It’s easy to say that last year definitely had its ups and down. In a time of social distancing and staying at home, many of us turned to video games for comfort and distraction. As we begin a new year, let's talk a walk down memory lane for some of our favorite gaming moments from 2020.

The Release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

When we needed it the most, Animal Crossing was there for us. The new Animal Crossing for Nintendo Switch released around the time when stay-at-homes were being issued. It was a tough time for people all over the world, but the simple pleasures of collecting material around an island and giving our hard earned money to a greedy raccoon brought a shine of hope and happiness into our day. This game took the internet by storm. On every social media platform you would find photos of people visiting each other's islands or showing off their latest fishing catch. This adorable game will always have a special place in our hearts.

The Heartache from Last of Us PART II

This wouldn’t be a complete list without including the official Game of the Year 2020 title winner: Last of Us Part II. With big shoes to fill from the first game, this sequel blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. The story was challenging, gruesome, and emotional making the game seem more realistic. Throughout the story, it was revealed how the decisions you made in the game had consequences and would affect your outcome. This made the game so immersive that it was easy to care for and feel empathy towards characters that we’ve been journeying along with. The heartbreaking moments in the narrative to some of our most beloved characters will forever leave a pain in our hearts as a gaming moment we would never forget.

Twitch Streamers joining together in playing Among US

Towards the end of 2020, the Among Us craze had completely taken over Twitch. Popular streamers that had never interacted before were suddenly killing and lying to each other in lobbies online...and we absolutely loved it. It was amusing to say the least to watch some of our most beloved creators play together on stream. This game was not only addicting but also provided for some amazing content that entertained hundreds of thousands of fans.

TimTheTatMan Winning a Victory in Fall Guys

Fall Guys is another game that seemed to have come out of nowhere and immediately become a global sensation. Everyone was playing this engaging battle royale game, trying their best to dodge obstacles and solve puzzles for a chance to take the crown. TimTheTatMan, a popular FPS shooter streamer, had struggled for days to get his first victory in the game. Tim’s heartwarming battle to get his first win had everyone watching and cheering him on. On August 19th, 2020 the day had finally come. He won his first crown in an enthralling fight, leaving the whole internet proud.

Zombies Making a Return to Call of Duty®

In Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War, Zombies Mode has returned better than ever. This time around Treyarch introduced new weapon systems while also reusing a lot of the same concepts added to the mode over the past 12 years. The catch is that even though they are reusing previous ideas, they simplified them down to their most fun elements taking away the parts fans didn’t like. This perfect blend of using the most exciting aspects of old modes and mixing them with fun new ideas in Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War Zombie Mode reminds us gamers of our roots why we fell in love with it in the first place.

What about you #FreekNation? What games are you looking forward to in 2021? Come tell us in our Discord!