The Game Awards 2018: the key announcements you may have missed

Movie stars and video gaming royalty were out in force at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday evening for the Game Awards.

The event, attended by the likes of Jonah Hill and Christoph Waltz, saw PlayStation 4 exclusive God of War snap up the award for the best video game of the year, while Red Dead Redemption 2 was crowned the winner for best narrative.

But there were a number of announcements that may have slipped under the radar for some game fans. So here are the big news stories to come out of last night’s award show:

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Is Persona 5 coming to Switch?

Arguably the most surprising announcement to come from yesterday’s ceremony was that characters from Persona 5, a Japanese role-playing game (RPG), are heading to Nintendo’s newly released Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

A teaser trailer shown at the event hints that Joker, from Persona 5, will become a playable character in the Mario-themed fighting game.

It’s an unusual move, given that the Persona franchise is exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation systems. Super Smash Bros Ultimate, meanwhile, can only be played on the Nintendo Switch and includes characters from the Japanese games giant’s bank of first-party titles.

Since the reveal, the news has sparked rumours that Persona 5 may appear on Nintendo’s home console in the future, says gaming site Nintendo Life.

There are even suggestions the game will be announced the day Joker arrives in Super Smash Bros, a date that has yet to be revealed, and that it will be an updated version of the PS4 version.

Rage 2 release date confirmed

An official release date for post-apocalyptic adventure game Rage 2 was given last night. The game is slated to arrive on 14 May and will be available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

According to Polygon, Rage 2 is brimming with “over-the-top violence and tongue-in-cheek humour” that developer Avalanche Studios is renowned for. Players take on the role of a “Mad Max-style ranger”, who fights “mutants and lowlifes” with a range of crazy weapons and vehciles.

The original Rage, developed by ID Software, “made some waves” when it arrived in 2010, but it wasn’t as popular as the company’s later efforts, says Engadget. Therefore, Rage 2 “might have to stand solely on its own merits” when it arrives next year.

Mortal Kombat 11 revealed

One of the most brutal fighting games ever made returns to console players next year. Mortal Kombat 11 was unveiled in a “bloody” preview trailer at the Game Awards, as developer NetherRealm Studios gears up for an April 2019 release, says IGN.

Little is known about the new title, other than it will see the return of series favourites Scorpion and Raiden, plus a range of weapons and outfits to kit characters out with, the gaming news site says.

The franchise’s iconic takedown moves are also present, allowing players to defeat their enemies with a variety of brutal methods.

The Outer Worlds previewed

Fans have been calling for development team Obsidian to make a follow-up to hit RPG Fallout: New Vegas. The company has denied on multiple occasions that a new Fallout is in the works, with Bethesda taking over the development reins of the franchise in recent years, but it did reveal a new title that bears a striking resemblance to the post-apocalyptic series.

The Outer Worlds is the brainchild of Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, the creators of the original Fallout games from the late 1990s, says Gamespot. The game has been “designed around freedom of choice”, meaning players have a variety of ways of progressing through the main story - similar to the Fallout titles.

“You have free agency to lie, play dumb, betray allies, or align with would-be enemies,” the news site says. The game “keeps track” of player interactions and “mistakes”, suggesting choices made may have a significant impact on the story.

The Outer Worlds arrives “sometime in 2019” on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, according to Den Of Geek.