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If you’re a gamer, the next two years are shaping up to be absolutely massive. We’re talking about the return of legendary franchises, ambitious new games, and titles that have been in development for nearly a decade. This is the period when current-generation consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S finally show what they can really do.
Let’s break down everything coming your way, from the confirmed blockbusters to the games we’ve been waiting years to play.
The Absolute Biggest Releases
Grand Theft Auto VI
Developer: Rockstar Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: November 19, 2026
Yes, GTA 6 is finally happening—but you’ll need to wait a bit longer than originally planned. After being delayed twice, Rockstar has locked in a November 2026 release date. That’s more than 13 years after GTA V came out, which is wild when you think about it.
The game takes you back to Vice City (Rockstar’s version of Miami) in the fictional state of Leonida. You’ll play as two protagonists, and Rockstar promises a “living, breathing world” powered by advanced AI. Take-Two’s CEO even said they’re trying to make “the most extraordinary title anyone’s ever seen in the history of entertainment”—that’s a bold claim.
Here’s the crazy part: industry experts estimate this game could cost between $1-2 billion to develop, market, and support online. That would make it the most expensive entertainment product ever created.
The delays happened for polish and quality, though there was also some drama with employee layoffs at Rockstar’s UK and Canada studios in late 2025. Either way, when GTA 6 launches, it’ll dominate everything—other publishers usually avoid releasing games anywhere near a Rockstar launch because they know they can’t compete.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: 2025
Capcom is going all-in on current-gen hardware with Monster Hunter Wilds. If you played Monster Hunter: World and loved it, this is the sequel you’ve been waiting for. The biggest upgrade? No more loading screens between areas—the entire world is seamless now.
The creature AI is getting a major upgrade too, making hunts feel more dynamic and unpredictable. Plus, you’ll have better ways to get around these massive environments. After World became a huge hit in Western markets, Capcom is building on that success while adding enough new features to make Wilds feel fresh.
Fable (Reboot)
Developer: Playground Games
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: Expected 2025-2026
Remember Fable? The fantasy RPG series with British humor and moral choices? It’s coming back, developed by Playground Games (the studio behind Forza Horizon). They’re keeping what made Fable special—the humor, the choices that actually matter, the fantastical world—while bringing it up to modern standards.
Early footage looks gorgeous thanks to current-gen hardware, but Playground faces a tough challenge: making old fans happy while putting their own stamp on the franchise. No exact release date yet, but we’re expecting it sometime in this window.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
Developer: id Software
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: 2025
This is a wild one. id Software is taking DOOM—yes, the fast-paced demon-slaying shooter—and setting it in a medieval world. DOOM: The Dark Ages explores the Doom Slayer’s origins with brutal medieval-style weapons while keeping that signature aggressive, run-and-gun gameplay.
It’s a bold creative choice that shows id Software isn’t afraid to experiment. If you loved the recent DOOM games, this should still scratch that same itch, just with a completely different visual style.
Exploring New Worlds
Star Wars Outlaws
Developer: Massive Entertainment (Ubisoft)
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: 2025
Finally, an open-world Star Wars game! Star Wars Outlaws puts you in the boots of Kay Vess, a scoundrel navigating the criminal underworld between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Think Han Solo vibes.
Massive Entertainment (the studio behind The Division) brings their open-world expertise to the Star Wars universe. You’ll explore planets, fly through space, and tackle story missions—all seamlessly connected. How well this does will probably influence how Disney handles Star Wars game licenses going forward.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Developer: Retro Studios
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release: Expected 2025-2026
Metroid Prime 4 has had a rough journey. First announced in 2017, Nintendo completely restarted development in 2019 with Retro Studios taking over. That’s a long time to wait for Metroid fans.
Details are still scarce, but the game needs to deliver that atmospheric exploration and environmental storytelling the Prime series is known for. For Nintendo, this is a major showcase for whatever the Switch 2 can do. No pressure, right?
Black Myth: Wukong (Console Versions)
Developer: Game Science
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Release: 2025
After impressing PC players, Black Myth: Wukong is coming to consoles. Based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, this action-RPG features challenging combat (think Dark Souls style) and absolutely stunning visuals.
Getting it running well on consoles while maintaining that visual quality is the challenge, but if Game Science pulls it off, it could introduce a whole new audience to this mythology-rich action game.
Show Image Modern RPGs combine stunning visuals with deep player choice systems
The RPG Comeback
The Witcher 4 (Project Polaris)
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Platforms: To Be Announced
Release: Expected 2026
CD Projekt Red is starting a new Witcher trilogy, built on Unreal Engine 5 instead of their own engine. After The Witcher 3’s massive success and Cyberpunk 2077’s rough launch, there’s a lot riding on this one.
