2021 in video games
| List of years in video games |
|---|
In the video game industry, 2021 saw the release of many new titles. The numerous delays in software and hardware releases due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted development schedules, leading to several games being delayed into 2022 or even postponed indefinitely. Additionally, computer and console hardware were impacted by the combined effects of a semiconductor shortage (partially from post-COVID-19 effects) and a rising growth of bitcoin mining that strained the supply of critical components.[1]
Financial performance
According to market research firm Newzoo, the global video game market reached total revenues of US$180.3 billion, a 1.4% growth from 2020. Of this, 52% of the revenue was attributed to the mobile game market and the larger growth over the prior year, 28% to the console games market (including hardware and software), and 20% to the personal computer market.[2]
Largest markets
According to market research firm Newzoo, the following countries were the largest video game markets in 2021.[3]
| Rank | Country | Revenue | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $46,010,000,000 | 685,480,000 |
| 2 | United States | $40,540,000,000 | 191,120,000 |
| 3 | Japan | $22,090,000,000 | 75,620,000 |
| 4 | South Korea | $7,550,000,000 | 33,010,000 |
| 5 | Germany | $5,870,000,000 | 46,120,000 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | $5,310,000,000 | 37,660,000 |
| 7 | France | $4,130,000,000 | 38,080,000 |
| 8 | Canada | $3,690,000,000 | 20,980,000 |
| 9 | Italy | $3,290,000,000 | 36,550,000 |
| 10 | Spain | $2,330,000,000 | 29,730,000 |
Highest-grossing mobile games
The following titles are the top ten highest-grossing mobile games of 2021.[4][5]
| Rank | Game | Revenue | Publisher(s) | Genre(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PUBG Mobile / Game for Peace | $2,900,000,000 | Tencent / Krafton | Battle royale |
| 2 | Honor of Kings / Arena of Valor | $2,800,000,000 | Tencent | MOBA |
| 3 | Genshin Impact | $1,900,000,000 | miHoYo | Action RPG |
| 4 | Roblox Mobile | $1,400,000,000 | Roblox Corporation | GCS, MMO |
| 5 | Coin Master | $1,400,000,000 | Moon Active | Casual, Casino |
| 6 | Pokémon Go | $1,300,000,000 | Niantic | AR |
| 7 | Candy Crush Saga | $1,300,000,000 | King (Activision Blizzard) | Puzzle |
| 8 | Garena Free Fire | $1,200,000,000 | Garena | Battle royale |
| 9 | Uma Musume Pretty Derby | $990,000,000 | Cygames | Simulation, Sports |
| 10 | Three Kingdoms Tactics | $931,000,000 | Alibaba Group / Koei Tecmo | 4X |
Highest-grossing games in China
The following titles were 2021's top six highest-grossing video games in China.[6]
| Rank | Game | Revenue | Genre | Platform(s) | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honor of Kings | $2,600,000,000 | MOBA | Mobile | Tencent |
| 2 | PUBG Mobile / Peacekeeper Elite | $1,700,000,000 | Battle royale | ||
| 3 | League of Legends | $1,100,000,000 | MOBA | PC | |
| 4 | Dungeon Fighter Online | $876,000,000 | Beat 'em up | ||
| 5 | Crossfire | $795,000,000 | FPS | ||
| 6 | Fantasy Westward Journey | $713,000,000 | MMORPG | Mobile | NetEase |
Best-selling premium games by region
The following titles were 2021's top ten best-selling premium games by region (excluding microtransactions and free-to-play titles) on PC and console platforms, for Japan, the United States, and Europe.
Top-rated games
Critically acclaimed games
Metacritic is an aggregator of video game journalism reviews. It generally considers expansions and re-releases as separate entities.
