Video games have been local experiences for much of their existence. As online play has become a viable option, so too have games ready to take advantage of being connected to servers. In 2020, the landscape of ever-evolving games has grown far beyond early adopters such as World of Warcraft; in genre and scope.
While MMORPGs still have a key niche, there are any number of first-person shooters, casual experiences, and mobile games that retain players for huge stretches by consistently introducing new content. A hallmark of ongoing titles is the in-game event, which players have to be active during a specific time to experience. This year featured some great in-game events players will no doubt remember, or look forward to seeing return in 2021. This list has been ordered alphabetically by title.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has offered many the opportunity to stay connected, but the release of new content across different seasons has kept many coming back. Its Halloween celebration stands out for how Nintendo leaned into the spooky aesthetic.
While many complained about the Bunny Day celebration soon after New Horizons‘ launch, Halloween was seemingly met with universal acclaim. Not only did players get to enjoy a darker atmosphere, but there were also a wealth of customization options and activities released in the month prior. Animal Crossing fans could grow pumpkins, dress up in costumes, and receive unique Reactions. The December holiday season has gotten similar attention, but it’s hard to deny Halloween showcased the game’s capacity for growth.
Since it released in early 2019, Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends has been a successful example of an evolving battle royale. The game has received new seasonal themes, characters, and widespread appeal throughout 2020, and the Lost Treasures event was where that development intersected.
Apex Legends‘ Lost Treasures Collection Event and its concurrent limited-time Armed and Dangerous mode were announced in June, soon after the start of Season 5 and the introduction of Loba. Players jumped in to win golden cosmetics inspired by the event’s Indiana Jones-esque theme, and to try new mechanics. EA also announced the game would come to Steam and Nintendo Switch during its EA Play event, assuring players their battle royale wasn’t going anywhere.
Structured similar to one of its holiday celebrations, Borderlands 3‘s Revenge of the Cartels event brought players to The Mansion so they could help the Saurian NPC Maurice fight off debt-collecting cartels. The map was unique, changing based on which faction players came up against, and Legendary weapon rewards like the O.P.Q. System and Yellowcake rocket launcher would go on to be some of the strongest tools in players’ arsenals.
Activision sent Call of Duty partners a mysterious crate in August, which sent the Internet into a real-world scavenger hunt. At the end, fans discovered the first official teaser for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, alongside the announcement it would be revealed through the newly established Call of Duty: Warzone.
The in-game Warzone event was a fun pay-off, giving players the opportunity to live through a special scenario in Verdansk as trailer footage and text appeared over their HUD. From a macro, historical sense, the level of integration between Warzone and Activision’s marketing is indicative of what video game enthusiasts can likely expect to see more and more going forward.
Bungie announced three expansions for its popular ongoing title Destiny 2 this year, with content through 2022 following the developer’s split from its publisher Activision. The first of those expansions, Beyond Light, gave players the all-new power of Darkness, and one of the first major tests of this power was the anticipated Deep Stone Crypt raid.
Raids have been a hallmark of the first-person looter-shooter series since Destiny released in 2014, providing players the most impressive levels, boss battles, and rewards to scratch their itch for content. Deep Stone Crypt was no exception, and Destiny 2 players have repeatedly beat the raid with self-imposed restrictions. The fact that more content unlocked after Luminous beat Deep Stone Crypt for the first time is also a nice touch.
Fortnite is as much a social space and event forum as it is a battle royale, with activities like a concurrent player record-breaking Travis Scott concert taking place throughout the year. However, in terms of combat-focused events, it was hard to top the Galactus invasion which capped off the game’s fourth season, “Nexus War.”
In a year where Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers and Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man: Miles Morales hit shelves, it’s impressive that Epic Games may have delivered comic and movie fans the most immersive experience. Players took on one of Marvel Comics’ big bad guys alongside Thor, Iron Man, and others. Not only that, the event also segued into Fortnite Season 5, “Zero Point,” proving the developer has a knack for live storytelling.
Despite claims of Genshin Impact being just a Breath of the Wild rip-off, miHoYo’s free-to-play ARPG has been one of 2020’s smash hits. Its accessibility on mobile platforms and gacha mechanics have led many to come back every day, but rarely was it as worth doing so as during the multi-week Unreconciled Stars event.
Unreconciled Stars rolled out in multiple phases, offering players a variety of activities. Collecting meteorite shards across Teyvat encouraged players to explore the open-world more closely, and there were solo and co-op components that offered opportunities to play based on one’s preference. Add onto that the possibility to receive characters and rare materials, and it’s clear why many felt Unreconciled Stars was a good sign for Genshin Impact‘s future.
Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima has been a fan-favorite Game of the Year contender, but it gained much of that acclaim even before the developer announced a surprise multiplayer component called Legends. Fans of the single-player experience have largely enjoyed getting together with friends to defeat supernatural opponents, and Sucker Punch proved it could go toe-to-toe with seasoned looter games like Destiny by coming right out with an epic three-part raid called Tale of Iyo.
Though one might imagine a global pandemic would have greatly impacted a game that encourages players to go outside, Pokemon GO had its strongest year since launching in 2016. A big part of that is thanks to Niantic implementing systems for fans to play at home, and the annual Pokemon GO Fest was one example.
Over a million tickets were sold for the annual event and players caught nearly a billion Pokemon, leading to Niantic donating $10 million to Black game creators. There were technical issues, but before the end of the first day Niantic announced there would be a makeup event in light of this. All-and-all, Pokemon GO Fest 2020 was a strong showing from a studio that clearly cares for its community.
After Sephiroth was revealed to be a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter at The Game Awards 2020, series creator Masahiro Sakurai hosted a breakdown on December 17 that culminated with the announcement that players could unlock him a week early.
The content included with Sephiroth Challenge was slim; players could battle Sephiroth at three difficulties for the chance to use him and his stage prior to their official release. Yet it stands out because that kind of fresh idea with a tangible reward is rare for Nintendo’s party fighting series. The Sephiroth Challenge is also dripping with reverence for the source material, making it a true love letter to fans of Final Fantasy 7.
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