It’s the start of 2025, and as such, we wanted to let you know our most anticipated games of 2025. Now, assuming there’s no delays or cancellations, we can’t wait to get into all of these games this year (and many more for that matter), but always air on the side of caution and expect some of these to push into 2026.
The release calendar is absolute full this year, with it promising to be a blockbuster year for indies and AAAs alike, so without further ado, get stuck in and check out our most anticipated games of 2025.
Dreamcore
Developer: Montraluz
Publisher: Tlön Industries
Release Date: 23rd January, 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Review: HERE
Described as a ‘psychological horror game that immerses players in the eerie atmosphere of liminal spaces‘, Dreamcore might be one of the most unique games 2025 has to offer. A horror walking sim that gives you little explanation as to what’s going on, no handholding beyond some audio cues and a few signs, and an atmosphere that looks like something straight out of a VHS movie, you’ll be forgiven for being scared, and not knowing why.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Developer: Ubisoft Quebec
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: 20th March, 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Mac
The latest offering from one of Ubisoft’s biggest franchises has had a complicated time, with delays and controversies taking the headlines, but with a new version of Anvil and two contrasting protagonists, all that could be forgotten in what looks to be one of the best offerings in years, and a return to the stealth roots which the franchise was built upon.
Civilization 7
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: 11th February, 2025
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
The leader in 4X simulation games returns with a new iteration. The first in the series to allow players to select leaders and eras independently, it’ll allow interesting new combos and dynamics previously unseen in the franchise. It’s certain to be a huge timesink for thousands of us across the world, and if previous installments are any indication, it’ll be high-quality, fun, and informative to boot.
Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles
Developer: Aspyr
Publisher: Aspyr
Release Date: January 23rd, 2025
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Mac
Review: HERE
Aspyr has hit something of a trend by bringing back old classic games from our younger years, most recently dropping Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 &2 Remastered. Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles may not have been the most obvious of choices, but regardless it’s going to fulfil that nostalgia hit we’ve been craving so much for. Plus, co-op Jedi fun!
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release Date: 4th February, 2025
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X|S
The sequel to the surprise smash hit of 2018, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continues the story of Henry, the plucky young blacksmith caught in the middle of war and violence. An RPG with huge depth, the pressure is on for the sequel to deliver, and all signs point to it being another massive epic with improved combat, lockpicking, and hopefully more taverns!
Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: 28th February 2025
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X|S
Perhaps second only to Resident Evil, the Monster Hunter franchise is not only well known but hugely popular and for sure on the majority of people’s ‘Most Anticipated Games of 2025’ lists, including ours. Bigger monsters, more weapons, a bigger world, and more to offer players are promised, and we can’t wait to dive in with our friends and get hunting again!
Avowed
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release Date: February 18th, 2025
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows
From the minds of the developers behind The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas comes Avowed, the highly anticipated fantasy first-person RPG. Deep, interesting dialogue and riveting quests should be all but guaranteed, but the real question will be if Obsidian Entertainment can wow with the combat!
Dune: Awakening
Developer: Funcom
Publisher: Funcom
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Windows, PS5, Xbox Series X|S.
Dune is spreading across the pop-culture landscape like wildfire, with thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic franchise being particularly to thank for that. Funcom looks set to add to that with Dune: Awakening, an alternate timeline version of the universe as an MMORPG survival game, where players can join various franchises, fight or work together, explore Arrakis, and try to fight all Sandworms they want!
Ghost of Yotei
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5
We’ve been begging for a sequel to the excellent Ghost of Tsushima for years now, and thankfully Sucker Punch has seen sense and given us Ghost of Yotei. Surprisingly, we’re leaving Jin Sakai behind, and instead, we’re heading for new shores with a new protagonist, and undoubtedly new gameplay mechanics. Either way, we can’t wait to pick up the sword and become a Ghost once more!
