If you need to know the release dates of the best new games 2021 and beyond has in the pipeline, then you've come to exactly the right place. We've gathered all of the video game release dates for upcoming titles and DLC on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch in this useful reference list, so you don't have to go searching anywhere else. Are you ready to hit the toy tracks at tremendous speeds in Hot Wheels Unleashed?
Or would you prefer to kick off another season on the pitch with FIFA 22? If you said yes to either of those then we have great news, as both are coming out this week. No matter what upcoming games you've got on your wishlist, you'll find them all listed here along with their release formats and the exact date you can start playing them. Video games based on Marvel Comics characters have a nearly 40-year history, and at least two more Marvel-based games are scheduled for release this year. The structure of Marvel game launches has changed considerably as the gaming market evolves.
The days of every comic book film adaptation receiving a tie-in video game are in the past, as are the frequent releases of simple side-scrolling games featuring Marvel characters that were produced during the 16-bit era. More Marvel titles are being released for mobile devices today, with console games taking a more selective approach. He lives with his wife, three dogs, and a likely excessive number of video game consoles. When he is not writing, playing video games, watching movies or television, or reading novels or comic books, he occasionally takes some time to sleep. Derek majored in journalism and worked for a print newspaper before discovering the internet.
He is a fan of science fiction and fantasy, video game and tabletop RPGs, classic Hong Kong action movies, and graphic novels. After being immersed in nerd culture for many years, Derek is now happy to write about the media he enjoys instead of just ranting to his friends. It's been a long road for the next installment in the Rainbow Six series. The shooter was originally scheduled to launch in the holiday 2020 season. At the time, it was titled Rainbow Six Quarantine — a title that quickly became awkward as the pandemic forced the world into lockdown. We wouldn't see the game again until E3 2021, where Ubisoft gave it a grand reveal.
The newly named Rainbow Six Extraction was set to be a big fall release, landing on September 16. Just one month later, Ubisoft shockingly delayed the game to January 2022, pushing it over a year past its original launch window. The 2021 video game release schedule is brimming with potential, and gamers everywhere sit in anticipation of the next groundbreaking title, classic remaster or nostalgic remake. The promise held by this year's roster is brilliant, but it isn't always easy to stay on top of what's happening. To help you make sure you find your next favourite adventure as soon and as easily as possible, here's a list of the most important video game releases for the next few months.
We finally got a release date at E3 2021, and 12 Minutes is set to hit PC and Xbox consoles on August 19. Its time-loop narrative structure and entrancing visuals have made this little indie point-and-click adventure one of the most anticipated games since it was first unveiled back in 2019. In top-down perspective, you play a man who must learn the secret to a terrible series of events that befall him in the tiny span of 12 minutes. Reliving that short time over and over, you've got to help him resolve things, and free him from his temporal prison.
It's weird, it's dark, and it's a game that is shaping up to be a must-play in 2021. Deathloopmight be one of the most-anticipated September video game releases after being pushed back a handful of times. Centered around an assassin stuck in a time loop, this mystery is set to release on PlayStation 5 and PC. In some major video game series, key gameplay elements differ significantly from one entry to another.
"Final Fantasy 10," for example, is a turn-based fantasy RPG, whereas the combat in "Final Fantasy 15" takes place in real-time and people drive cars. In virtually every mainline "Mario" game, meanwhile, Mario can jump and will get bigger after eating a mushroom. Like "Mario," the "Monster Hunter" games continue to reel in massive amounts of players by iterating only in minor ways upon the formula long since established in and gradually improved upon over the course of prior entries.
In the video game industry, 2021 is expected to see the release of many new video games. The numerous delays in software and hardware releases due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted development schedules, leading to many games being delayed into this year or indefinitely. Additionally, computer and console hardware was impacted by the combined effects of semiconductor shortage (partially from post-COVID-19 effects) and a rising growth of bitcoin mining that strained the supply of critical components. Deathloop takes place within a time loop that keeps repeating unless your assassin lead can take out eight targets - but there's also a rival assassin on the island looking to muck up your plan.
You can even control her and hop into other random online players' games to play spoiler. It has been delayed from its planned May launch, but we say take all thetimeyou need to get this upcoming game absolutely right. Since the very beginning of the year, seemingly no title has been safe from a dreaded delay, as some of the year's biggest games move further down the line or to next year. That's led to a much slimmer release schedule than fans initially expected heading into what was projecting as an exciting year for gaming.
Here's a roundup of all the major video game delays that have happened so far. After nearly 20 years, Metroid fans will finally be able to play a new 2D entry in October with the release ofMetroid Dread -- a game that was long thought to be dead before it was announced during Nintendo's E Direct. Dread is set to be the conclusion of the series' main storyand will see Samus exploring the planet ZDR while trying to escape the terrifying EMMI robots. It will add stealth to the expected and iconic Metroid gameplay as Samus hides from the near-indestructible machines.
