A mysterious statue is teasing a big reveal for The Game Awards, but what game is it for?

Geoff Keighley, host and creator of The Game Awards, has posted an incredibly cryptic image on X and gamers across the internet have no idea what it could possibly be teasing. This image, a partial picture of a statue in the middle of a desert, is clearly some sort of teaser in the lead up for The Game Awards, the annual celebration of the gaming industry. What exactly the statue means and, most importantly, which game it’s hinting at is still a complete unknown.

The award show has always been a premiere stage for announcing upcoming titles, with major titles like Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, The Witcher IV, Death Stranding 2, and Hades II being revealed for the very first time at past Game Awards. The sheer size of the statue, plus the fact that it seems to be the only teaser Geoff Keighley has posted recently, seems to point to the teaser being for a major AAA title, but a few major suspects have already been shot down by developers.

What is the statue Geoff Keighley posted?

On Nov. 28, Keighley posted a single image on X. This photo, featuring the bottom part of a large statue carved in what looks to be stone and covered with skulls, armored skeletons, and snarling beasts, is headed with the caption “regal.inspiring.thickness”.

While these three confusing words don’t hint towards the game, they do reveal the location of the statue through a website called What3Words. By entering the code, users found that the huge statue was sitting in the Mojave Desert.

Diablo 4, God of War, or Elder Scrolls?

It’s clear that the statue is hinting towards some sort of new game release or DLC announcement at The Game Awards on Dec. 11. Based on the sheer size of the statue, it seems likely that the game will be a larger title and not a new indie game.

The style and subjects, writhing skeletons and monsters, also hints towards a game with darker elements. The two most obvious suspects would be Diablo 4, which is due for an expansion and has a new season coming soon, or another God of War game.

Unfortunately, developers and trusted sources from both games have stated that neither game has anything to do with the mysterious desert statue. Jason Schreier, a well-known gaming industry journalist, took to ResetEra to debunk Diablo 4 claims, stating “this statue is not teasing the Diablo 4 expansion”. He also stated in another ResetEra comment that, “no, the statue isn’t teasing Elder Scrolls 6”, knocking down the hopes and dreams of fans who have waited since June 2018 for just a crumb of information on the next Elder Scrolls.

As for theories on the next God of War, Cory Barlog, a creative director on the series, has chimed into Twitch streams to state that the iconic series isn’t connected.

What other games could The Game Awards statue being teasing?

While the demonic theme could be connected to a huge range of games, both announced and currently unknown, the statue does have a striking similarity to the style and imagery of Saros.

Set to release on March 20, 2026, Saros follows a man, armed with an array of human and alien weapons, fighting his way through an apocalyptic planet that’s slowly driving his crew to madness. The style of the game is other-worldly, but also distinctively sci-fi, which could rule it out from connecting to the statue with its fantasy, medieval-esque elements.

The most likely game the statue is teasing is one that no one has even heard about yet. An unannounced, original IP from a major studio makes the most sense for this type of teaser, especially for any game that wants to make an extra name for itself and spark interest in the crowded Game Awards announcement list.

A well-known series like Diablo and God of War don’t need to generate hype with an expensive stunt, but a new game desperate to make a new for itself would get the most out of such a marketing strategy.