The 5 Biggest Announcements From GDC 2019

By Jordan Sirani

Breaking down barriers was a common theme among this year’s biggest Game Developers Conference announcements. Google aims to do so on a grand scale, theoretically removing hardware barriers with its Stadia streaming platform, while smaller barriers of exclusivity were torn down in the forms of Cuphead and Quantic Dream’s PlayStation library.

With the final day of GDC upon us, we’ve decided to revisit the week that was and compile a list of the conference’s most exciting stories. From the unveiling of Google’s gaming initiative to surprise game reveals, here are the five biggest announcements from GDC 2019.

Google Stadia Unveiled

Inarguably the biggest news out of this year’s conference was the official announcement of Google Stadia. During its hour-long presentation earlier this week, Google officially detailed its gaming initiative, outlining a platform built for gamers, developers, and streamers alike.

Stadia will be supported on desktops, laptops, TV, tablets, and phones. Games can be played with existing USB controllers and keyboards, though Google also revealed its own controller specifically designed for the platform. In addition to supporting third-party games from developers such as Ubisoft and id Software, Stadia will feature exclusives developed by its Jade Raymond-led first-party studio, Stadia Games and Entertainment.

The platform will launch in 2019, with additional details set to be revealed this summer. We also learned about Google Stadia’s specs and internet speed recommendations, in addition to going hands-on with Stadia and its controller.

Cadence of Hyrule Announced

Nintendo’s Nindies Showcase at GDC ended with the surprise announcement of Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer feat. The Legend of Zelda. The wholly new game takes Crypt of the NecroDancer’s roguelike-rythm formula and adds both Link and Zelda as playable characters, along with other sights and sounds from Hyrule.

After the announcement, we spoke with developer Brace Yourself Games to learn how an indie developer ended up making an official Zelda game.

Cuphead Announced for Nintendo Switch

Another pleasant surprise from GDC’s Nindies Showcase was the announcement of Cuphead for Nintendo Switch. Previously an Xbox One and PC exclusive, the beloved indie comes to its new platform on April 18.

Shortly after the announcement, Microsoft detailed its plans to bring Xbox Live support to Nintendo Switch, beginning with Cuphead in the form of a post-launch update.

Quantic Dream’s Former PS Exclusives Come to PC

Former PlayStation exclusives Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain, and Beyond: Two Souls are coming to PC via the Epic Games Store.

The partnership between developer Quantic Dream and Epic Games was announced during this year’s conference. The three games will be available on PC in 2019 and will remain exclusive to the Epic Games Store for one year.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines’ Surprise Sequel

The final day of GDC kicked off with the surprise announcement of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The sequel to the cult 2004 action-RPG has been in development since 2015 and will be released for consoles and PC in 2020.

IGN was able to see a live demo of Bloodlines 2 prior to its GDC reveal. Based on our early impressions, it’s shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to the original, “while also having the potential to be an excellent take on the modern RPG.”

For even more news from this year’s conference, check out IGN’s full roundup of all 18 games Nintendo highlighted during its GDC 2019 Nindies Showcase.

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN who’s most excited by Bloodlines 2. You can follow him on Twitter.