It’s robust to pinpoint precisely what’s in retailer for video games in 2025. Grand Theft Auto VI is reportedly due out someday this 12 months. It’s a sentence that might have existed on an inventory like this for the previous decade, however an official trailer from Rockstar Games revealed that it is lastly time to return to their splendidly fucked-up playground. If followers play GTA VI at any time earlier than December 31, that game alone will cement 2025 as one of the largest years in online game historical past. Thankfully, it isn’t the one title we have now our eyes on this 12 months.
If you take a look at the record of titles deliberate for 2025 beneath, you may discover a number of similarities. There are only a few launch dates confirmed for the 12 months to this point. Rumor has it that builders are holding out till GTA VI publicizes its launch date. Like Wicked: For Good or a shock Beyoncé album, nobody desires to compete with the extremely anticipated blockbuster. The identical goes for every time the newly introduced Nintendo Switch 2 hits cabinets.
If both occasion really occurs this 12 months, we are able to name 2025 a win. But even when all of us appear to be fools with eggs on our faces, 2025 remains to be full of wonderful titles. There’s an Elden Ring cooperative spin-off deliberate for later this 12 months. Plus, we’ll see sequels galore for Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, The Outer Worlds, and Pokémon Legends. Below, we put collectively an inventory of our twenty-eight most anticipated video video games of 2025.
Citizen Sleeper 2
What we all know: When Citizen Sleeper launched in 2022, the ingenious text-driven journey was simply one of my favourite video games of the 12 months. Players begin out as a lowly spaceship mechanic who must discover a approach off the station to achieve their freedom. There’s solely a set quantity of actions {that a} participant can carry out every day to advance their objective, and cube rolls decide the success of every exercise.
Why we’re excited: We put Citizen Sleeper’s DLC on our record of the Best Video Games of 2023. So, I’m hoping that the sequel’s new enhancements make a superb sport even better.
Release Date: January 31
Civilization VII
What we all know: Esquire’s staff don’t have a ton of expertise with Civilization firsthand, however the Risk-esque technique sport is reportedly set for an enormous replace in its seventh installment. The metropolis builder will cowl three ages, in response to Games Radar, together with Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Players can even be capable of choose a brand new civilization for every age, in addition to one of six attributes that may assist decide the gameplay shifting ahead.
Why we’re excited: Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) voices within the in-game narrator.
Release Date: February 11
Avowed
What we all know: Did you’re keen on Skyrim? Well, Avowed would be the subsequent nice title for you. The upcoming role-playing sport was initially pitched as Obsidian studio’s tackle the favored Elder Scrolls RPG.
Why we’re excited: Obsidian has an excellent monitor report following Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, so I’m to see how they plan to tackle a Dungeons & Dragons-esque setting subsequent.
Release Date: February 18
Avowed (Xbox Series X|S)
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
What we all know: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is another narrative journey heading your approach in early 2025. The story follows 4 highschool ladies in a punk band who’re eternally modified by a mysterious occasion.
Why we’re excited: The new title is developed by the creators of Life Is Strange, which obtained vital acclaim again in 2015. Lost Records will debut in two components on February 18 and March 18, so I’d count on a pleasant cliff-hanger in between releases.
Release Date: February 18 (Part 1) and March 18 (Part II)
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
What we all know: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii just isn’t solely a mouthful, but it surely’s simply one of probably the most anticipated video video games heading into the primary half of 2025. The Yakuza spinoff RPG options Goro Majima—one of the long-running sequence’ fan-favorite characters—as he wakes up with amnesia and takes to the excessive seas.
Why we’re excited: I don’t know what to anticipate, however wackier is healthier on the subject of the Yakuza franchise nowadays. If it is something just like the implausible Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will really feel like one million nice video games in a single.
Release Date: February 21
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PlayStation 5)
Monster Hunter Wilds
What we all know: Monster Hunter Wilds is the most recent journey sport from Capcom that locations gamers in an unexplored new world to, nicely, hunt monsters. The developer is seeking to construct off the successes of each Monster Hunter Worlds and Monster Hunter Rise to create the perfect model of each in a single sport this time round.
Why we’re excited: Wilds will arrive full with cooperative multiplayer and monster behaviors that change based mostly on the climate and the time of day.
Release Date: February 28
Monster Hunter Wilds (PlayStation 5)
Split Fiction
What we all know: Split Fiction was one of the most-exciting titles introduced throughout 2024’s Game Awards. The action-adventure sport from It Takes Two director Josef Fores appears to mix fantasy and sci-fi as gamers work collectively to beat platforming ranges and difficult puzzles.
Why we’re excited: We love any probability to sport side-by-side that is not simply one other spherical of Mario Kart. (No offense, Mario.)
Release Date: March 6
Split Fiction (Playstation 5)
Assassins Creed Shadows
What we all know: After the success of Sekiro, nearly each AAA gaming firm started engaged on a title that includes a lead character with a samurai sword. I’m speaking about Ghost of Tsushima, Rise of the Ronin, and most not too long ago, Black Myth: Wukong. So, it’s solely pure that Ubisoft ultimately set one its annual Assassins Creed video games in Edo interval Japan.