Major awards
Major events
| Date | Event | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| January 4 | Nintendo purchased Canadian video game developer Next Level Games, with the finalizations of the deal being done by March 1. | [13] |
| January 13 | Lucasfilm revived the Lucasfilm Games brand and announced a new Star Wars game from Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment, terminating the exclusive license held by Electronic Arts for the property. | [14] |
| January 15 | YoYo Games, the developers of the GameMaker software, were acquired by Opera to help establish an Opera Gaming division. | [15] |
| January 22 | Vicarious Visions was merged into Blizzard Entertainment with its staff of over 200 becoming employees of Blizzard. | [16] |
| January 25 | The Carlyle Group completed its acquisition of Jagex. | [17] |
| February 1 | Google shuttered its internal Stadia Games and Entertainment division, with plans to refocus the service as a publisher for third-party games. | [18] |
| February 2 | Embracer Group acquired Gearbox Software, Aspyr Media, and Easybrain. | [19][20][21] |
| February 9 | The Pokémon Company announced that the World Championships has been canceled due to concerns of COVID-19. | [22] |
| February 18 | Electronic Arts completed its estimated $1.2 billion acquisition of Codemasters. | [23] |
| February 19–20 | Blizzard Entertainment held its virtual BlizzCon event. | [24] |
| March 2 | Epic Games acquired Tonic Games Group, including developer Mediatonic. | [25] |
| March 9 | Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios completed its acquisition of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary studios. | [26] |
| March 9 | tinyBuild offered its initial public offering on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange. | [27] |
| March 10 | The Roblox Corporation held its direct public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. | [28] |
| March 16 | Take-Two Interactive acquired HB Studios, which became a part of 2K. | [29] |
| March 18 | Sony Interactive Entertainment and Endeavor jointly acquired the Evolution Championship Series. | [30] |
| March 18 | Super Nintendo World opens to the public in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. | [31] |
| April 2 | Focus Home Interactive acquired Streum On Studio. | [32] |
| April 22 | Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosted the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, held as an online livestreamed event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | [33] |
| April 25 | Colette, a short documentary film co-produced by Oculus and Respawn Entertainment for Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject), making it the first Oscar awarded to a video game-related project. | [34] |
| April 29 | Electronic Arts completed its estimated $2.1 billion acquisition of mobile game developer Glu Mobile. | [35][36] |
| May 3–24 | The trial for the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit was held. | [37][38] |
| June 12–15 | E3 2021 was held as an online event. | [39] |
| June 21 | The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary. | |
| June 29 | Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Housemarque, which became a part of PlayStation Studios. | [40] |
| July 1 | Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Nixxes Software, which became a part of PlayStation Studios. | [41] |
| July 15–18 | PAX Online was held after cancelling the planned in-person PAX East event from June. | [42] |
| July 19 | Tencent announced its acquisition of Sumo Group for $1.3 billion. | [43] |
| July 19–23 | The Game Developers Conference and Independent Games Festival was held as an online event. | [44][45] |
| July 20 | The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) initiated a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard following a two-year investigation asserting the company maintained a hostile workplace that discriminated and harassed female employees, leading to thousands of employees signing onto an open letter and performing a walkout, demanding management take appropriate reaction. | [46][47] |
| August 3 | Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack left the company in the wake of the DFEH lawsuit. | [48] |
| August 5 | Embracer Group acquired eight additional studios, including 3D Realms, Ghost Ship Games and Slipgate Ironworks. | [49] |
| August 5 | Focus Home Interactive acquired Dotemu. | [50] |
| August 6–8, 13–15 | Evolution Championship Series 2021 was held as an online event. | [51] |
| August 10 | Krafton completed its initial public offering on the Korea Exchange, with an initial valuation of around $19 billion. | [52] |
| August 19–21 | Quakecon 2021 was held as an online event. | [53] |
| August 25–27 | Gamescom 2021 was held as an online event. | [54] |
| August 30 | China announces a law that restricts people under the age of 18 to play video games only up to 3 hours a week. | [55][56] |
