No one truly knows what 2022 will bring, but there's no harm in making a few predictions anyway, right? Once again, we're looking to the future of PlayStation, hazarding a few guesses on what's to come in the next 12 months. Each member of the Push Square editorial team has three predictions to share. Only time will tell if our office crystal ball has led us to the truth. Let's get on with it!
Sammy Barker, Editor
The Last of Us Factions Launches on PS5, PS4, and PC. I think this is going to be a hugely ambitious effort from Naughty Dog, and Sony’s going to push it extremely hard with full crossplay across PS5, PS4, and PC, and it'll be included as part of PS Plus or whatever major subscription service is available at the time. I expect it to have all of the underpinnings of a traditional service game, so an in-game item store selling cosmetics and seasonal updates. Crucially, however, in addition to the usual selection of deathmatch modes, I think this may have a RUST-esque persistent online element, where you work with friends to build camps and scavenge for resources in a competitive multiplayer environment.
Returnal will get a massive refresh. I don’t think Housemarque is done with its most ambitious project yet, and I’m expecting a full expansion from the first-party Finnish studio in 2022. This will launch alongside a repackaged retail release, similar to what we’ve seen with Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. I’m predicting new biomes, bosses, and gameplay modes – and for a long-shot prediction, some form of additional online co-op option. Oh, and it’ll all be available on PC for the first time as well.
Twisted Metal’s television tie-in is a Battle Royale for PS5, PS4, and PC. Perhaps the theme of my predictions this year is a heavy emphasis on multiplayer, and I do believe that under the stewardship of Hermen Hulst, the company wants to entice more people to play on the PlayStation Network with larger-scale online experiences. Rumour has it that a new Twisted Metal is in development alongside its television adaptation, but I think the twist is that this will be a Battle Royale game, bringing a completely unique twist to the formula popularised by Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone. Action will take place entirely in cars, but you’ll be able to attach different weapon loadouts and armour to define your personal playstyle. And, of course, there’ll be a never-ending selection of cosmetics to pimp your ride with.
Robert Ramsey, Deputy Editor
A new Final Fantasy game will be announced that no one will see coming. Look, it's pointless trying to predict the actions of Square Enix. It often feels like the Japanese publisher gets its ideas from a combination of blindfolds and dartboards, and this is exemplified in the company's handling of Final Fantasy as a franchise. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will release as planned, and then at some point after that, we'll get an announcement for something new out of nowhere, all while we continue to wait patiently for anything on Final Fantasy XVI.
A major anime-based fighting game from Arc System Works will be released. It's been over four years since Dragon Ball FighterZ changed the perception of anime-based fighting games, and I predict that Arc System Works is ready to do it all again. Whether it's a full-on sequel to FighterZ or a new title based on a different property, like One Piece or maybe even Bleach — given the latter's recent revival — it's going to take the scene by storm.
We'll see Kratos ride a giant wolf in God of War Ragnarok gameplay. Yes, I'm bringing this prediction back for a second year. Kratos will ride a giant wolf in 2022 and I will get the all-important point that I deserve. And here's the most prophetic part: the wolf in question will be one of the wolves that we've already seen — the ones that are pulling Kratos' sleigh in the 2021 gameplay trailer — but it'll grow massive in size since it has something to do with the god-beasts that chase the sun and moon in Norse mythology. My redemption is at hand!
Stephen Tailby, Associate Editor
PSVR 2 launches in the latter half of the year, complete with a complimentary Astro Bot experience. Sony has already made a fair amount of noise about its PSVR successor, showing us the controllers and promising a huge upgrade in many areas. A 2022 release has not been stated officially, but I reckon it'll show up in the second half of the year, ahead of the holiday period. What's more, Team Asobi will launch a new Astro Bot game or demo that shows off the tech, and it'll be available for free. I feel like, after the incredible reception of Astro's Playroom (and given the little robot's history with PSVR), Sony will want to keep the good vibes going.