Why we’re excited: In Shadows, gamers will swap between Yasuke, the legendary Black samurai who fought for the shogun, and Naoe, a feminine ninja who makes a speciality of stealth.
Release Date: March 20
Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive for the PlayStation 5)
Borderlands 4
What we all know: The well-liked looter-shooter sequence has so much of competitors in comparison with when its predecessor, Borderlands 3, debuted in 2019. But developer Gearbox Software is hopeful that long-time followers of the style will come again for the subsequent installment. After all, Borderlands 3 pulled over 15 million gross sales, in response to a report from May 2022.
Why we’re excited: While I can’t communicate to the state of that awful-looking Borderlands film, I can verify that Borderlands 4 is a extremely anticipated online game that requires zero information of stated movie.
Release Date: TBA
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (PlayStation 5)
Cairn
What we all know: The indie climbing sport is in contrast to something we have ever seen. Sure, you may climb in lots of titles now. But Cairn is solely specializing in utilizing the mechanic to supply a mountain-climbing journey.
Why we’re excited: Cairn appears each difficult and oddly enjoyable on the identical time—similar to actual climbing!
Release Date: TBA
Death Stranding 2
What we all know: Video sport auteur Hideo Kojima is tough at work ending up the sequel to 2019’s polarizing Death Stranding. The motion sport and package-delivery simulator starred Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, as gamers traversed a large map to reconnect a damaged world. Popularity for Death Stranding picked up as soon as the sport started resembling the Covid-19 pandemic—which started mere weeks after the sport’s launch. Now, Kojima is readying the sequel for a 2025 launch.
Why we’re excited: Kojima ranges are hitting 100% on this one. There’s guys with electrical guitars, little speaking puppets, and cameos from Mad Max director George Miller.
Release Date: TBA
Death Stranding – Directors Cut (PlayStation 5)
Doom: The Dark Ages
What we all know: Doom: The Dark Ages narratively serves as a prequel to the brand new Doom sequence that rebooted in 2019, however I’m fairly certain that simply means we’re getting some swords and shields together with our arsenal of weapons. If that metallic dragon from the trailer is something to go off, The Dark Ages should have some secrets and techniques up its sleeves.
Why we’re excited: Doom: The Dark Ages‘s advertising and marketing launched me to the phrase “techno-medieval.” For that alone, I’m certain that the upcoming shooter will succeed.
Release Date: TBA
Dune: Awakening
What we know: Video games based on movies don’t always have a great track record. The last Dune adaptation was a real-time strategy game called Dune: Spice Wars, which PC Gamer described as having “not enough depth in its interlocking systems nor a compelling narrative hook.” Well, Dune: Awakening is made by the same publisher as Dune: Spice Wars.
Why we’re excited: The two games couldn’t look more different from each other. The new title is an open-world MMO, looking a lot like Final Fantasy XIV and Starfield had a baby on Arakkis.
Release Date: TBA
Elden Ring: Nightreign
What we know: Before the 2024 Game Awards trailer (above), I could have sworn that FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki told IGN that we wouldn’t see an Elden Ring sequel. And yet, Elden Ring: Nightreign is due out in 2025 to make the hellish trials of dying a million times to the same boss a shared experience.
Why we’re excited: I guess Miyazaki was partially telling the truth, because the cooperative spin-off looks less a full-blown sequel and more like FromSoft made everyone’s illegal multiplayer mods an official product.
Release Date: TBA
Sony Elden Ring (PlayStation 5)
Fable
What we know: Forza Horizon developer Playground Games is planning to reboot the Fable franchise in 2025, even though fans haven’t seen much of what the team has been working on so far. The action-adventure RPG is reportedly written by Horizon Forbidden West’s Andrew Walsh.
Why we’re excited: Fable likely won’t have Forza Horizon‘s sports cars, but the fandom for this series of RPGs runs deep.
Release Date: TBA
Ghost of Yotei
What we know: Ghost of Tsushima will receive a sequel this year in Ghost of Yotei, which will follow a female samurai named Atsu. This time around, players will reportedly have more control over the main character’s narrative choices than before.
Why we’re excited: The serene and challenging first game was a favorite among players in 2020, and games set in feudal Japan have only risen in popularity ever since.
Release Date: TBA
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut (PlayStation 5)
Grand Theft Auto 6
What we know: We received confirmation of the Nintendo Switch 2 before Grand Theft Auto 6. Insane! The new title to the highly successful franchise reportedly takes place in Vice City with a Bonnie & Clyde-esque plot. It’s tough to tell what’s official and what’s just a rumor, due to the sheer number of leaks from Rockstar Games. But fans are just hoping everything runs smoothly once they have GTA 6 in their hands.
Why we’re excited: Until Minecraft came along, Grand Theft Auto V was the highest-selling video game of all time. The pressure to produce a worthy follow-up is likely why the sixth installment is so delayed, but there’s arguably never been a more highly anticipated title in video game history.