| September 8 | Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Firesprite, which became a part of PlayStation Studios. | [57] |
| September 9 | The Crash Bandicoot franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary. | |
| September 10 | In Epic Games v. Apple, Apple was given a permanent injunction preventing them from blocking apps that included links to third-party payment systems. | [58] |
| September 28 | Netflix acquired Night School Studio as its first game studio. | [59] |
| September 30 | Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Bluepoint Games, which became a part of PlayStation Studios. | [60] |
| September 30–October 3 | Tokyo Game Show 2021 was held as an online event. | [61] |
| October 7–17 | The International 2021, the tenth iteration of the annual Dota 2 global esports tournament, was held in Bucharest, Romania. It holds the record for the largest esports prize pool of all time at $40 million. | [62] |
| October 21 | NetEase acquired Grasshopper Manufacture from GungHo Online Entertainment. | [63] |
| October 25-26 | The Nintendo Switch Online service launches the Expansion Pack subscription, which allows subscribers of it to play emulated Nintendo 64 & Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles and features exclusive DLC for Nintendo Switch games. | [64] |
| October 28 | Mark Zuckerberg rebrands Facebook as Meta Platforms. Zuckerberg announced that "The Metaverse" will be a hybrid of social media, fitness, gaming, and more. | [65][66][67] |
| October 29 | Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds Entertainment. | [68] |
| November 2 | Netflix launched its video game service via its mobile app for subscribers. | [69] |
| November 4 | Devolver Digital went public on the Alternative Investment Market and acquired Dodge Roll, Nerial and Firefly Studios. | [70][71] |
| November 15 | Take-Two Interactive acquired Roll7, which became a part of Private Division. | [72] |
| November 16 | G4, the gaming-focused TV network that shut down in 2014, was relaunched on various linear TV and streaming services. | [73] |
| November 23 | Epic Games acquired Harmonix. | [74] |
| December 9 | The Game Awards 2021 was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. | [75][12] |
| December 10 | Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Valkyrie Entertainment, which became a part of PlayStation Studios. | [76] |
| December 15 | Embracer Group acquired board game publisher Asmodee. | [77] |
| December 17 | Tencent acquired Turtle Rock Studios. | [78] |
| December 21 | Embracer Group acquired Perfect World Entertainment along with its publishing group and Cryptic Studios, as well as Dark Horse Media, the parent company of Dark Horse Comics and Dark Horse Entertainment. | [79][80] |
| December 27 | Riot Games agreed to settle its workplace gender discrimination lawsuit with two former employees for $100 million. | [81] |
Notable deaths
- January 29 – Walker Boone, 76, actor who played Mario in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.[82]
- February 3 – Robert A. Altman, 73, co-founder and CEO of ZeniMax Media.[83][84]
- March 11 – Gordon Hall, 51, co-founder of Rockstar Leeds.[85]
- April 4 – Ralph Schuckett, 73, co-composer on the video game Pokémon Puzzle League.[86]
- April 9 – DMX, 50, rapper who appeared in Street Hoops and Def Jam Vendetta.[87][88]
- May 28 – Benoît Sokal, 66, creator of the Syberia series.[89]
- June 4 – Ebbe Altberg, ca. 57, CEO of Linden Lab, creators of Second Life.[90]
- ca. June 27 – "Near" aka "Byuu", ca. 38,[91] developer of the higan emulator for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[92][93]
- ca. August – David Lawson, 62, co-founder of Imagine Software and Psygnosis[94]
- August 29 – Ed Asner, 91, actor known for voicing Carl Fredrickson in Up.
- September 12 – Brandon Ashur, 36, Minecraft YouTuber and livestreamer also known as Bashurverse.[95][96][97]
- September 16 – Clive Sinclair, 81, founder of Sinclair Research, the company behind several early personal computers like the ZX Spectrum[98]
- September 18 – Mick McGinty, 69, traditional artist for television, film, and video games, including artwork for Street Fighter II and other games in the 1980s and 1990s.[99]
- September 30 – Koichi Sugiyama, 90, composer of the Dragon Quest series among others.[100]
- October 16 – Hiroshi Ono, 64, graphic artist for Namco who did most of their pixel art for their early arcade games, and was otherwise known as "Mr Dotman".[101]
- December 6 – Masayuki Uemura, 78, lead architect of the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[102]
- December 14 – Ian Hetherington, 69, co-founder of Imagine Software and Psygnosis, chairman of Evolution Studios and Realtime Worlds.[103]
- December 28 – John Madden, 85, American football coach and commentator, and namesake of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL series.[104]
Hardware releases
The list of game-related hardware released in 2021.