Metroid Dread will release alongside two new amiibothe provide potentially game-breaking benefits. After a busy Septemberthat included hits like Deathloop and Tales of Arise, October 2021 is continuing the trend of major fall video game releases. From major remasters to new entries in beloved franchises and beyond, this month is packed with exciting new releases for all major platforms. Existing in the barely explored realms that lie between the visual novel, interactive fiction, and RPGs, Scarlet Hollow is a slow-burn horror adventure set in the backwoods of South Carolina. Arriving in town to attend an estranged aunt's funeral, you slowly find yourself embroiled in a peculiar tale of suspicious locals, family rivalries, and unnerving nighttime creatures.
What's so impressive here isn't just the stunning writing and meticulous illustration by comic creator Abby Howard, but the degree of variety on offer. How you experience so much of the story is based on the special skills you choose at the start—you might be extremely attractive or strong, "mystical" or able to talk to animals. Then there are all the dialogue choices you make, the way you behave to certain people, and decisions you make that determine if certain characters live or die. Two chapters are out now, from a total of seven that will release between now and 2023. Developers Black Tabby Games are showing Inkle (Sorcery!, Heaven's Vault) levels of skill here, with a spooky story that'll pull you deep in. July isn't the busiest month for new video game releases, but there are a couple of big titles heading our way, along with a bunch of smaller indie game that look really interesting.
All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. The "Life Is Strange" series has become one of the closest things the video game medium has to a recurring soap opera. While each entry brings new characters and storylines, the games often explore social and cultural dynamics with more than a tinge of melancholy.
"True Colors" looks to continue that as we play the character of Alex Chen, who uses her supernatural abilities — the ability to see into and manipulate others' minds — to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her brother. Built from the ground up for the next generation of gaming, NBA 2K21 for PlayStation 5 is the latest title in the world-renowned, best-selling NBA 2K series and delivers an industry-leading sports video game experience. For fans of the Five Nights at Freddy's series, the road to the upcoming Security Breach has been a long one. The horror game was originally supposed to launch in late 2020, but it was quietly pushed to early 2021.
Four months into the year and we hadn't heard a peep about a release date. Now creator Scott Cawthorn has confirmed that the game is moving to late 2021, putting it a full year out from its original launch window. Cawthorn notes that the game's scale has ballooned during the development process and it requires more time and money to complete. Not even Amazon is immune from the current game delay wave, though that may have less to do with COVID-19 than it does for other games on this list. The company has been trying to break into gaming for quite some time now, with weak results. Its free-to-play multiplayer game Cruciblehad a particularly rocky life span after it was put back into beta and then outright canceled.
Originally scheduled to launch this spring, the game was pushed back to August 31 and then delayed again to September 28. Amazon says the decision was made to ensure the game had a proper endgame when it launched, so it's likely the studio is trying to avoid the same pitfalls games that Marvel's Avengers hit at launch. This isn't the busiest time of year for video game releases, but there are still some fun releases to keep you occupied. Gamers looking for a new party game to enjoy with friends can look forward to Mario Party Superstars, which brings back five maps from the Nintendo 64 era games.
Those who prefer to focus on mini-games choose "Mt. Minigames," a new mode that allows players to experience the game in a new way. Unlike Super Mario Party, all of Superstars' modes will be available to play online at launch, and the game supports button controls rather than relying on the Joy Con. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers A one-stop shop for all things video games. October might be the biggest month for first-person shooters in recent memory, and Far Cry 6 kicks it off with a bang. The exploratory open-ended sandbox series allows players to tackle adventures with a level of freedom that few franchises can. This time, players will be going against the chilling, oppressive dictator Anton Castillo - played by Giancarlo Esposito.
The Far Cry games have become staple shooters for countless fans, and it is likely that Far Cry 6 will be a huge game this fall and holiday season. Technically, fall this year begins on Sept. 22, the autumnal equinox. But since this is the busiest time of year for game releases, as publishers and developers fight for dominance in the run-up to the holidays, it only seems right to begin our list of the biggest games of the season early in the month. August looks to be one of the better summer months for new video game releases, headlined by a number of indie game launches, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, and Civ-like Humankind.
The past few years have seen a variety of approaches to Marvel-licensed games. Telltale Games produced a Guardians of the Galaxy game in their signature branching story style. The Marvel vs Capcom and Marvel Ultimate Alliance franchises received sequels after several years of dormancy. The Spider-Man titles from Insomniac Games received critical acclaim, and Iron Man VR became the first virtual reality Marvel game. The Marvel universe MMORPG Marvel Heroes was shut down, and the live-service titleMarvel's Avengers, from publisher Square Enix, stepped in to fill the gap, supported by extensive expansions like War For Wakanda. A number of Lego games based on Marvel characters have been released as well, offering simple, child-friendly takes on the beloved characters.