Killing Floor 3
Developer: Tripwire Interactive
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Release Date: March 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
A ‘bullet hell’ FPS that’ll keep your adrenaline pumping and your trigger finger well-worked-out, Killing Floor 3 has taken its time arriving, nine years after its predecessor, but it looks to be every second of the same manic, balls-to-the-wall action we’re used to. Bring some friends to have your back.
Elden Ring Nightreign
Developer: FromSoftware Inc
Publisher: Bandai Namco, FromSoftware Inc
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
The most surprising announcement of The Game Awards 2024, Elden Ring Nightreign was always going to end up on our most anticipated games of 2025 list. It’s a roguelike, three-player co-op adventure allowing fans of the Soulsborne franchise to take their friends and fight both new and old foes alike. Are you going to be good enough to succeed? We probably won’t be.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Developer: Don’t Nod
Publisher: Don’t Nod
Release Date: 18th February, 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Review: HERE
If you’ve played Life is Strange, then the premise of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will be familiar to you, or at least, the atmosphere will be. After 27 years apart, four friends reunite to unearth and face a deep secret they promised to forget. Knowing how good Don’t Nod can be with its hard-hitting narrative games, we’re in for a treat for sure.
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Developer: Rebellion
Publisher: Rebellion
Release Date: 28th January, 2025
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Review: HERE
Fans of stealth and WWII games can rejoice, as the popular third-person shooter franchise returns, this time with a ‘new operative, new threat and new epic campaign’. Sniper Elite: Resistance will take players to France this time, and with each franchise installment proving to better the last, it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for us this time. If nothing else, we can shoot some Nazis in their most tender areas.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap
Developer: Robot Entertainment
Publisher: Robot Entertainment
Release Date: 28th January, 2025
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is the next-gen entry in the action-packed third-person shooter franchise. This time, the rogue-lite-like environments will force you to make different choices each time, but make sure you’re putting the right traps down and upgrading yourself properly, otherwise, you’ll have a hard time. Take three friends to defend, build, and kill. Let’s go!
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: 20th February, 2025
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii may just be the weirdest entry in the already bonkers Like a Dragon/Yakuza franchise, but we’re here for it. It returns to the beat-em-up style we’ve all grown accustomed to, and we’ll be taking control of Goro Majima, the maddest and most fun of the characters in the franchise. What’s in store for us? Pirates, minigames, and absolute hilarity, no doubt.
Two Point Museum
Developer: Two Point Studios
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: 27th February
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Linux, Mac
The go-to sim series for anyone who remembers the likes of Theme Hospital, Two Point Museum points to a fresh take for Two Point Studios, after Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus. If we can’t build a museum and have the skeletons etc come to life, we’re going to be very miffed.
Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6)
Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Top of nearly everyone’s most anticipated games of 2025 list, what needs to be said? GTA 6 is almost here, and assuming it doesn’t get delayed, we’ll be enjoying the latest installment in the controversial crime game sometime before the end of 2025. After waiting fourteen years though, we’ll take another delay for it to be perfect over an early and broken release. Is anyone expecting anything but genre-defining quality from Rockstar Games at this point?
Atomfall
Developer: Rebellion
Publisher: Rebellion
Release Date: March 2025
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
An alternate timeline where nuclear catastrophes result in coverups, new technologies, and the breakdown of society? Sign us up. We played Atomfall at Gamescom 2024, and the accuracy of the mid-20th-century Britain left us giddy to see more.