WipEout makes its return on PS5, and it's going GaaS. Mobile game WipEout Rush has already been confirmed for 2022, but I feel like it's an offshoot of a larger return for Sony's anti-gravity franchise. A "proper" new game will be announced, and it'll be a Game as a Service. In other words, it'll launch relatively light on content, and then be expanded upon with regular post-launch support, adding new teams, vehicles, tracks, events, seasonal cosmetics, modes... Heck, the mobile game might even tie into the console game in some way, why not.
Kratos gets drunk in God of War Ragnarok. There's no real reasoning behind this, I can just see it happening. I can so vividly picture this scene; perhaps Kratos and Atreus have had a falling out. Perhaps the Ghost of Sparta sits down with Brok for a pint in Asgard, sick of it all, and the two soak their troubles into the night. Perhaps this is followed by a drunken brawl, with the aged god defending the inebriated dwarf from a pack of baddies. With any inhibitions swimming in mead, Kratos' raw power is brought to the fore, and we enjoy a hilarious, wild power trip. I now want this scene to be real more than I want the game itself.
Liam Croft, Assistant Editor
Sony's next-gen PSVR headset doesn't release in 2022. If the world was a normal place, I absolutely think you would all be donning a brand spanking new PSVR device by the end of the year. However, it's anything but. I struggle to see why Sony would want to introduce an optional peripheral to its lineup of accessories that costs hundreds of pounds when it can't even guarantee PS5 systems will be on store shelves at any point soon. You'll certainly see the headset this year; maybe Sony will even date the headset for the end of 2022 in a State of Play or something. I don't think it'll actually happen, however. Look forward to this one in 2023.
Gran Turismo 7 will have the highest Metacritic rating of any PS5, PS4 exclusive released in 2022. I can feel it in my bones: Gran Turismo is back, baby. After more than eight years, we are finally getting a traditional Gran Turismo title out of Polyphony Digital, and I reckon it'll be the best-rated PS5, PS4 exclusive Sony puts out in 2022. That means it scores higher than God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West overall. Why? Because Gran Turismo 7 will be a very welcome return to form and the other two aforementioned titles are going to be dragged down slightly by building off of their predecessors. It's going to be tight, but I have faith Gran Turismo 7 will be top of the podium come the end of the year.
Firesprite Games shows what it's all about. It's going to be tough to judge this one at the end of the year, but I think Firesprite Games is being seriously underrated as one of Sony's newest developer pick-ups. 2022 is the year it shows what it's all about. The team will release a brand new IP to widespread praise and then announce another title for 2023. Think of what Insomniac Games has done for the PS5 this past year and change; Firesprite Games is the next studio to do that. It has the team size to do it, and I think it'll realise it. Don't underrate Firesprite Games anymore. Big things are on the way.
Aaron Potter, Video Editor
Rivet will get her own short but sweet standalone adventure. As well as being one of the most highly rated and regarded PS5 exclusives of 2021, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart surprised everyone with its introduction of female Lombax, Rivet. Her no-nonsense attitude, coupled with Jennifer Hale’s charming performance, allowed this new character to have quite the impact — I think even Insomniac was slightly taken aback by her popularity. It’d be a shame for us to have to wait too long before getting to catch up with her, hence why I think she and Kit will get their own Lost Legacy/Miles Morales style spin-off adventure. It would allow both characters to develop their friendship before potentially re-appearing in a full Ratchet & Clank sequel.
The PlayStation Now + PlayStation Plus combo launches in a messy state. It was just a few weeks ago now we got word from a recent Bloomberg article that PlayStation will soon merge the benefits of PS Now and PS Plus together. Currently codenamed “Spartacus”, it’s definitely the kind of shot in the arm either service needs to try and take on Xbox Game Pass, but I think its initial launch will be surrounded by confusion. Why? The Bloomberg report posits that Spartacus will come in three tiers, and I think (for one reason or another) this will tick players off, potentially inspiring PlayStation to streamline the offer into a single fee.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga actually releases, makes everyone love Star Wars again. In between the KOTOR remake, the as yet unannounced (but blatantly obvious) Jedi: Fallen Order 2, and more arriving on PlayStation soon, there’s an avalanche of Star Wars about to hit the platform. However, one of the most elusive titles is TT Games' LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which I think will reignite everybody’s love for the saga due to its broad appeal and seriously expanded version of the LEGO formula. This is all of your favourite Star Wars movies recreated in block form in one exciting package, and I think it’ll rank pretty highly in people's personal GOTY lists as a result.