| Date | Console | Manufacturer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Atari VCS[b] | Atari | [105] |
| October 8 | Nintendo Switch (OLED model) | Nintendo | [106] |
| November 3 | Evercade VS | Blaze Entertainment | [107] |
| November 12 | Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda | Nintendo | [108] |
| December 13 | Analogue Pocket | Analogue | [109] |
Games released in 2021
Discontinued games
Video game-based film and television releases
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Antonovici, Anatol (March 23, 2021). "Bitcoin Mining Adds to Existing Shortage in Semiconductor Market, Chip Prices Surge". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Kasar, Rachel (December 22, 2021). "Newzoo: Mobile gaming accounts for the largest part of the 2021 market". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Top Countries & Markets by Game Revenues". Newzoo. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "Top Games by Monetization Descriptors — How Top Titles Utilize Monetization Features" (PDF). The State of Mobile Game Monetization 2022 — An Analysis of the Latest Mobile Game Monetization Strategies (PDF). Sensor Tower. March 2022. pp. 12–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Chapple, Craig (December 16, 2021). "Record-Breaking Eight Mobile Games Surpass $1 Billion in Global Player Spending During 2021". Sensor Tower. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Rousseau, Jeffrey (April 8, 2022). "A breakdown of China's games market (GDC 2022)". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "2021年国内家庭用ゲーム市場規模が発表。市場規模は3613.9億円（昨年比98.4％）。Switchが2年連続で500万台突破。『モンハンライズ』と『ポケモンBDSP』がダブルミリオンを達成". Famitsu (in Japanese). January 11, 2022. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Grubb, Jeff (January 18, 2022). "NPD: The top 20 best-selling games of 2021 in the U.S." VentureBeat. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Dring, Christopher (January 27, 2022). "Old games, FIFA and Switch dominated Europe in 2021". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Best Video Games for 2021". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Tyrer, Ben (November 23, 2021). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2021 winners". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Del Rosario, Alexandra (December 9, 2021). "The Game Awards Winners List: 'It Takes Two' Scores Game Of The Year; 'Deathloop', 'Forza Horizon 5' & 'Kena' Among Honorees". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ McFerran, Damien (January 5, 2021). "Nintendo Is Buying Luigi's Mansion Studio Next Level Games". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Ravencraft, Eric (January 13, 2021). "Lucasfilm Games' New Partnerships Mean the Galaxy's the Limit". Wired. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (January 20, 2021). "Opera acquires YoYo Games for $10 million and launches Opera Gaming division". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ^ Bankhurst, Adam (January 22, 2021). "Activision Merges Blizzard and Vicarious Visions". IGN. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Batchelor, James (January 25, 2021). "Jagex sold to Carlyle Group". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Tolito, Stephan (February 1, 2021). "Google Stadia Shuts Down Internal Studios, Changing Business Focus". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (February 2, 2021). "Embracer Group acquires Borderlands maker Gearbox Entertainment for $1.3 billion". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (February 2, 2021). "Embracer Group acquires mobile game maker Easybrain for $640 million". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (February 2, 2021). "Embracer Group acquires Aspyr Media for up to $450 million". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Diaz, Ana (February 9, 2021). "The 2021 Pokémon World Championships canceled due to COVID-19 concerns". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Andy (February 18, 2021). "EA has officially completed its purchase of Codemasters". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Wales, Matt (February 10, 2021). "Blizzard reveals full event schedule for next week's digital BlizzCon". