The same goes for Fortnite Festival, which brings together the best elements of the Rock Band series. We expect Epic Games will note this success in 2024, and continue releasing new games within Fortnite indefinitely.
Super Mario Odyssey sequel announced
Have you played or replayed Super Mario Odyssey lately? You should – it’s an incredible game, and one that has such a snappy sense of fun. Whether you’re spending your time bouncing up buildings or possessing strange creatures in magical worlds, Odyssey is brimming with pure, rewarding joy. That Nintendo has not announced a direct or spiritual sequel to this game is an oddity – particularly given Odyssey remains a best-selling title, and has maintained a passionate audience for years.
In 2024, we predict that Super Mario Odyssey 2 – whether in name or nature – will be announced by Nintendo. The original game is just too good not to capitalise on, with its freeform sense of exploration and star-grabbing. With the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo has made clear it’s willing to revisit and innovate on its past successes. Super Mario Odyssey 2 will be the next stepping stone in this journey.
New Nintendo Switch console revealed
Not only do we predict Super Mario Odyssey 2 will finally be revealed in 2024, we also predict it will arrive as a launch window title for the new version of the Nintendo Switch – colloquially known as the Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo has not formally announced a new console, but plenty of rumours and reports claim a Nintendo Switch refresh is penned for 2024, with some developers allegedly already having devkits to create games for this console. After several years in the spotlight, the Nintendo Switch feels in need of a refresh, and in 2024 we predict it will get one – potentially with a new console release planned for the middle of the year.
Gaming mascots return in a major way
After the gloom of 2023, we need brighter, more colourful heroes to lead the way into 2024. To that end, we predict the return of the gaming mascot – think Ubisoft’s Rayman, and Activision Blizzard’s Spyro. While it might be too ambitious to claim returns for both will pop up in the new year, we hope to see heroes like them in the games of 2024.
Less grit and dour atmosphere, and more silly platforming, colourful stages, and hopeful vibes. We’d certainly not say no to Ubisoft reviving Rayman’s adventures, following a neat cameo in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. And given Spyro contemporary Crash Bandicoot recently got his revival at Activision Blizzard, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Spyro also returns in some capacity soon. We predict a nostalgic revival, and very welcome returns for 2024.
Handheld consoles become a bigger part of the gaming market
With a new Nintendo Switch likely on the way (per our predictions) and handheld consoles like the Lenovo Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally now freely available in the global market, we predict a major pick up for handheld gaming in 2024. There’s just something so nice about sitting down on the couch with a cup of tea and a gaming console, playing wherever you choose.
In 2024, we predict handheld consoles will enjoy their time in the sun, with more people adopting handheld gaming in addition to their home PCs and wired consoles.
For the Australians out there, we’re also predicting something a bit less optimistic – that the Steam Deck simply won’t release in Australia. It’s been nearly two years now, and a whole console refresh. It’s time to throw in the towel, and give up. Don’t rely on the Steam Deck arriving in Australia in 2024 – but do look forward to handheld consoles becoming more common than ever.
Superman video game announced
Right – time for a wilder prediction. After years of threatening to coalesce, we predict a Superman video game will be announced in 2024. It’s not outside the realm of possibilities – after all, superhero games are back in the zeitgeist, and heroes like Wonder Woman and Marvel’s Wolverine are already getting their own games. There’s something so tantalising about the idea of being able to fly around on your own, exploring an open world from the air, and wielding incredible super powers to fight for justice.
Superman will technically appear in a 2024 video game – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – but with him being an antagonistic force, it’s likely this game won’t indulge the power fantasy of being an all-powerful hero. As we said, 2024 should bring brighter, more optimistic games after a difficult year. A major studio announcing a Superman game in 2024 would be wonderful – and while we don’t expect it would release in 2024, it would be a spark of hope for the future.
It’s the year of the bog witches
Finally, for something a bit more fun – we predict 2024 will be the year of the bog witches. Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe, a new Assassin’s Creed game expected to pop up in the near future, appears to contain some elements of witchcraft and/or cults based on early teasers, and we hope this game will actually feature witches in some form – potentially of the grimy, bog variety.
Over the pond, we’ve also got Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 releasing in 2024 – and while Senua is not quite a witch, she is a bog woman haunted by supernatural happenings, and so she fits the bill. Between these titles, we predict witches and wild women will be in for video games in 2024. After a year of vampires and sci-fi space horror, it’s time for something new.
Stay tuned to GamesHub to see just how many of these wild predictions come true in the new year.
