The 22 biggest video game questions I need answered in 2022

I’ve written about video games professionally for over thirty-five years now, and during that time I’ve learned that hardcore gamers love nothing more than Google searching release dates. Even when there isn’t a confirmed date — or the game hasn’t even been announced — that release date thirst can never truly be quenched.

When is Knack 3 coming out? When is PT coming out? When is the PS5 remaster of Cool Spot coming out? There are plenty of hotly anticipated titles we don’t have release date information for heading into 2022. Twenty-two of them spring to mind — what are the odds? So before I leave Inverse, I wanted to reveal everything we know about the biggest questions in video games.

22. When is the Avowed release date?

Xbox Game Studios has several RPGs in the works but won’t give any release windows. Avowed specifically seems very reminiscent of Skryim. Still, we hope rumors of a late 2022 launch for Avowed are true, just so Xbox can stick it to those assholes over at Bethesda who are releasing that Starfield game.

21. When is the Fable release date?

Fable is another Xbox fantasy RPG that we don’t know much about, let alone a release date. While I have a bit more faith in Forza Horizon 5 developer Playground Games than Peter Molyneux, this title is firmly in a wait-and-see situation that Xbox will hopefully resolve next year. Maybe they can put some of Peter Molyneux NFTs into it.

20. When is the God of War: Ragnarok release date?

Remember when Sony said this was coming out in 2021? That was always realistic.

God of War was one of the last console generation’s best games. Its follow-up is now expected to release in 2022. We now have to wait and see if that actually is a more plausible release year.

19. Is Bloodborne coming to PC?

This elusive Sony PC port (or is it a PS5 remaster? Rumors can’t seem to decide.) probably isn’t in the works. A bunch of PlayStation PC ports were listed since that legitimized the Nvidia GeForce leak, and Bloodborne wasn’t one of them. While Bloodborne is beloved, we expect Sony to continue to ignore it for the time being.

18. When is The Last of Us remake’s release date?

Bloomberg reports that this The Last of Us remake is in the works, but Sony has not confirmed it. I don’t know why you think Inverse would know anything different.

But come on Sony, you’re remaking The Last of Us but not Infamous?

17. When is the Skull & Bones release date?

Skull & Bones was supposed to release in 2018. Let that sink in. After its reveal, multiple delays and workplace issues have prevented this game from ever being shown again.

It’ll be miraculous if this game ever does release, even if it’s another Ubisoft open-world borefest. I hope I can bring my 600-hour Ghost Recon helmet NFT into Skull & Bones. That’s the future of gaming, right?

16. When is the Final Fantasy 16 release date?

Since Square Enix showed this game in September 2020, we’ve been chomping at the bit to learn more.

“It’ll be at E3, no Tokyo Game Show, no The Game Awards!” rumors claimed. While we hope this game launches in 2022, the last mainline Final Fantasy game took nearly 10 years to launch — and even then it felt unfinished.

15. When is the Perfect Dark release date?

Microsoft made a whole new studio for this game, and even that wasn’t enough. Crystal Dynamics just joined as a developer, suggesting this game is still years away. I hope this title doesn’t go dark.

Thank you, I’ll be here for another TK words.

14. When is the next Mass Effect’s release date?

This seems to be in very early development, so don’t expect the next Mass Effect game for a while. What will they even call this one? Mass Effect 4 might be the most effective title. (What’s an Andromeda?)

13. Is there a Deep Down release date?

My totally legit insider source tells me that Deep Down is still real, and it’s OUT NOW. Just kidding. But really, you’re still looking this up? Capcom hasn’t shown this PS4 technical showcase since 2013, so we’ll probably never hear from it again.

Thirteen is an unlucky number in most cultures. There isn’t a more fitting spot for Deep Down.

12. When is the Metroid Prime 4 release date?

Metroid Prime 4 feels like the next Final Fantasy VII Remake. It was announced with a vague trailer, got rebooted years into development, and now shows no signs of actually existing. The current version of the game has been in development for almost three years, so hopefully, it comes out soon. Still, there’s no way I can give this an actual date.