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ Statt, Nick (March 2, 2021). "Epic Games is buying Fall Guys creator Mediatonic". The Verge. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Andy (March 9, 2021). "Microsoft confirms its Bethesda acquisition is complete and 'some games' will be exclusive". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Handrahan, Matthew (March 9, 2021). "TinyBuild launches £340m IPO". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Grothaus, Michael (March 10, 2021). "Roblox goes public: What to know as RBLX stock debuts on the NYSE". Fast Company. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (March 16, 2021). "2K acquires PGA Tour 2K21 studio, signs Tiger Woods". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Walker, Ian (March 18, 2021). "Sony Buys Evo". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Morrow, Emily (March 18, 2021). "Super Nintendo World Has Its Grand Opening At Universal Studios Japan". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Wallace, Chris (April 20, 2021). "Focus Home Interactive acquires Streum On Studio". MCVUK. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (April 22, 2021). "D.I.C.E. Awards 2021: All the Winners". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (April 25, 2021). "Gamers Oculus Studios And EA's Respawn Entertainment Celebrate Oscar Win For Short Doc 'Colette'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ McAloon, Alissa (February 8, 2021). "EA continues its big mobile push with $2.1 billion Glu Mobile acquisition". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (April 29, 2021). "EA Will Now Likely Make More Microtransaction Money With Acquisition Of Glu". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ Liedtke, Michael (May 3, 2021). "Apple's app store goes on trial in threat to 'walled garden'". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Clayton, James (May 24, 2021). "Epic v Apple: What have we learned?". BBC. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (April 6, 2021). "Nintendo, Xbox and Ubisoft back digital-only E3 2021". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Hussain, Tamoor (June 29, 2021). "PlayStation Acquires Returnal Dev Housemarque". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (July 1, 2021). "Sony Buys Game Studio Known For PC Ports". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (March 29, 2021). "PAX East Cancels In-Person Event For 2021, PAX Online Returning In July". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (July 19, 2021). "Tencent to buy Crackdown and Sackboy developer Sumo in $1.3bn deal". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ "GDC reveals upcoming virtual program, 2021 event lineup". GDC. August 12, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Van Allen, Eric (February 18, 2021). "GDC drops in-person plans for 2021 event". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Allsup, Maeve (July 21, 2021). "Activision Blizzard Sued Over 'Frat Boy' culture, Harassment". Bloomberg Law. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ Schiffer, Zoe; Webster, Andrew (July 27, 2021). "Activision Blizzard employees to walk out following sexual harassment lawsuit". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (August 3, 2021). "Blizzard President J. Allen Brack Is Leaving The Company". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Kerr, Chris (August 5, 2021). "Embracer buys eight studios including Ghost Ship Games, 3D Realms, and Digixart". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ Grubb, Jeff (August 5, 2021). "Focus Home Interactive acquires Dotemu to capitalize on retro nostalgia". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ Hills, Dakota (June 5, 2021). "Evo 2021 Online's full tournament lineup and schedule revealed, registration is now open". Event Hubs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Joyce; Murdoch, Scott (August 10, 2021). "UPDATE 4-S.Korea's Krafton, maker of hit game 'PUBG', tumbles on debut". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021 – via Yahoo News.
