Summary
Next week is shaping up to be one of the biggest the gaming industry has seen in all of 2023.2023 has been an incredible year for video gamesin terms of new releases, with a seemingly endless line of critically-acclaimed titles from big name publishers and smaller indie developers.
When it comes to the video game industry, the busiest months tend to bethe stretch from September to November, as that’s when publishers like to drop their biggest games to get them out in time for the holiday shopping season. December is a slow-down month most years, playing host to The Game Awards, but otherwise being fairly light in terms of big developments.
December 2023 is proving to be a notable exception to that rule, with next week set up to be one of the biggest weeks the industry has seen all year. While some of these events will only be relevant to fans of certain games, there’s no denying that next week will be huge for gamers of all kinds.
Fortnite Chapter 5 (Sunday, December 3)
Epic’s mega-popular battle royale gameFortnitemanaged to bring back lapsed fans and bring in newcomers by returning to its OG roots.FortniteSeason OG has served as a sort of interlude between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, giving fans the chance to revisit iconic locations from the BR’s early days and utilize items that were vaulted long ago.FortniteSeason OG has been a huge success, but all good things must come to an end.
FortniteSeason OG will end with theBig Bang eventon Saturday, December 2, which is expected to wipe the existingFortniteOG map from existence. Following some server downtime,FortniteChapter 5 will appear in its place, giving fans a brand-new map to duke it out on.FortniteChapter 5 is expected to go live onSunday, December 3, bringing with it significant changes.
SomeFortniteChapter 5 leaks have given fans an idea of what to expect from the game’s new skins at least, with rumors suggesting thatFamily Guy’s Peter Griffin andMetal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake will soon be making their debut in the BR. WithFortniteChapter 5 right around the corner, fans don’t have to wait much longer to find out everything that it has in store.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s First Trailer (Tuesday, December 5)
Easily the biggest gaming event next week is the debut of the first-everGrand Theft Auto 6trailer. Previously, Rockstar Games confirmed that it would be dropping the firstGrand Theft Auto 6trailer at some point in early December, but now the company has provided a specific date and time. ThefirstGrand Theft Auto 6trailerwill premiere on Tuesday, December 5 at 6am PT. It’s safe to say that theGTA 6trailer is going to break the Internet, regardless of how long it is or what all it reveals about the highly-anticipated open world game.
Time will tell what exactly theGrand Theft Auto 6trailer has in store, but it should at the very least confirm where the game is set, who the main characters are, and what gameplay will look like. Fans have waited over a decade for a brand-newGrand Theft Autoexperience, and so it’s likely that they will tear the trailer apart for clues about what the new game is going to bring to the table. If fans are lucky, they may even get an idea of when theGrand Theft Auto 6release datewill be, though they shouldn’t hold their breath.
Call of Duty Season 1 (Wednesday, December 6)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has some of the worst reviews out of anyCall of Dutygame in history, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a runaway commercial success.Modern Warfare 3has been breaking player engagement recordsand all signs point to it being another major success for theCoDfranchise, from a financial standpoint, at least. Regardless of how one feels aboutModern Warfare 3, it’s clear that many fans are playing the game and are no doubt excited about Season 1, coming Wednesday, December 6.
Modern Warfare 3Season 1 will see Gunfight brought back into the mix, new multiplayer maps added to the playlists, and new game modes introduced. Fans of the traditionalCall of Dutymultiplayer experience will be kept plenty busy when Season 1 goes live on December 6, but there will also be new content for the open world Zombies mode, and of course, theWarzonebattle royale.
Perhaps the most exciting new addition withCall of DutySeason 1 on December 6 is the debut of theUrzikstan map forWarzone.Call of Dutyplayers have already gotten a sneak peek at Urzikstan by playing the Zombies mode, and it seems like many are excited to see the map featured in a proper battle royale setting. Fans will find out how Urzikstan stacks up compared to classicCall of DutyBR maps like Verdansk when it makes its debut on December 6 as part of the big Season 1 update.
New PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass Additions (Tuesday, December 5 - Friday, December 8)
Free PS Plus Games for December 2023
New Xbox Game Pass Games for December 2023
The Game Awards (Thursday, December 7)
If it weren’t for theGrand Theft Auto 6trailer, Thursday, December 7 would easily be the biggest day for the industry next week. The Game Awards 2023 will take place that day, with various games nominated for awards at the big show.The Game Awards 2023 will have plenty of world premiere trailersand big reveals for fans to look forward to as well, so it will be a must-watch for any gamers next week. The Game Awards 2023 will kick off with its “Opening Act” at 4:30pm PT that day.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Release Date (Thursday, December 7)
December 2023 doesn’t have much in the way of big new video game releases, but arguably the biggest new release of the month is coming next week.Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, an open world FPSbased on James Cameron’sAvatarfranchise, is scheduled to launch on December 7 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Developer Massive Entertainment has a proven track record, and it will be exciting to see if the game sticks the landing come its December 7 release date.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
WHERE TO PLAY
Protect Pandora. Become Na’Vi. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™ is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the open world of the never-before-seen Western Frontier of Pandora. Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na’vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na’vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA.