Don’t expect it until late 2026 at the earliest. The studio says they’ve learned from Cyberpunk’s problems and won’t rush this out the door. Switching to Unreal Engine 5 should let them focus more on making great content instead of building engine technology.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Developer: BioWare
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: 2025
BioWare needs a win. After Mass Effect: Andromeda disappointed fans and Anthem completely flopped, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (formerly called Dreadwolf) represents the studio’s chance to prove they can still make great RPGs.
The game focuses on deep storytelling, choices that matter, and combat that balances action with tactical thinking. If it’s good, BioWare’s reputation gets restored. If it fails? Well, that could be the end of BioWare as we know it.
Avowed
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release: 2025
Obsidian, the masters of choice-driven RPGs, are making a first-person fantasy RPG set in their Pillars of Eternity universe. Think Skyrim meets Obsidian’s incredible writing and quest design.
People will inevitably compare it to Skyrim, but Avowed should stand out through Obsidian’s signature approach to storytelling and player choice. As an Xbox exclusive, it’s also meant to give people another reason to choose Xbox or PC over PlayStation.
Other Games Worth Watching
Perfect Dark (Xbox Series X|S, PC) – Microsoft’s bringing back this classic stealth-action series with a modern take.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Xbox Series X|S, PC) – A first-person Indy adventure from MachineGames, set between Raiders and The Last Crusade.
Silent Hill 2 Remake (PlayStation 5, PC) – Bloober Team is rebuilding this survival horror classic with modern visuals while keeping the psychological horror that made it special.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Multi-platform) – The realistic medieval RPG returns with a bigger world and the same attention to historical detail.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra (PlayStation 5, PC) – Captain America and Black Panther team up in World War II, developed by Amy Hennig (who directed the Uncharted games).
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Xbox Series X|S, PC) – The long-awaited return to Chernobyl, made by a Ukrainian studio working under incredibly difficult circumstances.
Little Nightmares III (Multi-platform) – The creepy puzzle-platformer series adds co-op gameplay for the first time.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – Team Cherry’s metroidvania sequel that we’ve all been waiting for… whenever it actually releases.
What This All Means for Gaming
Why Games Take So Long Now
Here’s something worth understanding: games used to take 3-5 years to make. Now, many of these titles have been in development for 7-10 years or more. Why?
Games are way more complex now. Teams are bigger. Technology is more complicated. The pandemic disrupted everything. And honestly, expectations are so high that studios feel they need more time to polish everything.
The downside? Studios are betting massive amounts of money on single games. When it works (like with GTA V), the returns are incredible. When it fails (like Anthem or Cyberpunk at launch), it’s catastrophic.
The Console Generation Question
Here’s an interesting timing issue: many of these games are releasing late in the PS5/Xbox Series X|S generation. Console generations usually last 6-7 years, so by late 2025 and 2026, people will already be talking about what’s next.
This creates a dilemma for developers. Do they make games specifically for current consoles and optimize the heck out of them? Or do they plan ahead for whatever comes next, potentially sacrificing some performance now? Different studios are handling this differently.
Everyone’s Using the Same Engine
A lot of studios are switching to Unreal Engine 5, including CD Projekt Red for the new Witcher games. This has pros and cons.
Pros: Shared knowledge, amazing tools, proven technology, and Epic keeps improving the engine.
Cons: When everyone uses the same engine, games might start looking or feeling similar. Standing out becomes harder.
Cross-Platform Is the New Normal
Most big games now release on multiple platforms (unless they’re exclusive first-party titles for Xbox or PlayStation). This makes sense—games cost so much to make that studios need to reach as many players as possible.
The days of most games being exclusive to one platform are largely over, except for stuff Sony or Microsoft make themselves to sell their consoles.
Managing Your Expectations
Here’s the thing: some of these games will be amazing. Some will be good. And some will disappoint.
Games get announced early in development, and hype builds over years. By the time they release, expectations are so high that even a great game might feel disappointing compared to what you imagined.
When GTA VI’s CEO says it’ll be “the most extraordinary title anyone’s ever seen in the history of entertainment,” that creates massive pressure. Anything less than perfection will feel like a letdown to some people, even if it’s still a fantastic game.
The healthiest approach? Be excited, but remember that not every game will be a masterpiece. The industry will have its wins and losses, and that’s normal.
The Bottom Line
The 2025-2026 period represents gaming at a crossroads. The industry has evolved toward massive budgets, long development times, and huge technical ambitions. These releases will show whether that approach pays off or needs rethinking.
For you as a player, this means nearly a decade of technological advancement and creative work is about to pay off in a flood of major releases. Whether these games meet your expectations or not, they represent a massive investment in gaming as an art form and entertainment medium.
Some will arrive later than promised—GTA VI already proved that. But when they do arrive, they’ll define what this console generation accomplished and set the bar for whatever comes next.
So get ready. Clear your calendar. Start saving up. The next two years are going to be wild for gaming.
