With the end of the summer and the start of the school year now within view, we still have plenty of exciting upcoming games left to look forward to in 2025.
It’s been a good year for big games already. We’ve seen the launch of a new Nintendo console, and feasted upon epic fare like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. But the calendar hasn’t turned yet, and even with the November and December still practically devoid of big release dates (for the moment, anyway), there’s still plenty of upcoming games that have us pondering how we’ll fit them all in to our busy schedules.
Here are the 5 biggest upcoming games for the remainder of 2025 that have us hyped:
5) Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (September 30)
Final Fantasy Tactics has long been considered one of the best strategy-RPGs ever crafted; released in the shadow of Final Fantasy VII back in 1997, it holds a place near its more famous cousin on many “greatest games of all time” lists. However, it’s gotten a little more difficult to play as the generation go on—all three prior versions have their flaws, like the PlayStation Portable port’s agonizing slowdown.
But at long last the outcry for an update has been answered, and on September 30, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles promises to offer a definitive, modernized experience. Rebuilt from the ground up, an enhanced version of the game features full voice acting, a fully updated script, quality of life improvements, and an updated user interface, to name but a few changes. Those who want to experience the original version can enjoy the classic mode, which reverts to the original gameplay with the PSP English script.
The chance to relive this beloved classic is enough to land it on our list of upcoming games alone, but it will be truly special to see a whole new generation embark on the journey for the first time in The Ivalice Chronicles.
4) Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (TBA)
For Samus Aran fans, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been one of the most exciting upcoming games on the radar for many years, at this point. The fourth game in the Metroid subseries was announced way back at E3 2017, when the original Nintendo Switch was merely months old. Nintendo announced that they were unsatisfied with progress in 2019 and handing it back to the original Prime developers, Retro Studios.
…and then it disappeared until last year, when Nintendo announced the official subtitle and showed the first true glimmer of gameplay. We’re still waiting for an official launch date, but Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is still poised to release sometime in the remainder of 2025 on Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. (Perhaps November?)
While it’s unclear how it will fit into the overarching storyline of the franchise, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will grant Samus new psychic powers to manipulate the environment or control her shots. It’s been a long time coming, and we’re eager to see what Retro has been cooking up (and what other powers come with Samus’ new third-eye suit).
3) Pokémon Legends: Z-A (October 16)
Whether or not you think the main Pokémon series has gotten stale over 9 generations, Pokémon Legends Arceus was undoubtedly a big, brave new swing that broke the mold. Like Breath of the Wild for Pocket Monsters, this bold spin-off changed much of what we knew about the franchise by taking us to its ancient past in an open-world interpretation of the Sinnoh region.
Now a new Legends is upon us, and one of our most anticipated upcoming games in 2025. Pokémon Legends: Z-A retains the spirit of Arceus‘ open-world exploration, but within the confines of one massive metropolis—Kalos’ Lumiose City, featured previously in Pokémon X&Y. Things that people loved about the original are back, such as the ability to control your trainer directly during battles, while things that left others divided have been set aside.
As a trainer looking to make their mark during Lumiose’s massive urban redevelopment plans, players will battle their way through the ranks (from Z to A) in the city’s battle league by night, and explore the town by day. And while Nintendo and Game Freak have kept a very tight lid on it, the legendary Zygarde is sure to play a major role in this new adventure when it lands on both Switch and Switch 2 mid-October.
(Plus, it’s bringing back Mega Evolution. What’s not to love there?)
2) Hollow Knight: Silksong (TBA)
Like Metroid Prime 4, this next one might just be one of the most anticipated upcoming games of all time, with almost 5 million gamers having it wishlisted currently on Steam alone.
Originally announced as a bonus downloadable content for Hollow Knight as part of its Kickstarter campaign, Silksong soon spun too large of a web to be contained as a mere add-on, and became its own entity. It seemed poised for release near the end of 2019, but has been elusive ever since, with rumours of its possible resurfacing surrounding each indie showcase or major game event since. At long last, Silksong emerged in the Nintendo Switch 2’s big reveal Direct, reconfirmed for a 2025 release, and will be playable at Gamescom later this month.
As a companion and sequel to one of the most successful indie games to date, and featuring a unique spin on the gameplay formula, Silksong is sure to be one of the biggest games of 2025, if not the decade.
…we’ll just believe it’s finally here when it’s actually in our hands.
1) Ghost of Yotei (October 2)
2020’s Ghost of Tsushima was a much-needed breath of fresh air for both open-world and samurai games, two genres that can be somewhat overdone at times. We loved not only its crisp fighting mechanics, or its homages to classic samurai movies, but also its rich world, populated with on-theme mechanics. Just as gamers were growing tired of climbing towers and other conventions, Sucker Punch Productions gave a compelling argument that open-world games could do things differently.
Its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, looks to be improving upon everything that made the first game great. Set some 300-ish years after Ghost of Tsushima, a new tale of revenge begins, but this time our protagonist, Atsu, is neither a samurai nor a ninja, but a skilled mercenary with a veritable arsenal of different weapons at her disposal.
The smooth combat was one major draw of the original, but it was the exploration and other activities outside of battle that truly made it feel special and hit its thematic notes. From what we’ve seen, Ghost of Yotei promises to take these elements up a few notches as well, such as a unique card-based twist on quest tracking, or having NPCs come to Atsu at her camp (instead of traveling across the map to see them).
If Sucker Punch Productions sticks the landing, Ghost of Yotei might be a watershed moment for the open-world genre that helps it feel truly “open” again—and that potential lands it at the top of our most anticipated upcoming games for the last quarter of 2025.