That's it for our musings on what 2022 may bring. What about you? What do you think will happen in the new year? Make your own predictions in the comments section below.
Comments 50
"...it's pointless trying to predict the actions of Square Enix..."
Was thinking exactly this earlier when I was reading about how excited Square-Enix are for NFTs.
PSVR 2, I wouldn't mind if that didn't come along until 2023. There are a lot of games coming to PS5 in 2022, and potentially Breath of the Wild II on Switch. I can wait a while yet for a new VR headset.
And I think Spartacus, whatever that turns out to be in the end, will be perfectly fine, but any perceived issues will be blown out of the water by the internet as always.
The main issue will be that it won't try to be Game Pass, so anyone expecting a Game Pass clone will be livid. That's my main and probably safest prediction for 2022.
This was a fun read though, and a nice reminder of what is and what might be on the way for PlayStation.
Thanks, team.
Sony will announce all 1st party games will be playable in VR.
I'm all for more cool ArcSys games but a major new release while also releasing DNF Duel, most likely Season 2 of Strive, and updating 2 BlazBlue games with rollback (I know these are outsourced but still)? I'd be suprised.
I love the idea of a rivet standalone adventure
My prediction: at least one company adopts NFTs into their new games, they will be met with ridicule.
I think it would be a mistake to invest resources in PSVR2 whilst PS5’s are still so difficult to acquire for many.
I’ve been looking forward to LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga for years. It’s gonna have to be spectacular and have drastically evolved gameplay to justify all the delays. I don’t think it would have been half as bad if they were more open and vocal with the fans. The lack of communication has been shocking.
I’d welcome a Rivet & Kit (should have been Clink) adventure but I’m not sure they need one. Rift Apart already felt like a Rivet & Kit game. That game left me wanting more Ratchet & Clank, not Rivet & Kit. But I’d still buy it day one. Love this universe Insomniac have created.
I’d also love Astro’s Playroom 2. That game was a real surprise (and free too). I also love the little theme tune that plays when you linger on the game tile in the PS5 Home Screen. I will forever associate it with Christmas and playing my PS5 for the first time.
@fR_eeBritney I've also been looking forward to Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - wasn't it supposed to be released on the PS4 in early 2020? What has the hold up been?
And while I'd like to see another Wipeout, I feel that without the creative input of Studio Liverpool (I know some team members are in FireSprite) it'd be a half baked affair. So a GaaS type release would be a quite obvious option and very disappointing.
I'm mostly hoping that Codemasters Evo pump out something very MotorStorm-esque cos the PS4 & PS5 could do with a decent arcade racer.
As long as i can play ps1 ps2 games on project Spartacus , then that’ll win 2022 for me 😀
@sanderson72 I think they blamed the pandemic but who knows what the real reason is?
@iStarkill You'll be able to play them - just a very disappointing selection, that's all.
Love this!
My predictions:
@iStarkill It will be a very tiny slice of games. If I’m not mistaken, the combined libraries make up more than 10k games. Sounds great, but we will only receive a small portion unless Sony has some tricks to try. Not telling you to not be excited or hope for a win, but I currently don’t see much more for legacy titles than something like NSO games. I will happily eat my words if I’m wrong.
I contribute to GT7 prediction.
With Sony having teased a bunch of online multiplayer Playstation Studios games, it does feel like Sony will join the standard approach with online multiplayer games where each online multiplayer game has at least 1 of the following: FTP, Battle Royale, GaaS. Even Nintendo's embraced GaaS to some extent (e.g. New Horizons).
'Because Gran Turismo 7 will be a very welcome return to form' , not for me the always online requirement makes it an instant no buy unfortunately
@iStarkill hoping for the getaway games would've loved them to have been added to the PS2 classics selection on ps4
@PenguinL Uncharted 4's multiplayer has microtransactions so i'm assuming Factions might have them too.
