By Arven Relive the best memories from the past year of gaming
We all like to play video games but it’s close to impossible to keep up with all of the updates that go on throughout any given year. 2021 is no different as it offered many highlights in both gaming and esports. As the year draws to a close, we take one last look at the most significant events that shaped the 2021 year of gaming.
The Return of TI
TEAM SPIRIT vs PSG.LGD – TI10 GRAND FINAL 🏆 – THE INTERNATIONAL 10 DOTA 2 – YouTube
Dota 2 remains the undisputed biggest esport in the world. Valve traditionally holds an annual global tournament for all the game’s best teams. Unfortunately, the tournament’s tenth iteration, initially slated for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TI10 was delayed by a full year but it still featured many of the exciting offerings that fans have come to expect from the most lucrative esports tournament. A dynasty was halted, an underdog fought against the odds to reach the finals, and a new king of Dota 2 was crowned. The grand final particularly boasts exciting back and forth action from 2021’s two strongest Dota teams.
The Birth of an Esport – VALORANT
EPIC GRAND FINAL ! Acend vs Gambit – HIGHLIGHTS | VALORANT Champions – YouTube
Riot Games finally worked towards becoming true to its name. Previously, the MOBA developer only had one game under their belt which made the games in Riot Games a little confusing. Recently, Riot released a number of games in multiple genres and across different platforms. One of Riot’s new offerings is the FPS skill-based shooter VALORANT.
VALORANT not only successfully attracted skilled professional players from other FPS games, but it also held its first official world championship earlier this year. The VALORANT Champions 2021 concluded early in December over in Berlin featuring the new esport’s most promising teams. VALORANT continues the FPS legacy established by games such as Counter-strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch.
Step into the Arcane
Arcane: Official Trailer – YouTube
It’s Riot Games appearing for the second time on the list. The League of Legends developer has been extremely busy this past year. LOL players know full well that Riot is capable of creating amazing cinematics designed to introduce new Champions or establish the beginning of each competitive season. Well, Riot finally put their skills to use in a format beyond simple cinematics promoting an esports title.
Arcane, a gritty animated show based on League Of Legends, was released earlier this year on Netflix. The show almost immediately received praise from viewers and critics. Many applauded the show’s striking visuals, engaging character story, and emotionally compelling storyline. Arcane successfully appealed to an audience outside of League of Legends players. It’s not just a show for veteran League players, it can be enjoyed to its fullest even if you haven’t been subjected to harsh verbal abuse in the online MOBA.
It Takes Two – GOTY WIN
THE GAME AWARDS 2021: It Takes Two wins Game Of The Year – YouTube
Now it’s time for a bit of recent gaming news. The recently concluded Game Awards officially crowned It Takes Two as 2021’s Game of the Year. The quirky split-screen co-op platformer touched the hearts of many with its emotional storyline and challenging puzzles. It Takes Two is the first co-op game in recent memory to ever win the Game of the Year award. It follows 2020’s big winner, The Last of Us Part II.
Returning Game Franchises
Resident Evil Village – 3rd Trailer – YouTube
2021 reunited us with some beloved game franchises. Traditional game sequels were released on multiple platforms but we were also granted an amazing remaster. The original Mass Effect trilogy relaunched this year with a 4K Legendary Edition that promised all of the past DLC and vastly improved graphics.
Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Hitman, Pokemon Snap, Ratchet and Clank, Metroid, and Psychonauts were some of the franchises that received sequels this year. Resident Evil Village, Hitman 3, and Monster Hunter Rise launched within 5 years of their last installment but the other games had a much longer wait time. The New Pokemon Snap in particular came out after over 20 years of the original Nintendo 64 title.
We clearly missed a lot of things but if we talk about all of the highlights this year, we’d be here all night. These are just some of the fun things in games and esports that caught our attention. What are your favorite gaming highlights in 2021?
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Thumbnail image from https://www.videogameschronicle.com/
