Dvij Kotadia | 7 May 2025 02:46 PM
So, the rumour mill was right, and it’s official. GTA 6 won't be gracing our consoles until May 26th, 2026. A collective groan was heard around the world, we know. That’s a heck of a long time to wait. While Rockstar polishes its magnum opus, the rest of the gaming world isn't standing still. This year is absolutely packed with fantastic releases across all genres, offering plenty of virtual worlds to get lost in. Here are 12 upcoming gems guaranteed to make that agonising wait fly by.
Serving as a prequel to the modern Doom games, this entry throws the Slayer into a dark fantasy medieval war against Hell's legions, acting as a super weapon for gods and kings. Witness the Slayer's origins as you battle demons across ruined castles and ancient hellscapes. Expect the signature blistering FPS combat, but with a heavier emphasis on grounded melee using the new Shield Saw, alongside piloting giant mechs and even riding a fierce Mecha Dragon. It’s Doom, but with knights and castles!
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X and S
Return to feudal Japan in this remaster of the beloved PS2 action-adventure title. Playing as Jubei Yagyu, you'll seek revenge against the resurrected demon lord Nobunaga Oda, who threatens to conquer the land. The core gameplay masterfully blends intense sword combat against demonic foes with exploration and puzzle-solving. Key mechanics include absorbing different coloured souls from enemies to upgrade weapons, replenish health or magic, and interacting with allies whose affinity affects branching story paths.
Platform: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Prepare for a fresh, co-op focused challenge within the Elden Ring universe. Set in a parallel Roundtable Hold, you and two companions play as 'Nightfarers' – characters chosen from eight classes, each starting with amnesia. Explore 'Limveld', an ever-changing, procedurally generated version of Limgrave over three in-game days, battling randomised foes and bosses, finding loot, and recovering memory fragments to unravel your character's forgotten past in this session-based action RPG.
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox X|S, PC
Nintendo's mascot racer is set to take a huge leap on Switch 2. While the story takes a backseat to red shells, this entry promises significant gameplay evolution. Expect the core fun of boosting and drifting across imaginative tracks featuring beloved Mario characters (and a cow), but now with open-world elements connecting courses, races boosted to 24 players, a new 'Knockout Tour' elimination mode, boat racing segments, and new moves like wall jumping.
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Hideo Kojima continues Sam Porter Bridges' story in this intriguing sequel. Sam embarks on a new mission of human connection beyond the UCA, traversing a world still beset by otherworldly threats and treacherous obstacles. Expect the unique gameplay loop of exploration, cargo delivery, and asynchronous multiplayer (where players' structures aid each other) to return, expanded with new traversal tools, incredibly varied environments, and refined combat options allowing aggressive or stealthy approaches to enemies both human and supernatural.
Platform: PS5
Nintendo's main man-ape finally gets another 3D platforming adventure! When the villainous VoidCo. apes make off with the Golden Bananas, DK journeys underground with his stony pal Odd Rock to recover them. This action-adventure title heavily emphasizes environmental destruction – Donkey Kong can punch, slap, and rip apart almost any surface to create paths, find secrets, or weaponize chunks of the world. Explore sandbox-style levels filled with puzzles, enemies, and classic DK platforming.
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Put down the sword and pick up a spade in this utterly charming and cosy life simulation game set in Tolkien's Shire. Live the peaceful, idyllic life of a Hobbit in the village of Bywater. Gameplay revolves around creating and customising your own Hobbit character (down to foot-hair style!), decorating your welcoming Hobbit hole with grid-free placement, tending your garden by growing fruits and vegetables, going fishing, foraging for ingredients, and cooking up delightful meals while building relationships.
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
Uncover the origins of organized crime in this gritty prequel set in 1900s Sicily. Playing as Enzo Favara, you fight to survive indentured servitude in sulfur mines before a twist of fate lets you join Don Torrisi's crime family. Expect a return to the series' roots with a deep, linear narrative-driven third-person action-adventure. Gameplay involves period-authentic combat (stiletto blades, lupara shotguns, pistols, and rifles oh my), driving turn-of-the-century cars, riding horses, and navigating the brutal Sicilian underworld to prove your worth.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S
Relive the legendary origin story of Big Boss in this highly anticipated remake. As Naked Snake, infiltrate the Soviet jungle during the Cold War to rescue a scientist, destroy the Shagohod nuclear superweapon, and confront your former mentor, The Boss. Expect the original's groundbreaking blend of stealth-action gameplay, survival mechanics (hunting, camouflage, curing injuries), and CQC combat, meticulously recreated in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning modern visuals and quality-of-life updates like new control options. Snake Eater serves as the perfect entry point for new players as well as the perfect nostalgia trip for those who grew up hiding in boxes and shooting down metal gears.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S
Prepare for more looter-shooter mayhem! Set on the new planet Kairos after events involving Pandora's moon, players take on the role of a new Vault Hunter leading a resistance against the tyrannical Timekeeper and his synthetic army, The Order. Expect billions of procedural guns, signature over-the-top action, deep skill trees for new Vault Hunters, a revamped gear system promising a better loot chase, seamless exploration across diverse biomes, and improved co-op play. You can also find out more about the game right here.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S Nintendo Switch
From Bungie, the creators of Destiny, comes a revival of their classic sci-fi series, reimagined as a futuristic PvPvE extraction shooter. Set on the abandoned colony ship UESC Marathon orbiting Tau Ceti IV, players become 'Runners' – cybernetic mercenaries fighting for loot and survival. Gameplay focuses on teams of three deploying into hostile environments, battling rival player teams and AI threats, securing valuable objectives, and extracting successfully to keep their hard-earned gear in high-stakes encounters.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S
Set 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima during Japan's Edo period, this PS5 exclusive follows Atsu, a lone warrior seeking vengeance in the wild region of Ezo (modern Hokkaido). Her family was murdered by the notorious 'Yotei Six' outlaws, and we must hunt them down across the open world. Building on Tsushima's acclaimed gameplay, expect refined exploration, deep samurai combat, stealth mechanics, bounty hunting, and learning new skills.
Platform: PS5
The legendary ninja action series returns after over a decade! Set in a near-future Tokyo plagued by an ancient enemy's resurrection, this entry introduces a new young ninja protagonist, Yakumo, whose fate is intertwined with series icon Ryu Hayabusa (who is also playable). Co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, expect a fusion of signature high-speed, challenging hack-and-slash combat rewarding precision and strategy, featuring legacy techniques alongside new abilities like Bloodbind Ninjutsu.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S
Samus Aran's long-awaited return in first-person is finally on the horizon! Following the destruction of Phazon, Samus fights for survival on the mysterious planet Viewros, confronting foes including the enigmatic rival bounty hunter Sylux. Gameplay retains the classic Metroid Prime formula of exploration, scanning, puzzle-solving, and intense combat against alien creatures, but introduces new psychic abilities for Samus to master. The Switch 2 version promises enhanced visuals (4K/60 or 1080p/120 options).
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
So yes, the wait for GTA VI just got a fair bit longer, but the gaming landscape in the meantime is looking seriously stacked. From brutal medieval Doom to serene Hobbit life, and high-octane kart racing to stealthy ninja action, there's a virtual adventure to keep every type of gamer occupied. Keep those controllers charged; there's plenty to play.