- ^ Saed, Sherif (May 11, 2021). "QuakeCon is also a digital-only event this year". VG247. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ Gurwin, Gabe (May 5, 2021). "Gamescom 2021 Will Also Be Digital-Only, Just Like E3". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ "China bans kids from playing online video games during the week". CNN. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ "国家新闻出版署-通知公示-国家新闻出版署关于进一步严格管理 切实防止未成年人沉迷网络游戏的通知". www.nppa.gov.cn. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (September 8, 2021). "Sony Acquires Another Game Studio, Firesprite, And Teases New Project". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Brandom, Russell (September 10, 2021). "Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchases, rules judge in Epic v. Apple". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (September 28, 2021). "Netflix acquires its first game studio in deal with Oxenfree creator Night School Studio". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (September 30, 2021). "Sony Buys Bluepoint Games, Dev Behind Demon's Souls Remake". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ^ Nelva, Giuseppe (March 30, 2021). "Tokyo Game Show 2021 Will Happen Online Again With English Interpretation". Twinfinite. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Shaw, Luke (July 8, 2021). "'Dota 2' tournament to be held in Bucharest with £29million prize pool". NME. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Yang, George (October 21, 2021). "No More Heroes Dev Grasshopper Manufacture Acquired By NetEase". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack launches October 25, pricing, trailer, controller pre-orders". Nintendo Everything. October 15, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ The Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together -- Connect 2021, archived from the original on June 5, 2023, retrieved June 5, 2023
- ^ O'brien, Matt; Press, KELVIN CHAN Associated (October 28, 2021). "Explainer: What is the metaverse and how will it work?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "Meta: Facebook's new name focuses on metaverse -- and everything else announced Thursday". CNET. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (October 29, 2021). "KRAFTON acquires Subnautica studio Unknown Worlds Entertainment". Gematsu. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ Rivera, Joshua (November 2, 2021). "Netflix officially has games now". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Batchelor, James (November 4, 2021). "Devolver Digital valued at $950m as it floats on London Stock Exchange". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (November 4, 2021). "Devolver Digital goes public and acquires three studios". VG247. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Partis, Danielle (November 15, 2021). "Private Division acquires developer Roll7". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (October 12, 2021). "G4TV Returns November 16". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (November 23, 2021). "Epic Games acquires Rock Band maker Harmonix". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (September 30, 2021). "The Game Awards Sets Return To Live, In-Person Ceremony At Microsoft Theater". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (December 10, 2021). "Sony acquires Valkyrie Entertainment". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Rousseau, Jeffrey (December 15, 2021). "Embracer purchases Asmodee for €2.75bn". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (December 17, 2021). "Tencent buys Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Embracer Group Enters Into Agreement To Acquire Perfect World Entertainment" (Press release). Embracer Group. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Partis, Danielle (December 21, 2021). "Embracer acquires Dark Horse, Shiver Entertainment and Spotfilm Networx". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Bangeman, Eric (December 27, 2021). "Riot Games to pay $100 million to settle gender discrimination lawsuit". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Alexander, Cristina (August 13, 2021). "Walker Boone, Original Voice Actor For Mario In The '90s, Passed Away In January". TheGamer. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (February 4, 2021). "Zenimax Co-Founder & CEO Robert Altman Has Died". Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ S. Good, Owen (February 4, 2021). "Robert A. Altman, founder of Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media, dies at 73". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Batchelor, James (March 11, 2021). "Rockstar Leeds founder Gordon Hall dies". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ Willman, Chris (April 7, 2021). "Ralph Schuckett, Keyboardist on Todd Rundgren and Carole King Classics and a Composer for Animation, Dies at 73". Variety. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Knoop, Joseph (April 9, 2021). "Rapper DMX Dead at 50". IGN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ "Rapper DMX Has Died At The Age Of 50". GameSpot. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ MacGregor, Jody (May 29, 2021). "Syberia creator Benoît Sokal has died". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Kerr, Chris (June 7, 2021). "Obituary: Ebbe Altberg, CEO of Second Life developer Linden Lab". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (March 8, 2021). "A 23-Year Perfectionist Journey to Localize the Obscure 'Bahamut Lagoon'". VICE. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "The Brilliant SNES Emulator Author Known As Near Has Died". Kotaku. June 27, 2021. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Dastagir, Alia E. (July 23, 2021). "'The internet is not a game. ... This stuff really hurts.' Respected developer who was bullied online dies by suicide". