2024 was a little bit of a bumpy street for PlayStation. Issues began out nicely with the shock success of Helldivers 2, the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and the slick motion duo of Stellar Blade and Black Myth: Wukong. However issues took a downward flip in the summertime due to Concord’s (failure to) launch. The doomed hero shooter and subsequent closing of developer Firewalk Studios was definitely a low level for Sony, even when a pleasant little robotic did his greatest to brighten the temper within the unbelievable Astro Bot. Since then we’ve seen the arrival of the PS5 Pro, an much more highly effective PlayStation 5 console that comes at an eye-wateringly premium worth and has been met with a combined reception. However with time ticking away, there’s barely time left in 2024 to dwell on PlayStation’s previous. It already looks like time to stay up for 2025.
So what does the upcoming yr have in retailer for PlayStation? With virtually all of its first-party studios maintaining playing cards near chests, chances are you’ll be mistaken for pondering issues are trying quiet. However let’s delve in deeper to see precisely what video games to anticipate for the PS5 in 2025, in addition to make a number of hopeful guesses of our personal.
The Video games We Know Are Coming
Firstly, let’s have a look at what’s scheduled to return from these all-important PlayStation Studios. Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei is definitely trying just like the headline attraction, and it’s coming to the PS5 in 2025. The sequel to 2020’s open-world samurai journey, Ghost of Tsushima, is about to be a stunner as we’re launched to each a brand new hero and Northern Japanese location. Let’s hope for some gameplay trailers early subsequent yr or in the summertime, forward of a winter launch.
There’s additionally Fairgames, the debut sport from Haven Studios. It’s a multiplayer heist shooter, and so it is going to definitely be fascinating to see what classes PlayStation has discovered from the live-service catastrophe of Harmony. First revealed in 2023, we’re but to see any gameplay, however hopefully that doesn’t imply it received’t hit its goal of a 2025 launch date.
And… these are the one PlayStation Studios video games we at present know are slated for a 2025 launch. And with no precise launch dates locked in but, we will barely plot out what to anticipate in every a part of the yr. However that isn’t to say there received’t be extra huge video games coming to the PS5 subsequent yr, although, and we will definitely theorise at what else we’d see from a few of Sony’s first-party secure.
We now know that Naughty Canine’s subsequent journey will take us to the celebrities in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. We don’t anticipate to be enjoying this in 2025, although, however we’ll fortunately eat up any extra data Neil Druckmann and the workforce desires to share about it – particularly if that features a few of that laser blade gameplay.
Marathon has quite a lot of weight resting on its shoulders, not solely as a result of it will likely be Bungie’s first full release since it was acquired by Sony, however alongside Fairgames, it will likely be PlayStation’s first huge new live-service shooter to comply with within the shortly fading footsteps of Harmony. The Destiny builders have as sturdy a shooter pedigree as anybody within the enterprise, so it is going to definitely be fascinating to see the results of its work because it goals to revive its long-dormant 90s collection as a multiplayer extraction shooter.
Might 2025 be the yr that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach emerges from its oily cocoon? Hideo Kojima was at The Sport Awards however didn’t deliver a brand new trailer with him. Unacceptable behaviour, in the event you ask me. Are we any nearer to figuring out what it’s all about? Who’s to say, however we definitely wish to play it. And the earlier we will, the earlier Kojima can transfer on to engaged on Physint, the upcoming stealth-action PlayStation unique from the Metallic Gear grasp.
As for third-party exclusives, there’s a good few to sit up for – particularly in the event you’re into huge swords. Phantom Blade Zero seems set to be a flashy hack-and-slash motion RPG from Chinese language studio S-Sport. A semi-open world samurai bloodfest with soulslike parts, it definitely doesn’t look to be missing in type. No launch date has been given as but, however let’s hope for subsequent yr.
Talking of blades, Where Winds Meet is a PS5 console-exclusive RPG set in historic China. Going down throughout the Ten Kingdoms Period, you step into the sneakers of a warrior who wields affect over warring dynasties, shaping historical past with the purpose of your sword, in addition to mystical and magical talents. Initially set for a 2024 launch earlier than being delayed so as to add much more content material to its packed, mammoth open world, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it lastly arrive inside the subsequent 12 months.
However wait, there are extra swords and even greater blades in Ballad of Antara, a free-to-play co-op motion RPG filled with a number of protagonists and intertwining tales coming to the PS5 in 2025. We’ll get a greater have a look at it quickly, with a beta promised to be on the way in which.