Borderlands 4
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows
A spin-off and failed movie aside, we’re finally getting the next entry in the Borderlands franchise after the lackluster third entry. We don’t know a whole lot about the next installment, but it does have a fresh cast of characters, and assuming a long enough development, we’re excited to get stuck into the looter-shooter universe again, as Gearbox Software will definitely have something to prove.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
Developer: Skydance Interactive
Publisher: Skydance Interactive
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
There was a time when a Marvel video game would make anyone groan, but with Amy Hennig of Uncharted fame at the helm, it’s hard to be anything but majorly excited for this. Featuring a WW2 Steve Rogers and T’Challa’s grandfather Azzuri in an alliance that looks as likely to fail as it does succeed, we’re desperate to know more at this stage.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Developer: Retro Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Years in the making, we’re mere months away from the next installment of the infamous Metroid franchise with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. More puzzle-solving, frantic shootouts, new abilities, and sci-fi action await fans, and we’re eager to see what’s been cooking. Will it disappoint? Will it exceed expectations? We’re just happy for more Samus after so many years away from an original tale. Easiest addition to the most anticipated games of 2025 list ever.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Very little is known about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, beyond the fact it’s set in Lumiose City. It’s likely to be an open-world adventure again, and hopefully, we’ll see the return of us being able to capture Pokemon outside battle. Either way, more Pokemon is always a good thing.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5
Hideo Kojima’s weirdest walking simulator is set to return this year, barring any more delays. The first was a marmite affair, with it not being everyone’s cup of tea, but the second looks to continue the story regardless. With Norman Reedus and Troy Baker returning, as well as the likes of Elle Fanning and Lea Seydoux joining, the cast is a veritable who’s who of A-Listers, and we can’t wait to get involved.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Developer: iD Software
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Sending us back to Medieval times is one way to freshen up the bullet-hell experience we’ve gotten used to over the last three decades. From spiked shields to new-looking weapons, we can’t wait to get our hands on this and sow complete destruction! After a long five years since Doom Eternal, Doom: The Dark Ages could fill the absolute chaos of an iD Software shooter.
Fable
Developer: Playground Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows
The most overpromised, underdelivered franchise in gaming history returns, this time without Peter Molyneux in sight, and less chance of us being disappointed from the off. One thing is for certain though, the world will react to our actions, and we’re going to continue how we left off in the previous Fable games – villainous and horrible.
Skate
Developer: Full Circle
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Fourteen years later, EA has decided to grant us the chance to return to the Skate franchise! We’ve only been begging for it for years guys, come on. Don’t mind us, as we live out our skateboarding fantasies that we can’t in real life. We’re ready to pull off the most insane tricks possible!
Splitgate 2
Developer: 1047 Games
Publisher: 1047 Games
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Portals and guns have been a great combo since the first Portal was released, and Splitgate went further with it. Now, we’re closing in on Splitgate 2, and after chatting to Ian Proulx at Gamescom 2024, we can’t wait to triple portal, blindly shoot before jumping through, and every other griefing move in the game simply because we suck.
South of Midnight
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Set in the American Deep South, we’ll be taking control of Hazel, as she begins to learn of new powers and uncovers mysterious creatures that need to be beaten. The real charm of South of Midnight is its unique approach to the stop-motion cutscenes shown off during its initial reveal. Get us that deep south folklore, please!
The Alters
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Publisher: 11 Bit Studios
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
A mixture of base-building, adventure, and survival elements awaits those who look at The Alters. The twist? All of the playable characters are variations of the same one, Jan, played by Alex Jordan of Cyberpunk 2077, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard fame. Good luck saving them all, and some hard decisions will be made for the greater good.
Terminator: Survivors
Developer: Nacon
Publisher: Nacon
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Set between Judgment Day and John Connor’s resistance rising up, the chances for a meek, hopeless story are pretty high. Throw in an open world with survival elements, and the feeling of urgency escaping from Skynet’s grasp will be prevalent every second we’re playing. Will we get an Arnie cameo? We can hope. Either way, with both single-player and co-op modes available, we’ll be able to fight the dastardly AI scourge however we like.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
To us, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater is the best in the franchise, so after the announcement that we’d be getting a from-the-ground-up remake, we couldn’t wait to see what that looks like. With new gameplay, new camera (and old legacy control/camera still available), and most importantly, the original voice performances of David Hayter and co, Konami really will have to do a lot to make this anything other than an incredible experience. Would you ever expect another Metal Gear entry to not be in the most anticipated games of 2025 list?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer: Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kepler Interactive
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
With a cast sporting the likes of Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3), and more, Sandfall Interactive is clearly aiming for a high-quality game. Featuring a unique mix of turn-based and real-time combat, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could be the dark fantasy game to follow up the likes of Elden Ring.