This new platformer isn't just a remaster of the previous Lego Star Wars games - it promises hundreds of different characters and different levels throughout. It's being pitched as a brand-new Lego video game unlike any other with fun-filled adventures and plenty of humour too. Central to the game is Alphen's relationship with Shionne (a member of the race who have enslaved Alphen's people), and together they must work to overthrow evil.
Plot-wise, it's fairly standard JRPG territory, although Tales of Arise does touch on some pertinent themes, including the violent effects of colonialism on indigenous peoples. In the gaming medium, trailers can oftentimes be deceptive, but that doesn't mean there isn't cause for excitement about the litany of teasers and information drops surrounding upcoming titles. Here's a rundown of some of the most anticipated video games that are slated to publish throughout the rest of the year.
Gotham Knights was originally scheduled to launch sometime in 2021, but many fans predicted that a delay was inevitable. So it's not surprising that the next big Batman game has been pushed to 2022. Warner Bros. casually announced the game's new launch window with a generic message about giving the game more development time. At this point, it's more shocking when major studio games release on time, rather than when they don't.
While it was originally scheduled for a 2020 launch alongside the Xbox Series X debut, Microsoft delayed Halo Infiniteindefinitely. We now know that the company is planning for a fall 2021 launch, putting it a full year out from its original release plan. Like many games on this list, it's not fully clear if the pandemic has been a key factor in Halo's delay. While companies like Ubisoft have been transparent about the struggles of work from home, others are a bit more tight-lipped about why the schedule shake-ups are happening.
Whatever the case may be, Halo Infinite's delay is the most significant to occur yet. Now, it's set to hit Xbox consoles and PC on December 8, barring any additional delays. The Left 4 Dead spiritual successor was supposed to launch this summer, but it has been delayed to October 12. No specific reason was cited for the move outside of the usual "need more time" note.
The good news is that the multiplayer game will get an open beta this summer. So, fortunately, players will still get a chance to play it around the time the full game was supposed to launch. Even games that are just weeks away from launching aren't safe from potential delays. Just a few weeks before grand strategy game Humankind was supposed to drop, the game was pushed back to August 17. The Civilization-like game's sudden shift sounds a little more standard than that of some of the other titles on this list. Developer Amplitude Studios simply noted that it was taking more time to respond to player feedback from a recent test.
It would take an extra few months to work on features like accessibility, A.I., and pacing. It eventually made that adjusted August 17 release date, getting positive reviews. Originally positioned as one of the big games that would launch alongside next-gen consoles in late 2020, developer People Can Fly quietly pushed it back to February 2. As 2021 got into full gear, the game got delayed once again, this time to April 1.
Before the release, players got a demo on February 25 that covered the first few hours of the full game. They offered a safe way to socialise and an escape from a novel and scary situation. But given how 2021 has gone, with its disappointments and ongoing periods of isolation and constant sense of mortal dread, perhaps video games were never going to be able to save us this time. The fact is that being into video games isn't just about playing; it's about the culture. It's meeting friends at Rezzed or EGX or Insomnia, or cosplaying at MCM, or throwing an E3 press conference party and taking a swig every time someone on stage says "awesome". Without these many moments of interpersonal hype-building, without the global drumroll of fervid anticipation, maybe even Half-Life 3 would have struggled to excite people this winter.
On the indie side, we will get cute feline adventure Mineko's Night Market and the beautiful tidying game Unpacking. People who might have never played such games in a busy year may have time to chance on something unusual in 2021. Coming out right around the time COVID-19 restrictions were starting to wind down, It Takes Two offers a welcome opportunity to spend quality time with a partner or friend from the comfort of your own homes. Living up to its title, the game is a two-player-only experience in which each player takes the side of a couple headed for divorce. That might sound grim — but from that premise, the game spins out a sunny, whimsical puzzle platformer in which both players must work together to advance.
It's a clever metaphor for what two people can do in harmony, and a pleasant way to connect with someone either on your couch or thousands of miles away. Between franchises such as God of War, Gran Turismo, Horizon, Pokemon, and Harry Potter, the PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC, and Stadia have some mammoth titles to host. Here's an extensive look into the biggest games and potential release dates too. "Narita Boy" plays with the Metroidvania genre, crafting an interesting game-within-a-game story that pairs well with the game's retro graphics. Pixels combine with hand-drawn animation for a memorable visual experience that gives "Narita Boy" a distinct feel, recalling the 1980s video game era perfectly. "Narita Boy" even won an award at the Unity Showcase Awards in 2021 for its beautiful 2D visuals.
