With 2025 and 2026 promising a flood of big-budget titles, sequels, remasters, and bold new IPs, gaming enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to. From long-awaited franchises like Grand Theft Auto VI and Borderlands 4 to inventive indies and cinematic RPGs, here’s a curated guide to the most significant upcoming releases, categorized by release window and genre.

Spring–Summer 2025: The Action Begins

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows arrives on March 20, 2025, transporting players to feudal Japan. Featuring dual protagonists—a female shinobi named Naoe and samurai Yasuke—it promises open-world stealth, reactive environments, and dynamic weather systems .

Doom: The Dark Ages, a prequel set in a techno-medieval era, launches on May 15, 2025, across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It delves into the origin story of the Doom Slayer, complete with new melee weaponry and Game Pass day‑one access .

Avowed, Obsidian’s fantasy RPG, is due on February 18, 2025, for Xbox and PC. Based in the Pillars of Eternity universe, it blends first- and third-person combat, magic, and companions .

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, continuing the historical open-world RPG trilogy, debuts on February 11, 2025, expanding medieval Bohemia with early firearms and deeper narrative .

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the long-awaited fighting game revival, rolls in on April 24, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S .

Dune: Awakening, a survival MMO set on Arrakis, enters early 2025 on PC, capitalizing on the spice-fueled cinematics .

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remakes the beloved classic, while Borderlands 4 storms in on September 12, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, and later on Nintendo Switch 2 .

Highlights of Late 2025

Borderlands 4, released September 12, continues the looter‑shooter legacy on new planet Kairos, boasting seamless environments, vehicles, and cooperative gameplay .

Grand Theft Auto VI is set for May 26, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, unfolding in a modern Vice City with protagonists Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval . Although some sources hinted at a fall 2025 release, the confirmed date is May 26, 2026 reeditionmagazine.com+5en.wikipedia.org+5tomsguide.com+5.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Kojima's surreal sequel, premieres in mid‑2025 (likely Q4) on PS5, expanding the strangled baby‑shipping simulator universe .

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, debuting in 2025 on Nintendo Switch (or Switch 2), promises atmospheric exploration, puzzles, and combat with Samus Aran .

Monster Hunter Wilds, launching in 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, is anticipated to bring expansive co-op hunting in evolving environments .

Fable 4, a long-awaited RPG reboot by Playground Games, is expected late 2025 on Xbox and PC, bringing choice-driven fantasy back to Albion .

Additionally, Civilization VII, the next strategy juggernaut, is scheduled for 2025, though the precise date remains TBD los40.com+6digitalmarketnews.com+6gamerant.com+6.

Indie Standouts: Art & Innovation

Day‑of‑the‑Devs at SGF 2025 showcased several indie gems:

• Toem 2, a heartfelt photography adventure
  
  

• Snap and Grab, ’80s heist with camera‑driven planning
  
  

• Mixtape, coming‑of‑age with nostalgic tunes and storytelling
  
  

• Sword of the Sea from Journey’s art director, launching August 19, 2025 en.wikipedia.org+7gamesradar.com+7tomsguide.com+7
  
  

Also featured: avant-garde titles like Neverway, blending life‑sim and horror the-independent.com+15gamesradar.com+15tomsguide.com+15.

New IP and Unexpected Surprises

Recent reveals include:

• High on Life 2 (Winter 2025) — absurd shooter sequel on Xbox and PC addictivetips.com+14polygon.com+14tomsguide.com+14.
  
  

• The Outer Worlds 2 (October 29, 2025) — Obsidian’s RPG sequel on PS5, Xbox, and PC the-independent.com+11as.com+11windowscentral.com+11.
  
  

• Keeper (October 17, 2025) — narrative-driven “walking lighthouse” adventure by Double Fine on Xbox and PC theverge.com+1reeditionmagazine.com+1.
  
  

• Ambrosia Sky — sci-fi water-gun exploration without confirmed date polygon.com.
  
  

• High-profile remasters like Gears of War: Reloaded (August 26, 2025) and Grand Theft Auto VI, plus Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 (July 11, 2025) theverge.com+1windowscentral.com+1.
  
  

2026: The Road Ahead

The next year brings several heavy-hitters:

• Gears of War: E‑Day, a prequel scheduled for 2026, explores the first Locust emergence on Sera theverge.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
  
  

• Resident Evil Requiem (RE9), releasing February 27, 2026, presents a new horror chapter starring FBI agent Grace Ashcroft en.wikipedia.org+1windowscentral.com+1.
  
  

• Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, set in WWII‑era Paris with Captain America and Black Panther, arrives early 2026 en.wikipedia.org+1gamerant.com+1.
  
  

• The Elder Scrolls VI, still in development for Xbox and PC, is anticipated 2026 or later en.wikipedia.org.
  
  

Indie cross‑media entries like Wu‑Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, an action RPG tied to RZA’s film Angel of Dust, have been announced for 2026 or beyond ew.com.

Genre Diversity — Something for Everyone

The upcoming slate spans many genres:

AAA Action & Open‑World RPGs

• GTA VI, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Elder Scrolls VI, Fable 4
  
  

Shooters & Co‑op Looters

• Doom: The Dark Ages, Borderlands 4, High on Life 2, Gears of War: E-Day
  
  

Atmospheric & Narrative Titles

• Death Stranding 2, Keeper, Ambrosia Sky, Ghost of Yōtei (October 2, 2025) polygon.comgamerant.com+7the-independent.com+7digitalmarketnews.com+7polygon.com+3digitalmarketnews.com+3indiatimes.com+3
  
  

Strategy & Spine‑Tickling Indie Games

• Civilization VII, Avowed, fusion indie experiences like Mixtape and Sword of the Sea
  
  

What This Means for Gamers

The packed release calendar shows a balancing act between massive franchises and creative ventures. With titles spanning from blockbuster spectacles to intimate narrative journeys, 2025–26 stands out as a golden age for gaming diversity.

A number of titles also target exclusive ecosystems:

• Xbox/PC and Game Pass (Avowed, Borderlands 4)
  
  

• PlayStation 5 exclusives and narratives (Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei)
  
  

• Cross‑platform collaborations and indie darling support
  
  

Final Words

As gamers, we’re entering a fertile period of gaming: blockbuster sequels, introspective tales, evolutionary RPGs, and boundary-pushing indies await. Whether you're diving into the next Doom, exploring Japan in Assassin’s Creed, stepping into the surreal with Keeper or Death Stranding 2, or waiting for GTA VI, the next two years promise unforgettable experiences.

Stay tuned as release dates firm up and more gameplay reveals emerge—and be ready to map your gaming journey through this golden era.