Earlier today, Bethesda announced that it was delayingRedfallandStarfieldinto the first half of 2023. This is to make sure that both games are polished enough for release. Given Bethesda’s track record of buggy launches, this is perhaps the best choice forStarfield, but it notably leaves a huge hole in the holiday season.
For example, August’s main games areSaints RowandThymesia, September’s isSplatoon 3, andForspokenandGotham Knightsare the only confirmed October releasesas of this writing. November has lostStarfield, leaving it completely blank. It stands to reason thatPokemon Scarlet and Violet,as well asCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2will help feel that void, but those are to be expected. In other words, the busiest time of the year is currently lacking major Xbox and PlayStation games.
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What fills this hole remains to be seen, but Microsoft may not have anything it can put out.Starfieldwas its big 2022 release, and that pushes everything back. It could perhaps surprise fans with anew game reveal at Xbox Game Pass, but that remains to be seen. When it comes to Sony, it doesn’t tend to focus on the holiday season as much as other companies. For example, its last exclusive release in 2021 wasDeath Stranding: Director’s Cutin September, withKenaandDeathloopalso releasing that same month.
What this means is that a lot of the holiday season may fall on third-party titles, and the only two that seem likely to get confirmed release dates for the holiday season—barring the ever-present possibility of a delay—areAvatar: Frontiers of PandoraandHogwarts Legacy. Everything here comes with the possibility of being delayed, asStarfieldproves.
Other 2022 Video Games: God of War: Ragnarok, Final Fantasy 16, and More
Now, this isn’t to say there won’t be big releases, but barring a surprise from Xbox or a Sony shift toward the holiday season, the two aforementioned games are the safest bets.God of War: Ragnarokcould release this year and giveElden Ringa run for its potential Game of the Year award win at The Game Awards, but Sony is more likely to release that in September than it is the holiday season. It could perfectly well slot in there, but late summer seems more likely given Sony’s recent approach.
Final Fantasy 16is another one that could, but may not, release this year. Producer Yoshi-P recently confirmed that anewFinal Fantasy 16traileris ready and waiting, presumably for a proper showcase, and also said that the development is basically done. This sort of language doesn’t guarantee a 2022 release, especially with a confirmed release window, but it’s not impossible. It could find its way into a holiday release window, but it’s not the safest bet here.
There are several other games that could fill this period, but either they are not the safest bets or don’t really compete in the same running as these other games.
RELATED:God of War: Ragnarok Could Be a Huge Game
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Will Likely Line Up With The Way of Water
Ubisoft’s Massive hasAvatar: Frontiers of Pandorain development, and it’s likely to release in December this year. Ubisoft recently confirmed three games prior to April 2023:Avatar, Skull and Bones, and Mario + Rabbids Spark of Hope. As it stands,Skull and Bonesfeels like a 2023 release because of its history, and it stands to reason thatAvatarandMario + Rabbidswould hit this year.Avatar’s biggest reasoning is the movie,Avatar: The Way of Water,which is scheduled to release on December 16.
Historically, the gaming industry doesn’t have great video game/movie tie-ins, but that’s not exactly what’s happening here. Massive’sAvatar: Frontiers of Pandorais its own game, beautifully built onthe Snowdrop Engine. Not much has been shown yet, but it would stand to reason that releasing this game around the hype ofThe Way to Water, especially in the holiday season, would be Ubi’s best bet.
Hogwarts Legacy Has a Holiday Release Window, Unless It is Delayed Too
Many fans have wanted aHarry PotterRPG for the longest time, and WB seems set to give it to them this fall. WB confirmedHogwarts Legacy’s holiday 2022 release windowduring a State of Play event earlier this year. Now, more thanAvatar, it has a chance of being delayed, but that doesn’t seem too terribly likely. WB has already delayedSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leagueand releasedLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. PuttingGotham Knightsout in October provides enough time forHogwarts Legacyto release in November, maybe December.
October is a good, popular release time, but most big “holiday” AAA releases are in November. This likely suggests WB has planned well forHogwarts Legacyto be its big holiday season.
If there’s anything for certain, though, it’s that fans shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. Anything can be delayed, and how that possibility impacts this holiday season is still up in the air.