11. When is the Starfield release date?

Of every speculated-about game on this list, Starfield is the only one that technically has an announced release date: November 11, 2022. It probably won’t make that, but it has one. If Avowed does launch in late 2022, this is Bethesda’s chance to prove that they’re better than those hacks over at Xbox.

10. When is the Hollow Knight: Silksong release date?

I feel bad for every indie game that has been in an Indie World since Hollow Knight was announced. While this game seemed pretty playable back in 2019, Team Cherry has barely said anything about the game since then. We don’t have a release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong, but it can’t be that far away.

9. When is the next BioShock’s release date?

Welp, it wasn’t at The Game Awards. It seems unlikely that this new BioShock will come out next year, but 2K could still surprise us.

Will the next BioShock live up to the hype? Probably not.

8. When is Beyond Good and Evil 2’s release date?

Yet another Ubisoft game doomed to be constantly delayed and never have a concrete release date. Its director left the company, and we haven’t heard anything else in over a year. The online-focused experience Ubisoft has pitched is so different from the first game that I’m not even sure it will be that appealing.

I’ll be pretty shocked if this ever does come out. That’s probably for the best.

7. When is Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2’s release date?

Square Enix has not announced a release date for the follow-up to Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was actually a reimagining of the first couple of hours of FF7. [Editor’s note: rude.]

And honestly, should the next part even be called a remake? The story is so wildly different at this point that calling it one kind of seems like a lie. If we’re lucky, it will faithfully remake the next 2 hours of FF7.

6. When is The Elder Scrolls 6 release date?

Likely not for several years. I have no idea why Bethesda ever announced this one. It’s the project AFTER Starfield, which isn’t even coming out for another year. We all know how long Bethesda takes to make games, so we don’t expect The Elder Scrolls 6 to arrive until the latter half of this decade.

5. When is the Nintendo Switch Pro release date?

Despite many reports from Bloomberg, the Nintendo Switch Pro might not be real. There’s a semiconductor shortage, the standard and OLED models are selling just fine, and Nintendo has said this console isn’t in the works.

If a more powerful system somehow emerges from all of this, it almost certainly won’t be called the Nintendo Switch Pro. Nintendo has never named its systems anything normal.

4. When is the Dragon Age 4 release date?

It’s probably coming out sometime over the next two years, but EA hasn’t shared a release date for the next Dragon Age. BioWare doesn’t have an excellent track record with new games as of late, so this is the game that could make or break the studio. No pressure!

3. Is Half Life 3 real?

The longest rumored game on this list, fans have been waiting for the third entry in this iconic series for a long time. Valve moves at a snail’s pace and often cancels projects, so if Half-Life 3 exists, don’t expect it for a long while.

There’s a non-zero chance that Half Life: Alyx is the only Half-Life game this decade.

2. Is there a Breath of the Wild 2 release date?

Nintendo claims that this game will be released in 2022. Will it make that date? Probably not, but we at least have some new patents teasing gameplay features.

Did you know that this game isn’t even technically titled Breath of the Wild 2? Nintendo still officially refers to this game as “Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” but that’s terrible SEO.

Also, Nintendo should still give Link a gun.

1. And finally, when is the GTA 6 release date?

For the love of god, no! Why do you keep searching for this? [Editor’s note: Please continue to search for this.]

It’s not even officially announced yet, my dude. And honestly, after the disastrous launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, it’s better if the team at Rockstar keeps their heads down and polishes this until it's good.

In reality, the only reliable information on this game is a brief mention in a Kotaku story about workplace reform at Rockstar. A new Grand Theft Auto is inevitable, but constant google searching isn’t going to make it come any sooner. Games like it are massive in scale and take years to develop. GTA Online is making lots of money and still receives major content updates, and Rockstar still has a next-gen GTA 5 port to release.

Like every other game on this list, we’ll learn more about GTA 6 when it’s ready.

If you’ve made it this far — or been sent here by the all-seeing Google algorithm, farewell, Inverse readers!