The Game Awards have confirmed a recent leak for the release date of Returnal. Returnal is a third-person sci-fi shooter developed by Housemarque as a PlayStation exclusive. It’s a psychological horror about a woman stuck in an endless loop, not unlike Deathloop, another upcoming shooter which will also be a PlayStation exclusive for a year after its release.
Just before The Game Awards, a leak surfaced, giving away Returnal‘s release date. The leak showed a digital storefront in Best Buy Canada, where the game had apparently been prematurely listed. The website listed the game’s release date as March 19th, 2021, shedding just a little light on Sony’s release schedule for next year. The listing has of course been removed, but not before the internet at large got its hands on it, scrutinized it closely, and saved it for future fans to speculate over.
The Game Awards have now officially confirmed that this store listing was not a prank. The awards show prominently displayed a one minute gameplay trailer for the upcoming game, showing off intense shooting action, horrifying eldritch bosses, and an intriguing retro-sci-fi HUD. The trailer also confirmed the release date so many fans had already observed; Returnal will indeed hit the PlayStation 5 on March 19th, 2021, giving fans about three months to gear up for this mind-bending shooter, and thrill over the fancy laser sword that was glimpsed in the trailer. Check it out below, courtesy of IGN:
Returnal was just one of the many exciting titles that were displayed during tonight’s awards show. Fans also got glimpses at hotly anticipated games like the next Mass Effect title and Fall Guys season 3. 2020 was a long, difficult year for a lot of reasons, but it was a solid year for video games. This long, impressive list of upcoming titles makes a strong case for 2021 being an even better one.
It’s been a great night for the video game industry. 2020’s greatest titles got their dues from the awards ceremony, which recognized not only the games themselves but the talented people that come together to make them happen, like voice actress Laura Bailey, who won Best Performance for her role as Abby in The Last Of Us Part II. With the new console generation finally on shelves (on those rare occasions when the machines are actually in stock) the 2020 Game Awards are a wonderful first look at what next-gen gamers can expect. In that regard, Returnal is shaping up to be a thrilling experience, and fans won’t even have to wait that long to try it for themselves.
