What’s going to happen in 2022 for the future of gaming? Attempting to be some kind of digital prophet is probably going to end in disaster. It’s an unpredictable industry and there were a few surprises this year that no one could have envisioned. Among Us launched in 2018 to little fanfare, but somehow became one of the most played games of the year, won multiple awards, and spawned tons of merchandise. In the MMO scene, few could have anticipated Fallen Earth being reactivated by Little Orbit as a free-to-play with no monetization. So, rather than pick what games will be hot property in 2022, let’s focus on what general trends will probably emerge.  

Real stakes games continue to grow

You’ve probably noticed that the number of new online casino players has risen remarkably and there are a few choice reasons for the increase. The selection of games available to players now means you can play slots, scratch cards, poker, or online bingo in UK and Ireland all through one app or website. Combined with the different/safe payment options and bonuses available, the online casino industry is expected to go from strength to strength in 2022. The live dealer games have become particularly popular and present players with a unique gaming experience. These are often streamed from a real casino environment with a professional dealer holding a game in real-time, making for an immersive experience. Players join the stream and are able to wager on the games live. These games are very interactive and developers are always searching for ways to improve them and make their products more distinctive.

 GLaDOS in trouble” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Digital Sextant

Artificial intelligence seizes control

AI is already massively integrated into gaming, but there’s still great capacity to enhance the virtual characters that populate our favorite worlds. We’ve had great AI characters in the past, with the menacing voice of GLaDOS overseeing the Aperture Science experiments in Portal and Cortana acting as an advisor to Master Chief in the Halo franchise, being particularly memorable. Creating more realistic characters, that behave humanly, and provide greater nuanced interaction with players is the achievable aim of 2022. AI should also become applicable in the development of games as developers begin harnessing the technology to forge entire worlds in next to no time.

Chicago’s Michigan Avenue 360 VR timelap” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by BrentDPayne

A mixed existence

The fervor over Pokémon Go was a long time ago. But you may be surprised that it still exists, kept evolving, and now runs much smoother than ever. It was supposed to herald a new era of virtual and augmented reality in gaming that didn’t really materialize. VR hardware remains quite expensive and there is something unsettling and unappealing about strapping a box to your face that entirely isolates you from the real world. AR games have been successful, with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Jurassic World Alive essentially running away with the same premise that made Pokémon Go such a hit. Nevertheless, with an increased focus on better haptic feedback, 2022 should be a big year for both VR and AR, with AR probably showing the greater potential to flourish as it blends real and virtual worlds and is more accessible to a wide audience. 

These are three of the gaming trends that are unquestionably going to be visible in 2022 and the bottom line is, the future is gaming will be more exciting than it is currently and we can’t wait.