Hoping the MSG 3 remake and Silent Hill remake announced as PlayStation exclusives along with the rumored Bloodborne remaster and Bloodborne II being developed by Blue Point announced.
My ‘go big’ hope is we learn what Naughty Dogs next project is in a Playstation Showcase the second half of the year.
And for the lesser consoles Fable 4 announced as a holiday release on Xbox and Metroid Prime 4 announced in Nintendo’s annual ‘big game’ release the week before Thanksgiving.
Would love seeing GoWR, Fable 4, and Metroid Prime 4 released the same week in November. With GoWR cleaning the other twos clocks. Thinking BotW II is 2023.
@itsfoz I hope you’re wrong. I want Hogwarts Legacy to be wonderful.
I feel my prediction for 2022 is that we will all finally know what Abandoned is and, surprising to many, it will be worth the roller coaster ride.
@meistergeister Think BotW2 is going to be 2022. Microsoft already has Starfield for holiday 2022, so I’d be truly surprised if Fable 4 is announced for end of year also. I have a feeling first party exclusives will be exciting for the second half of the year this year
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/12/sony-set-to-combine-ps-plus-and-ps-now-to-create-xbox-game-pass-competitor-on-ps5-ps4
In this article, Spartacus is gonna have 3 tiers. And in the lowest tier, the game pass-like service isn't apart of it. I can see the confusion and anger, stemming from this problem.
@somnambulance Same here - just can’t shake the feeling with it being a relatively unknown Dev and a lack of info that they’re going to really make it bad. But I REALLY hope not.
My predictions:
@itsfoz Hey, Avalanche did the wonderful Rampage games for N64. Lol. But, yeah, it’s true that the game is such an unknown. I wish we could see more about it. I’ve got a feeling I’ll buy it regardless of how good it is. My son just got into Harry Potter prior to Christmas, and it’s making me nostalgic as we watch the films.
Lets pray to god that Twisted Metal wont be a Battle royale piece, free to play piece of garbage. Lets hope that Factions start on the Playstation platform first.
@Flaming_Kaiser TM reboot confirmed online only Battle Royale but it will cost $70 and only start you off with 7 characters to choose from. In time, they'll release new and existing characters to the series at $10 each. They'll also release "skins" and emotes that the characters will do via jumping out of their cars temporarily. Yes... you can run them over while they emote for an instant kill.
I predict we still won’t be able to get our hands on a PS5.
Hoping for ps2 ps3 games on psn and a surprising PlayStation remake.and definitely more aquisition etc.word up son
GT7 being the highest rated exclusive in 2022? Lol yeah no. What is with this attitude that just b/c Horizon and God of War Ragnarok are sequels they can't score as high as the last entries? When has that ever stopped anything? TLOU2 was practically the same score as TLOU. The Uncharted games got better after 1 and pretty much all scored about the same as eachother. I guess Push Square staff has already decided in their minds that those games will get docked points just because they aren't original. That's a really dumb mindset to have
@Uncharted2007 If thats the case i really wont be getting it just release a better looking Twisted Metal World Tour with some more modern controls.
There's part of me that wants a new VR unit but there's part of me that knows what that might do to me IRL. I can't handle the truth.
My predictions list.
1. Last of Us Factions revealed and set for a late summer launch. PS4 and PS5 are target platforms; PC comes in 2023.
2. Square fully details FFXVI. It will probably miss a holiday release. Early 2023 title.
3. FFVII Remake Part 2 revealed and detailed. No confirmed release Window.
4. Insomniac shares more details on Spider-Man 2.
5. Sony buys someone. No idea who. But someone.
6. PS VR 2 released by holiday.
@F1at8mot0
According to current reports the great chip shortage should start to ease up by the end of 2022. So probably not this year for just walking into any store and buying one. But maybe 2023.
@Uncharted2007
On that last point. I don’t think it would hurt PS sales at all.
