The calendar has already delivered heavyweight launches in the first half of the year, with a crowded late-season still on deck. Several tentpoles now carry firm dates, while one headline-grabber shifted into next year, reshaping expectations and buying studios more polish time. That mix makes 2025 unusually dense.
Grand Theft Auto VI
The most watched project slipped out of the 2025 window. Rockstar confirmed a new date of May 26, 2026, framing the move as a delay from the earlier target and attempting to steady expectations after years of speculation. The shift concentrates late-2025 attention on other franchises while GTA VI continues to dominate mindshare.
Death Stranding Sequel
Hideo Kojima’s follow-up landed on June 26, 2025 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The studio positioned “On the Beach” as a bigger, stranger trek that extends the original’s systemic delivery design with expanded traversal and set-piece storytelling. The certified date and platform come directly from the developer.
Assassin’s Creed – Shadows
Ubisoft’s Japan-set entry arrived March 19, 2025, splitting perspective between the shinobi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke. Design notes emphasize infiltration and period detail, with mission structures encouraging varied approaches instead of routine checkpoint clearing. The launch timing and dual-protagonist setup are reflected on the store listing.
Doom – The Dark Ages
id Software pivoted the series toward brutal medieval warfare, shipping in mid-May 2025 on PC and consoles. The arsenal trades sci-fi gloss for gritty steel and clockwork contraptions, while encounter design keeps the series’ velocity intact. Release timing is documented on Steam and reference listings.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom’s new entry launched February 27-28, 2025 with 1-4 player online hunts and biomes that morph as storms roll through. Systems encourage party coordination without punishing solo play, continuing the series’ incremental design philosophy. Dates, platforms, and player counts are confirmed by Capcom and storefronts.
Lost Records – Bloom & Rage
Don’t Nod’s Lost Records Bloom and Rage released in two parts, with Tape 1 on February 18 and Tape 2 on April 15. The structure invites episodic reflection and uses camcorder mechanics to anchor perspective. The split schedule and PS Plus rollout come from the studio’s pages and store hubs.
Metal Gear Solid Remake
The Digital Snake Eater of Metal Gear Solid Delta is scheduled for August 28, 2025, aiming to rework the design made in 2004 with modern controls and presentation, while remaining firmly rooted in the encounter geometry of the original. More information on the date and scope is provided by means of official PlayStation communications and confirmed on the PC store page.
Ninja Gaiden 4
Team Ninja introduces Yakumo as a co-lead alongside Ryu Hayabusa, with October 21, 2025 targeted for release. Early showings highlight rail-glide traversal and a blood-arts stance that retools combo expression rather than chasing spectacle for its own sake. Announcement framing and date reporting are available in first-party and industry write-ups.
Mafia Prequel
Mafia: The Old Country goes back to the franchise’s roots with a linear, story-forward structure set in early-1900s Sicily. Publisher pages list August 8, 2025, positioning the game as a focused crime saga rather than a map-clearing sandbox. That scope choice aligns with the series’ strongest critical period.
Hollow Knight Silksong
Team Cherry’s long-running project is now pegged to late 2025, according to recent community communications. While the studio remains succinct about scope, the expectation is a traversal-heavy campaign that extends Hornet’s mobility and encounter density. Scheduling remains a window rather than a day-specific commitment.
Pokémon Legends Z-A
Nintendo dated Legends Z-A for October 16, 2025, with Lumiose City as the central hub and Mega Evolution returning after a long hiatus. Messaging also gestures toward more active battle loops than traditional turn-based entries, continuing the Arceus line. Dates and systems are noted across official summaries.
Borderlands 4
Gearbox‘s sequel is slated for September 12, 2025, pulled forward from a late-September target. Publisher and platform posts outline a new planet and updated class design, with co-op remaining the spine of progression. The revised date is recorded by Epic and corporate investor channels.
Ghost of Yotei
Sucker Punch‘s follow-up is scheduled for October 2, 2025. External previews describe a similar campaign length to Tsushima and a musical mechanic that aids exploration through learnable songs, suggesting iteration rather than reinvention. Date and feature descriptions appear in recent coverage.
Closing Notes on What to Watch
Late 2025 is going to be a mad rush; expect marketing to start pushing various dates to avoid scheduling conflicts. For planning purposes, try to ring studio posts and platform pages, since third-party lists might be somewhat outdated. Having so many releases is great, but the actual timing may still shift as teams hand over final certifications and performance patches.