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Carroll, Martyn (November 25, 2021). "Remembering David Lawson, one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Asarch, Steven. "A YouTuber with 1.6 million followers urged fans to get vaccinated before dying of COVID-19 complications". Insider. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Ryan (September 14, 2021). "Minecraft YouTube star Bashurverse dies of COVID-19 complications aged 36". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Rich Stanton (September 15, 2021). "Minecraft Youtuber Bashurverse dies from Covid-19 complications". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Siddique, Haroon (September 16, 2021). "Home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair dies aged 81". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (September 19, 2021). "RIP Mick McGinty". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (October 6, 2021). "Dragon Quest Composer Koichi Sugiyama Has Died". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Scullion, Chris (October 18, 2021). "Legendary Namco pixel artist Hiroshi 'Mr Dotman' Ono has died". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Martin (December 9, 2021). "Masayuki Uemura, the engineer behind the NES and SNES, has passed away". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Dring, Christopher (December 16, 2021). "Games industry pioneer Ian Hetherington dies". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Dubow, Josh (December 28, 2021). "John Madden, Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, dies at 85". APNews.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Shea, Brian (June 2, 2021). "Atari VCS Release Date Is This Month". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (July 6, 2021). "Nintendo announces new Nintendo Switch model with OLED screen". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Faulkner, Cameron (April 23, 2021). "Evercade is making a retro console for your TV called the VS". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Barbosa, Alessandro (June 15, 2021). "The Legend Of Zelda Game And Watch Includes Three Games, Out In November". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Zhang, Jenny (November 22, 2021). "The Analogue Pocket Will Begin Shipping In December". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "Delisted Games - Skylar & Plux: Adventure On Clover Island". Delisted Games. August 5, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ^ "Netflix Announces DOTA: Dragon's Blood Anime Series Based On The Popular Video-Game Franchise By Valve". Netflix Media Center. February 16, 2021.
- ^ "Blue Reflection Ray TV Anime's Ad Reveals April 9 Debut". Anime News Network. February 26, 2021.
- ^ "The World Ends With You Anime Reveals New Video, Opening Theme's Rapper, Visual, April 9 Debut". Anime News Network. February 5, 2021.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 14, 2020). "Warner Bros. Shifts 'Mortal Kombat,' 'Tom and Jerry' Release Dates". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ "The Dynasty Warriors Live-Action Film's First Trailer Is Here". GameSpot. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (May 27, 2021). "'Werewolves Within' Trailer: A Small Town Battles A Werewolf In A Horror Comedy From 'Scare Me' Director Josh Ruben". Slashfilm. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Scarlet Nexus Anime's Video Reveals More Cast, Main Staff, July 1 Debut". Anime News Network. May 12, 2021.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 18, 2021). "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness CG Series' New Trailer Reveals More Cast, July 8 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (July 15, 2021). "Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild premieres August 12 on Netflix". Gematsu. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 23, 2021). "'Black Widow,' 'Cruella' to Debut on Disney Plus and in Theaters as Disney Shifts Dates for Seven Films". Variety. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Ruppert, Liana (June 23, 2021). "Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle Of The Realms Gets A Release Date, New Box Art". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Moore, Jared (September 2, 2021). "Pokémon Evolutions Is a New Limited Animated Series to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Franchise". IGN. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Loo, Egan (August 26, 2021). "Nintendo Switch's Fitness Boxing Game Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network.
- ^ "DC's Injustice Animated Movie Cast Guide: Every Confirmed Character". ScreenRant. July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Luster, Joseph (February 14, 2023). "DEEMO Memorial Keys Anime Film Sets March Date for Home Video". www.crunchyroll.com. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Capel, Chris J (October 30, 2021). "League of Legends Arcane show starts in just over a month". PCGamesN. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Elfring, Mat (April 1, 2021). "Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City Delayed Until November". GameSpot. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (September 21, 2022). "Netflix Streams Pokémon Ultimate Journeys Anime on October 21". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (January 18, 2023). "Netflix Streams New Pokémon Ultimate Journeys Anime Episodes". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
New Pokémon episodes premiere on February 24.
- ^ "Part 3 of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series Now on Netflix". Pokemon.com. The Pokémon Company International. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Part 4 of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series Now on Netflix". Pokemon.com. The Pokémon Company International. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Pocket Monsters Episodes". TV Tokyo. Retrieved November 17, 2019.