Release Date: TBA
Hollow Knight: Silksong
What we know: It feels unfair to put the Hollow Knight sequel on the list since there’s no promise of a 2025 release just yet. The last we heard from the developers was in May 2023, when they said that “development is still continuing.”
Why we’re excited: Hollow Knight was such a success for the Metroidvania genre that the independent game contended with Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5, and even The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for 2017’s Game of the Year. Take your time on the sequel, TeamCherry!
Release Date: TBA
Hyper Light Breaker
What we know: Heart Machine hopes to convert fans of 2016’s Hyper Light Breaker this year when they release a 3D rougelike set in the same universe.
Why we’re excited: Hyper Light Drifter was one of my favorite 2D indie titles in 2016. The action game was a nostalgic return to 8-bit swordplay games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. This year, Hyper Light Breaker will expand the formula to focus on multiplayer experiences.
Release Date: TBA
Mafia: The Old Country
What we know: Tired of not playing Grand Theft Auto 6 yet? Check out Mafia: The Old Country. The crime story will be a more linear experience than Grand Theft Auto, as it reportedly follows the early origins of the mafia in 1900s Sicily.
Why we’re excited: Thanks to a trailer full of cutscenes at the 2024 Game Awards, it seems that Mafia: The Old Country will feature a heavy amount of story. We don’t mind that! I’ll take a mafia-tinged Red Dead Redemption any day.
Release Date: TBA
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
What we know: Following Hideo Kojima’s split with Konami, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will serve as the first title to continue the franchise without its creator’s support. (We don’t talk about Metal Gear Survive.) The new game is a remake of Metal gear Solid 3: Snake Eater using the updated Unreal Engine 5 used by games such as Fortnite and Tekken 8.
Why we’re excited: Konami did a fantastic job with the much-celebrated Silent Hill 2 remake. Even without Kojima’s involvement, there’s still some hope.
Release Date: TBA
METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL EDITION
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
What we know: The next 3D Metroid title is scheduled for release in 2025, as Nintendo hopes to build off the successful 2023 remaster of the original Metroid Prime.
Why we’re excited: Not only is the fourth Metroid Prime entry due for some hype in 2025, but the upcoming game is rumored as a potential launch title for Nintendo Switch 2.
Release Date: TBA
Metroid Prime Remastered (Nintendo Switch)
The Outer Worlds 2
What we know: Obsidian premiered a wacky trailer for their sequel to The Outer Worlds at the 2024 Game Awards. The developer looks to build off their zany, narrative-driven shooter that brought them acclaim in 2019.
Why we’re excited: According to Obsidian, the sequel will feature a greater focus on the action, as well as “everything that should have been in the first game.”
Release Date: TBA
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (Xbox Series X|S)
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
What we know: Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a dream come true. Though you could bicker all day about the game’s graphical limitations, the ability to finally run around and throw a Pokéball at the little pocket monsters was revolutionary for the long-running franchise. So, Pokémon fans lost their minds when the sequel was announced for a 2025 release.
Why we’re excited: You’re a fool if you don’t play every mainline game with Pokémon in the title. I couldn’t tell you what “Z-A” means, however we’ll discover out later this 12 months.
Release Date: TBA
Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Nintendo Switch)
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Shadow Labyrinth
What we all know: If you’re nonetheless making Pac-Man video games in 2025, the standard map simply will not do it anymore. Time to suppose outdoors of the field. Thanks to a quite weird trailer on the 2024 Game Awards, the upcoming Bandai Namco title remodeled your typical Metroidvania into one thing with a yellow puck-sized twist. Fans might want to wait till later in 2025 to see simply what form of craziness awaits them.
Why we’re excited: It’s robust to inform if this can be a new solution to play Pac-Man, or if Shadow Labyrinth simply appears a hell of so much like Pac-Man. Show me Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, after which we’ll discuss.
Release Date: TBA
Slay the Spire 2
What we all know: The indie deck-building roguelike title will obtain an official sequel in 2025, in response to its 2024 Game Awards trailer. The sport might be obtainable in early entry very quickly. Then, developer Mega Crit hopes to complete out the small print with fan assist.
Why we’re excited: Slay the Spire 2 will characteristic new playing cards and new characters to combine, together with a necromancer named the Necrobinder.
Release Date: TBA
South of Midnight
What we all know: South of Midnight is a brand new Microsoft unique coming to gamers in 2025 that appears to discover the Deep South with gothic folklore.
Why we’re excited: The most up-to-date gameplay trailer showcased a first-person action-adventure title with spectacular graphics. Players management a personality named Hazel, who weaves magic and fights monsters.
Release Date: TBA
The Witcher 4
What we all know: Moving on from Geralt, The Witcher IV plans to comply with his adopted daughter, Ciri. A cinematic trailer premiered on the 2024 Game Awards, promising an enriching story that may construct upon The Witcher‘s much-celebrated canon.
Why we’re excited: Though there is not any official launch date but, the trailer showcased some of probably the most thrilling materials from the Game Awards. Sure, it wasn’t gameplay, however any enchancment to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will delight players.
Release Date: TBA
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition (Xbox Series X)
