7 Releases to Keep an Eye on in the Second Half of 2025

This year is certainly one to remember for video game fans. Some titles like Doom: The Dark Ages, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Split Fiction have already won over the community in the first few months of 2025, and there’s still a lot to come.

The idea of ​​this article is to list releases that will arrive this year, leaving us totally excited to find out if 2025 will be even more notable for great games. Check it out!

The acclaimed Borderlands franchise will finally bring its sequel to the public. Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

This looter shooter FPS known for having a chaotic and action-packed environment features billions of weapons - according to the developer itself - and will probably please lovers of frenetic gameplay with numerous combats.

A controversial point to pay attention to is the game's narrative/story, since its predecessor received some criticism in this regard. Even so, the immense amount of loot, bringing the feeling of a rich universe full of content, added to the great visual qualities, and the possibility of playing with friends means that the sequel of the franchise shouldn’t be ignored - it may even be the game that marks 2025.

Since it’s dedicated exclusively to the new generation, fans expect an even greater improvement in graphics.

ARC Raiders is the new title created by Embark Studios, the same creator of The Finals and known for having developers who worked on Battlefield.

The game portrays planet Earth in 2180, where “ARC” machines have taken over the planet while humans take refuge underground. However, many still depend on scarce resources on the surface and need to go up there to acquire them, but you’ll have to fight against these robots and other survivors who seek the same items as you.

With great expertise in shooting games and a huge success in terms of graphics - just look at the looks of The Finals -, now the Embark team ventures into a PvPvE extraction experience.

In ARC Raiders, you’ll have your character and can play on a specific map to search for items. Some of these resources can be acquired in the scenario itself, but it’s also possible to eliminate robots and other real players to steal them. You can start a game with friends, forming a squad.

The adrenaline rush caused by the fear of losing all your items if you die must be sensational. And it's no use just running around and shooting in a chaotic scenario like Borderlands. You need to be calm, position yourself, and have a winning strategy with your team to acquire as much equipment as possible and come out even stronger for the next matches.

ARC Raiders will be released on October 30th and will also be exclusive to the new generation, coming only to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X | S.

This release promises to recreate the golden age of skateboarding games on consoles. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2001) and Pro Skater 4 (2002) marked a generation on the legendary PlayStation 2, and now we’ll have this enhanced experience for the past and current generations: PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X | S, Nintendo Switch and PC will receive the new game on July 11.

Iron Galaxy will bring new skaters to the cast, including the young Rayssa Leal from Brazil, an exclusive soundtrack, and greater difficulty, while maintaining the original scenarios—of course with a graphic upgrade. All of this will make the community feel the difference of the remastered product, but without missing the original content.

Another change is that you’ll have more customization during gameplay. Missions that needed to be completed in up to two minutes can now be adjusted according to your preferences to last up to an hour, allowing you to enjoy every corner of the scenario more!

If you like this franchise, I'm sure you had a lot of fun while immersing yourself in the challenges and ambitions of the Mafia, but we still don't have much information about its past. Available from August 8th for the new generation (PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S), Mafia: The Old Country illustrates the origins of this organized crime, which began in the brutal Sicily of the 1900s.

The story portrays the life of Enzo Favara, a young man whose childhood was shaken by forced labor and the completely hostile environment of Sicily, with wars and betrayals involving the region's criminal leaders. However, Enzo accepts any fate to have a better future, in addition to proving his honor, and the plot promises to involve him in numerous deadly combats.

There’ll be everything from action-packed fights using various firearms to situations where stealth and a knife will be essential. However, developer Hangar13 doesn’t highlight major changes in gameplay, but rather an even more realistic and very faithful scenario to the time, including details that will increase your feeling of immersion.

2XKO has everything it needs to be one of the most popular titles of 2025, with updates that will keep its servers full for years to come. This fighting game isn’t only produced by Riot Games, but it’s also based on the characters from League of Legends, the game that made this developer famous.

Just because it’s based on this universe, 2XKO should receive a lot of attention when it’s released. Its fighting style, similar to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, is also attractive, with special moves exclusive to each fighter.

Some of the game's peculiarities are its cartoonish graphics and the battle in pairs. Each player selects two heroes, and you can call on the second to use a support skill or even make him your main character, giving greater dynamics to the fights.

This is the first title on the list that doesn’t yet have an official release date. The official website states that it’ll be released in 2025, but there’s no specific month or day. Like most, it’ll be exclusive to current devices: PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Nintendo fans won't be able to spend the end of 2025 without news. The company has already announced a game that marks the return of Donkey Kong for July 17, and now in 3D exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.

Here, we find Donkey Kong in the underground of a mysterious island, where he meets Pauline, a singer with surprising powers who’ll become his ally and transform the gameplay into something unique.

Donkey Kong Bananza's proposal combines 3D platforming, exploration, and action with physical combats characteristic of the franchise, as well as special abilities that use Pauline's music. Another mechanic is the interaction with a good part of the world; we’ll be able to destroy small piles of stone, dig to enter the underground, or even crash certain components of the scenery during a battle.

The journey takes place in the depths of the planet, where the duo must stop the plans of the villainous corporation VoidCo. The title also has local and online co-op mode, offering a fun experience whether playing alone or with friends.

With a revamped look and new gameplay features, Bananza modernizes the Donkey Kong franchise without losing its identity. It's an adventure that promises to please old fans and win over a new generation on Nintendo's latest console.

This information was recently acquired with the release of the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, you can watch the full video below.

Sony's main bet for 2025 is Ghost of Yotei. Thinking about further strengthening its catalog of exclusives, the game’ll arrive on October 2nd only for PlayStation 5.

Based on 17th-century Feudal Japan, Ghost of Yotei takes place 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima and tells the story of the warrior Atsu, who had a childhood traumatized by violence and now wanders the country searching for revenge against those who tormented her.

The game's setting and expected gameplay style are its strong points, but this title hasn’t escaped controversy. The two Ghost of Yotei screenwriters highlighted on the IMDb website are John Dombrow and Courtney Woods. Both worked at BioWare for years, working on projects such as Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, two games that received a lot of criticism from the community, including about the script itself.

But still, it's a game that promises to bring a great experience to fans of the Japanese setting!

The end of 2025 will be magnificent! All video game fans will have a new game to pass the time, whether they’re children or adults, Nintendo or Sony fans, everyone will probably be satisfied.

I hope these games live up to the expectations that the community has set, and I also hope you enjoyed this article! I’m available for any questions or suggestions.