Suppose we’re finished with swords? Suppose once more. This subsequent sport even has one within the title: Sword of the Sea. You don’t use this one to battle with, although; as an alternative, you’ll be plonking your toes on it and using round at pace, Tony Hawk and Metaphor: ReFantazio type. From Abzû and The Pathless studio Big Squid, the reveal trailer couldn’t assist however remind us of Journey, as a mysterious cloaked character hoverswords round huge desert ruins.
One other comparatively contemporary announcement, having solely been revealed at September’s State of Play, The Midnight Walk is the subsequent sport from Misplaced in Random developer Moonhood Studios. An journey handcrafted from clay, it’s set to be one of the visually putting video games of 2025. Plus, it’s even popping out on PS VR2. Not less than somebody helps out that long-forgotten little man.
The final PS5 console unique we’re going to spotlight is a sport we wrote about precisely this time final yr in our 2024 PlayStation look-ahead. Hopefully 2025 would be the yr we lastly get to clumsily bumble our means by means of the world of Baby Steps. A PS5 console-exclusive, the workforce up from the builders behind Getting Over It and Ape Out seems equal elements agonising because it does hilarious.
Which may be it for exclusives, however there are lots extra multiplatform video games popping out in 2025 which might be set to make it a bumper yr for PlayStation gamers. Alongside the arrival of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle onto PS5, there’s Elden Ring Nightreign, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds, Mafia: The Old Country, Judas, Borderlands 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater to call however a number of. Oh, and somewhat sport known as Grand Theft Auto 6. Might be good. Who is aware of.
Hopes and Goals
Now for the enjoyable half: the part the place we get to cross our fingers and conjure up video games that don’t exist but, however perhaps will seem earlier than our eyes in 2025.
Insomniac has had a comparatively quiet yr – for a studio that places out new releases with such regularity, that’s – however comprehensible contemplating it continues to recuperate from the data breach suffered at the end of 2023. We all know that Wolverine is within the works however don’t but know precisely when it will likely be in our fingers. And, if rumours are to be believed, a Venom sport is scheduled to reach earlier than it. Whereas it might be unlikely that we’ll be enjoying both of those superhero tales inside the subsequent 12 months, we’d get a clearer image of what’s coming subsequent from the Spidey studio.
The identical might be stated for Santa Monica Studio. What’s subsequent for the God of Struggle developer is a thriller, though we do know Cory Barlog – sport director of 2018’s God of Struggle – moved on to helm a brand new undertaking in 2021 after leaving Eric Williams to fill Ragnarok’s director seat. Might we see what Barlog’s sport is in 2025?
As for different studios, can we anticipate but extra delves into the world of Horizon from Guerrilla Video games, with an online multiplayer game reportedly in development on the Amsterdam builders? And it has been a very long time since Bend launched Days Gone – virtually six complete years, actually – and the studio has hinted that it’s making another open-world adventure. Little is thought aside from that, but it surely’s secure to say we’d prefer to study extra.
The reality is, we all know little or no about what’s within the pipeline from lots of Sony’s first-party studios, so don’t be stunned if the PS5 is in for an additional comparatively quiet yr in 2025. We’d be very happy to be mistaken about that, although, and be pleasantly stunned by a flurry of reveals and releases.
Lastly, may Sony’s interest in acquiring the massive Kadokawa company (which, alongside an enormous anime portfolio, additionally owns FromSoftware) lastly lead to a Bloodborne remaster or sequel? I do know we stated these are hopes and desires… however don’t be foolish.
{Hardware} and Tech
By way of {hardware}, Sony has been very busy over the previous couple of years with the PS VR2, PlayStation Portal, and PS5 Pro all launched to various ranges of success. Consequently, we anticipate issues to be quieter on the {hardware} entrance on the subject of 2025. Nonetheless, it might be the yr that we see the PS5 Professional justify itself additional as an costly improve if video games like Ghost of Yotei and GTA 6 begin to push the bottom PlayStation 5 to its restrict. It would definitely be fascinating to see how builders embrace this new tech over the subsequent yr or so, and if we begin to see genuinely spectacular comparisons between the unique PS5 and Professional.
However whereas we anticipate precise {hardware} releases to be quiet, we’ve heard whispers that there could also be some information to share of contemporary PlayStation tech in 2025. Could we see Sony take another stab at the handheld market? Simply stick some inner storage into the Portal. I’ve no {qualifications} on the subject of {hardware} engineering, however how arduous can or not it’s, lads? In all seriousness, although, if current stories are to be believed, then perhaps we may truly see a successor to the PSP and PS Vita within the coming yr, or at the very least an announcement of 1.
Let’s be trustworthy, it’s all guesswork isn’t it? Acquired your personal theories and hopes for what we’ll see from PlayStation in 2025? Tell us within the feedback under, in addition to what you’re most excited to play.