Over an entire year, there are an endless amount of video game announcements, news, releases, and events that garner our attention. We love to debate which stories are the biggest and which have the most significant impact on gaming. So, we decided to keep power rankings of the most important developments in gaming for 2023.
With all the games coming in 2023, there’s bound to be some big developments.
Here’s how it works: our rankings will be a cumulative list, so something that happens in the first week of January could still be in the Top 10 at the end of the year. As new developments arise- news, releases, surprises, events, or anything else – they become eligible for inclusion on our list.
What will take the top spot at the end of the year? Jump into comments and make some predictions. Or, let us know what we’ve gotten wrong.
2023 Video Game Rankings: January 23
This represents the first week of the year, so everything is new this week. Most of these stories won’t last long in the rankings, but there are already a couple of huge stories.
Here’s the rankings for Week 1 of 2023:
- 343 Reportedly Not Making Halo Games Going Forward (Last Week: NA)
- Ubisoft Cancels Three Games and Delays Skull and Bones Again (Last week: 1)
- Xbox Announces Direct Livestream on January 25 (Last Week: NA)
- Sony Announces Project Leonardo at CES (Last week: 2)
- Microsoft Recognizes Zenimax Union (Last week: 3)
- PlayStation Boss Declares the PS5 Shortage Over (Last week: 4)
- EA Sports PGA Tour Gets Release Date (Last Week: NA)
- WWE Release Date and Cover Athlete May Have Been Leaked (Last Week: NA)
- EA Sports Loses Save Data For 60% of Madden Franchise Modes (Last week: 5)
- PS5 Passes 30 Million Units Sold (Last week: 6)
#10 PS5 Passes 30 Million Units Sold
For a console that has been severely affected by supply shortages since its launch in 2020, surpassing 30 million sold units is a tremendous achievement. Given that some of the pandemic-era constraints seem to be letting up, PS5 sales should explode even more in the coming year.
We know it’s been an extremely popular console from the day it launched. I know I was incredibly excited when I was finally able to find a PS5 in stock – in 2022.
#9 EA Sports Loses Save Data For 60% Of Madden Franchises
Madden’s Franchise mode has been a source of angst for the community for the past several years, with many players feeling that EA Tiburon doesn’t invest enough in the popular game mode, instead focusing on Ultimate Team. That anger escalated when EA lost the Franchise saves for 60% of leagues.
Not much else to say here. I still have fun with Madden 23, and they have invested more in Franchise mode in recent years. However, incidents like this evaporate any goodwill they have earned from their community.
#8 WWE 2K23 Release Date and Cover Athlete May Have Been Leaked
It’s said to be getting an official announcement at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event on January 28, but a data miner might have discovered the release date for WWE 2K23. If the information is to be believed, WWE 2K23 will arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on March 17. That places it just a week or two prior to when Wrestlemania takes place, so the date makes sense.
As for the cover athlete, let’s say he’s not invisible, but you still can’t see him. Yes, John Cena is rumored to be gracing the cover of the newest WWE 2K game. Whether he will be on the cover for every edition or just the Legendary Edition remains to be seen.
#7 EA Sports PGA Tour Gets a Release Date
It’s been in development for years, but EA Sports PGA Tour is finally arriving on March 24, 2023. A new gameplay trailer featuring 30 courses and new swing mechanics accompanied the EA Sports PGA Tour release date, and the game looks pretty amazing so far.
#6 PlayStation Boss Declares the PS5 Shortage Over
Jim Ryan declared the PS5 shortage over in early 2023, which is good news for fans waiting to get their hands on games like God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, or Gran Turismo 7.
Considering how much the pandemic affected supply, this is good news. Hopefully, prices can be controlled now that the consoles will be more readily available at retail.
#5 Microsoft Recognizes Zenimax Union
On January 3, Microsoft recognized the unionization of ZeniMax software testers. It is the first union in the 47-year history of Microsoft, marking a significant shift in the way the the software behemoth works with its employees.
It’s also a huge development in the gaming industry, given the attention working conditions at development studios has gotten in recent years.
#4 Sony Announces Project Leonardo
Sony announced Project Leonardo at CES in the first week of 2023, giving PlayStation an accessible controller for the PS5. It’s a great design, and while there is no release date yet, it is a nice step forward in making games available to everyone.
#3 Microsoft Announces Xbox Direct Livestream on January 25
When Xbox didn’t have any game trailers at The Game Awards in December, it concerned many fans and people in the games media. Since 2023 is supposed to be a big year for Xbox, one would assume that there would be more ready to show off at this point. Xbox has had a large presence at The Game Awards before, too – it’s where they revealed the Xbox Series X.
Maybe they held back because they planned a direct stream on January 25, which they announced recently. On the other hand, maybe they’re holding the stream in response to the reaction to them not having anything at The Game Awards. Either way, we get to see some new game content soon.
#2 Ubisoft Cancels More Games and Delays Skull and Bones Again
It really has been a bad past couple of years for the publishing giant. Ubisoft was hit hard by the pandemic, with several game cancellations and delays – and it doesn’t appear to be letting up.
In January, the publisher announced the cancellation of three more games and delayed Skull and Bones for a sixth time. In addition, they announced they would be cutting their headcount in an effort to save over $200 million in costs across 2023 and 2024.
#1 343 Might Not be Making Halo Games Going Forward, According to a Report
A recent report indicates that Microsoft might be taking development of future Halo projects away from 343 Industries, which has seen its share of turmoil lately. However, in a released statement, 343 Industries refuted the claim that they would not be developing Halo games in the future, stating that they would be working on Halo for a long time.
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