PC gamers and console gamers are drastically different people with very different gaming passions. Not only that, but PC is being hit harder by the chip shortage than even consoles. We are living in a world where 2070 Supers are selling at two or three times their MSRPs. It’s worse than the PS5/Series X kerfluffle. High scalp demand for the consoles is driven by scarcity. On PC, scalp demand is driven by crypto miners who aren’t going anywhere soon.
@BritneyfR_ee
I’m super down for another Astro game with a focus on Sony history. It was a love letter to people like me who have owned almost every PlayStation platform (never owned a Vita, but I did have a PS TV if that counts). I’d love to see them do something similar, but expand it to include references to other Sony franchises and even some of their pre PlayStation era hardware.
I’d kill to see my old Sony CD Walkman as a collectible. That thing was my ride or die as a kid. I played my CDs on the PS1 in my room and when I went to school I had the CD Walkman.
@Grumblevolcano
I’m really hoping Sony has at least one traditional multiplayer shooter in the lineup.
Maybe Factions will feed that itch.
PSVR 2 State of Play coming soon.
Huge game announcements for it.
PSVR 2 coming this year.
More Astro bot I hope !! Hopefully on PSVR 2. And again Hopefully all original PSVR titles are compatible with the new one.
My 3 predictions:
Year of the Square Enix : Stranger of Paradise massively surprises and makes it in to the GotY catagory. We also get confirmation of a second FF remake either VI or IX, and a first solid trailer for DQXII.
@PSfan4Life22 its really not that deep
I fully believe that Insomniac is working on a Rivet game and I can't wait to see them give her a unique moveset.
I like all of the predictions but I don't think any of the those games will be on PC for any least 1-2 years.
I hope the next Astro game is playable in both VR and on console so that more people can play it because Astro is amazing.
I also want Bioware to remaster Dragon Age Origins, Awakening and Dragon Age 2 in a similar fashion to Mass Effect. I mean that's money easy so I hope EA has them or someone working on that.
Factions will probably release in the summer after Forspoken, or in September before God of War. Returnal might get a expansion or we could hear about Housemarque's project.
Sony is going to have a big year and some big announcements. People just have to be patient.
My predictions:
Free Radical Design announce TimeSplitters Trilogy Remastered
A First Party PS5 exclusive game to be announced for 2022 (don’t know who or what but we currently don’t have one)
Ratchet and Clank is 20 years old in November. Original Trilogy Remastered or a new shorter game like Quests for Booty will launch in November.
Project Spartacus will launch in April 22 for PlayStation, PC, Mobile and Sony TV’s
@B-I-G-DEVIL Timesplitters remaster might be a day 1 for me if it happened. Take my money!
@theheadofabroom yes I’ve been following the fan project for years, TimeSplitters Rewind, but that’s pc only and still looks long way away.
So hoping we get a console remaster from Free Radical Design. I actually saw FRD PS2 dev kit in a museum yesterday which was pretty cool ha!
@PSfan4Life22 the only people that play niche racing games are people that already like those games, so they naturally score higher. Whereas a lot more people play games with broad appeal like God if War and Horizon.
@B-I-G-DEVIL A remake/reimagining of Second Sight would be awesome too. Free Radical were on such a roll back then.
I'm convinced 2022 is the year we discover that a few of the as yet unknown (13?) first party games in development are RPGs - set to go toe to toe with the ones Microsoft have bought through the Bethesda acquisition.
1. PSVR 2 big blow out in February.
2. Horizon spin off for VR will be launch title but you don't play as Aloy.
3. God of Ragnarok comes out to rave reviews but it's criticized for being too long.
4. Project Spartacus announced in March, won't have day one exclusives.
5.Marvel's Spider-Man is the next game to release on PC but Sony maintain that no day and date releases.
6. Sunset Overdrive: Remaster announced for PS5 release in summer...no Xbox version.
7. Mass Effect 4 gets a new teaser trailer but still years away.
8. FF XVI launches this year, is generally seen as a return to form.
9. FFVII Remake 2 is teased at the end of the year.
10. Sony will go more aggressive in their acquisitions this year, starting with the capture of Arc System Works.
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