It’s only February, but 2022 has already proven itself to be a hot year for exciting new games. There are major AAA releases includingHorizon Forbidden WestandPokemon Legends: Arceus, live service games likeRainbow Six Extraction,Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, andLost Ark, and indie gems likeSifu,OlliOlli World, andNobody Saves the World. It’s perhaps no surprise then that gamers are already starting theGame of the Year2022conversation on social media, even knowing there are a lot of great games remaining in 2022.The viral conversation is largely happening on Twitter and was started due to a back and forth regarding two games. The first game is the recently released PlayStation exclusiveHorizon Forbidden West. Players are sharing screenshots and clips, saying that the best game of 2022 may already have been released. However, what’s triggered the larger conversation is the response of theElden Ringcommunity, who say to those claiming Horizon Forbidden West is 2022’s GOTY, “Just wait until next week.“RELATED:God of War Ragnarok Rating Hints Release Date Could Be Sooner Than ExpectedBeyond the back and forth betweenHorizon Forbidden WestandElden Ring’s respective fans, there are plenty of other communities wanting to make sure that their favorite game of 2022 so far isn’t being left out of the conversation.Sifuis receiving a lot of support, as isPokemon Legends: Arceus.Even Dying Light 2is getting some love from Twitter posters.
While the initial conversation revolved around games that have already been released in 2022, Twitter users noticing the trending “GOTY” term aren’t all ready to say the contest is decided yet. They point to the wide selection of upcoming releases that need to be launched before anyone can say anything about 2022’s game of the year.Forspoken,Starfield, theGrand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhancedupdate,Triangle Strategy, andKirby and the Forgotten Landare all mentioned more than once.
There’s also a crowd of fans saying that the GOTY conversation will depend entirely on two games that may or may not launch in 2022, and they have a point. BothGod of War: RagnarokandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2are expected to arrive this year, but could absolutely be delayed to 2023. Both games would be expected to be GOTY contenders, given how many awards their predecessors won.
With over ten months left in 2022, it’s fair to say that video game fans haven’t seen anything yet. The year is certainly off to a hot start, but it’s fair to assume there are probably major releases that haven’t even been announced coming from April on. With luck,2022 will be a year of such overall qualityit will be remembered for a very long time - regardless of theGOTY.