FBC: Firebreak
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Remedy Entertainment
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
We’re getting another look into the Remedy Connected Universe! With the likes of Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2, and Control already a part of it, we now turn our eyes to this, a three-player co-op shooter set inside the Federal Bureau of Control. It’s also Remedy’s first fully-fledged entry into the multiplayer scene, so how they’ll bring their single-player mastery to another arena will be interesting for us (and for the dev).
Mafia: The Old Country
Developer: Hangar 13
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
How could we not include Mafia: The Old Country in our list of our ‘Most Anticipated Games of 2025’? Long thought dead, the franchise is set to return in an explosive way with a prequel set in the early 1900s in Sicily. Judging by the reveal trailer, the franchise’s standard and unexpected violence returns, but this time purportedly it’ll be less open-world than the third installment.
Judas
Developer: Ghost Story Games
Publisher: Ghost Story Games
Release Date: March 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
From the mind of Ken Levine, the man behind the Bioshock series, Judas is taking its sweet time, and keeping a lot of its cards close to its chest. Set in a future where space travel is possible, Judas looks to have as much social commentary as its predecessors, with a ship containing the last remnants of humanity doing its best to keep them in check, before the protagonist Judas breaks free. Hard decisions will no doubt be prevalent throughout.
Crimson Desert
Developer: Pearl Abyss
Publisher: Pearl Abyss
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Mac
Gigantic bosses, fluid combat, and the ability to shapeshift into gigantic flying monsters. What’s not to love? A Soulslike sort of, with combat that could be either hack’n’slash or Soulslike in description, depending on the moment in time, Crimson Desert could be the breakout hit of 2025. Mark our words.
Phantom Blade Zero
Developer: S-GAME
Publisher: S-GAME
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Windows
Another Soulslike/Hack’n’Slash combo, this is a bit of a punt, as nothing has been said regarding Phantom Blade Zero’s release date beyond a few incredibly polished-looking trailers. Either way, with a semi-open world, rapid combat, and a smidge of murder mystery thrown in, we can’t wait to clear our names of a murder we didn’t commit.
Hell is Us
Developer: Rogue Factor
Publisher: Nacon
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
A third-person, supernatural action-adventure game focused on melee combat? Throw in a drone to distract the enemies and we’re already excited for Hell is Us. With the art director behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution (and its sequel) at the helm, we’re guaranteed broody, dank visuals and some incredible audio. Add in the fact that there’s no map and the only facets of information will be those given by NPCs, the feeling of pure exploration will be strong with this.
Exodus
Developer: Archetype Entertainment
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Space. Sci-Fi. Matthew McConaughey and an RPG spanning galaxies. What could go wrong? We’re not sure yet whether this’ll be closer to Mass Effect or Starfield, but if it could be 1/10th of the former, we’re in for an incredible time filled with a whole new world of possibilities. Plus, we really want to hear McConaughey’s infamous line in space.
The Outer Worlds 2
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
A return to the Arcadia star system and its megacorporations is on the cards! Are you ready to rage against the machine and fight ‘The Man’? We sure are. With a promise of more focus on gunplay and combat to match the dialogue-heavy moments, we’re looking forward to getting back to figure out who’s pushing the rifts between factions this time round.
Gears of War: E-Day
Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Everyone respected Gears of War 6, but instead, we get a prequel going back to the very start. A young Marcus and Dom look to be battling the emergence of the Locust, the OG enemies of the franchise. Whilst Gears of War 5 was no slouch, we can’t wait to experience the beginning of the saga as Sera begins to crumble under the weight of a new enemy. Give us that OG brutality and hopelessness! And most importantly, make it worthy of its entry in our most anticipated games of 2025 list!
What makes your most anticipated games of 2025 list? Are there any we missed? Let us know! For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out all the video games coming out in 2025, or how about some Sony CES 2025 news involving The Last of Us?
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Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
