G'day Gamers,

Welcome to The Save File

If you're coming from Levelling Up, you'll notice things look a bit different. That's because Levelling Up is now The Save File.

I've taken over the newsletter and I'm fully committed to keeping you in the loop with gaming news. Twice a week, I'll send you a 5-minute read covering the news that matters, so you can spend less time reading and more time playing.

The Game Awards wrapped last week. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept the night with a record-breaking nine wins, Tomb Raider came back with not one but two new games, and Leon Kennedy showed up wielding a chainsaw.

Let's get into it!

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, beating out a stacked list that included Death Stranding 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Developed by Sandfall Interactive, a 30-person team based in France, the game led the night with 13 nominations and walked away with nine wins. That set new records for the show. It picked up Best RPG, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score, and Best Performance, with Jennifer English taking the award for her role as Maelle.

Sandfall was founded by former Ubisoft developer Guillaume Broche during the pandemic. Since launch, Expedition 33 has sold over five million copies and became the biggest third-party Game Pass launch of the year, according to Xbox.

It was my personal Game of the Year, the atmosphere, the storytelling, and the sheer originality hit harder than anything else I played this year. Plus, they launched brand new free DLC, which means I’m going to spend hours getting my shit rocked by Simon all over again.

Full winners list here

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic - Casey Hudson left BioWare, started Arcanaut Studios, and announced a spiritual successor to KOTOR. It's still early in development with no release window yet.

Divinity - That statue in the desert was Larian teasing their next game. Not Baldur's Gate 4, not Original Sin 3, just Divinity, and they're calling it their biggest game yet.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst - The new mainline entry is set in Northern India on Unreal Engine 5 and arrives in 2027.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - A reimagining of the 1996 original, co-developed with Flying Wild Hog and arriving in 2026. Both games feature Alix Wilton Regan as the new voice of Lara.

Control Resonant - Remedy's sequel puts you in the shoes of Dylan Faden, Jesse's brother, as he fights through a paranormal version of Manhattan. Out in 2026.

Ontos - Frictional Games revealed a sci-fi thriller set on the moon starring Stellan Skarsgård, arriving in 2026.

ALSO WORTH NOTING:

Resident Evil Requiem - Leon Kennedy is confirmed playable, and new footage showed him shooting, kicking, and revving a chainsaw. February 27, 2026.

Pragmata - Capcom's long-delayed sci-fi adventure finally has a date, April 24, 2026, and there's a demo out now on Steam.

Mega Man: Dual Override - The first new mainline entry since 2018, arriving in 2027.

Full announcements list here.

Dead Space put "on ice" by EA — Despite the 2023 remake's critical acclaim, EA has reportedly shelved the series with "zero plans" for a revival. Some insiders say they may even sell the IP.

Tekken director Harada leaving Bandai Namco — The face of Tekken is stepping away after more than 30 years. He released a 60-minute DJ mix of Tekken tracks as a farewell.

GTA Online brings back Michael De Santa — Twelve years after GTA V's launch, Michael finally shows up in Online with new story missions, a mission creator, and purchasable mansions starting at $5.7 million in-game.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches — Samus returned on December 4 for Switch and Switch 2, complete with new psychic abilities and a motorcycle called Vi-O-La. Reviews landed in the high 80s.

PS Plus December lineup announced — Assassin's Creed Mirage, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Skate Story (day one) headline the additions. Available December 16.

Doom II has a secret level that recreates Wolfenstein 3D. Find the hidden exit in Level 15 and you'll end up shooting Nazi soldiers before returning to Hell.

Till next time,
The Save File