An overview of the new games and characters fans are looking forward to. 

February was filled with a plethora of exciting game announcements. Nintendo Direct, Pokémon and Sony all created new games and characters for their platforms. Glimpses of the new season of “Call of Duty Black Ops” were also revealed.

Feb. 17 marked the first Nintendo Direct Livestream of the new year. The headlining news included Pyra / Mythra from “Xenoblade Chronicles who will join as two-in-one characters on “Super Smash Bros Ultimate,” which will be released in early March. This leaves only one character left to be announced on the “Fighter Pass Vol. 2.” 

The trailer for the new “Splatoon 3” was released, and the game is set to release in 2022. This trailer piqued viewers’ interest due to the games’ never-before-seen playfield. The traditional playing field includes a new hub city and a traditional 4v4 playing style. With “Splatoon 3,” gamers can expect the same type of gameplay and maybe a few add-on bonuses. Also deduced from the trailer, players can assume that new weapons will be added to the gameplay like the huge bow that took center stage. 

AfterZelda Breath of the Wildwon the “Game of the Year” award in 2017, and with the 35th anniversary of Zelda coming up next year, fans were ecstatic to hear that a newLegend of Zelda Skyward sword game will be released in July. 

The first Pokemon direct of 2021 celebrated the brand’s 25th anniversary while giving a huge thanks to fans. The event was quick to deliver new titles to devoted players who have been waiting years for it. Additional major releases include the remake of the beloved Diamond and Pearl series for Switch. The remakes titled “Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlare set for late 2021.

New information on “Pokémon Snap” was also shared and is set to arrive in April 2021. Snap is an immersive game that lets you be a Pokémon photographer and allows you to explore the new environments within the game. 

“Pokémon Legends Arceus” is the first open-world title and is scheduled to come out in early 2022. The open-world game takes place before the events of the Diamond and Pearl games. 

 “Fans have been clamoring for an open-world Pokémon title ever since video game hardware has been advanced enough to run open-world games. Though it wasn’t described as such, the newly announced ‘Pokémon Legends Arceusseems very much in that mold,” reports writer Matt O’Keefe on Comicbeats.com.

Sony also saw exciting things happen last month. Their first Stay of Play Livestream of 2021 was in February, which contained a lot of gaming news. 

Another exciting piece of news was revealed for PS5 fans. A bug fix is scheduled to take place for the popular PS5 game Crash Bandicoot 4, reassuring fans that there will be an improvement in visuals and deeper immersion into the game. 

“Taking full advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware, “Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time presents Crash at his platforming best, starting with support for native 4K targeting 60 FPS (requires 4K compatible device) and enhanced 3D audio (with a compatible headset). Wall run, spin jump and rail grind using outstanding, crisp controls on levels lovingly built by the art and animation team, now even more vibrant and colorful on the PS5,” Sony says.

The good news doesn’t stop there. The first-ever gameplay was revealed for the “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.” ”The Deathloop’s Deja Vu” gameplay trailer was also shown, and fans were told the Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade will arrive on PS5 in June. 

In other gaming news, a new look into the season 2 battle pass of “Call of Duty Black Opswas revealed on Feb. 23. With new multiplayer modes and weapons being shown in the trailer, fans couldn’t be more ecstatic.  

“A fresh set of 20 Multiplayer Challenges (across Black Ops Cold War and Warzone) and 20 Zombies Challenges are ready to be unlocked and conquered during Season Two,” says writer James Mattone in the Call of Duty blog.

Just like season 1, season 2 will offer season levels. The level will reset at the start of the season, and your progress will resume from your highest prestige level. 

After reviewing this wide variety of gaming news, it’s safe to say 2021 is looking to offer many exciting, new gaming options that ensure a promising future for fans.