Starring Dwayne Johnson alongside Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader, it’s one of the year’s most anticipated dramas. Directed, written, and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle after Another will be his 10th narrative feature and the first to be released in IMAX. The top 10 movies film, which is his most expensive film to date, is reportedly a modern update of the Thomas Pynchon novel Vineland. Sydney Sweeney returns to the big screen, this time in mystery-thriller Americana. Directed by Tony Tost, the film centers around a small South Dakota town where numerous people find their lives intertwined in a death match while fighting over an expensive artifact.
It’s an experience in every sense of the word, but the actual puzzle gameplay is just as strong as ever, even introducing a new mechanic called Burst – letting you wipe out entire rows of blocks all at once. Mina the Hollower is easily one of the most exciting releases of the year, as the first new property from Yacht Club Games since Shovel Knight. This 2D RPG looks like it’ll reimagine a classic genre just as brilliantly as Shovel Knight, this time fusing elements of The Legend of Zelda and Bloodborne. With the advent of Soulslikes, it feels like we really lost the high-octane character action game – but Ninja Gaiden 4 might change that. After over a decade, the brilliantly bloody ninja series is telling a new story, and it looks every bit as intense and adrenaline-pumping as you could want.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to be the biggest entertainment release of the decade. Little is known about what Rockstar has planned, although an early look at GTA 6 indicates that we’re in for Bonnie and Clyde-inspired crime caper with two leading protagonists. GTA 6 will be closely guarded secret throughout the year, but once Rockstar is ready to reveal its work you should expect the first gameplay reveal to be a seismic event for gaming. Another most wanted title for 2025, Little Nightmares 3 is an upcoming horror game for the cute yet creepy folks out there.
Seeing as this is a Guadagnino picture, it’s likely to be much more messy than that. The “live-action” Lion King (which was 100 percent computer-generated and not actually live action, to be clear) is getting a prequel that will explore the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa. James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original Lion King and the remake, will not voice this younger version of Mufasa, and instead Aaron Pierre will play the character.
Dying Light: The Beast
Final Fantasy Tactics was a pivotal strategy RPG on the PlayStation, and it remains one of the best-written games ever created. After years of clamoring for some kind of remaster, fans are finally getting their wishes with The Ivalice Chronicles. A semi-auto-biographical story about its creator, Consume Me, follows a young girl named Jenny as you guide her through a daily schedule.
‘A Minecraft Movie,’ April 4
World might not reinvent Mario Kart’s wheels, but it’s still as chaotically fun as ever. Gamers, while I’m sorry to say that everyone was right about Grand Theft Auto 6 not arriving in 2025, I’m also happy to announce that 2025’s slate of video games has easily made up for it. Who needs to steal a car and whip it around Vice City when Mario Kart World has rail grinding now?
‘Another Simple Favor,’ May 1 (Prime Video)
So far we’ve mostly seen boss fights, which do echo Dark Souls with deadly moves of their own and hefty health bars, but the quick clashes of blades is anything but. Encouraging staying on the offense, you’ll use twin swords to parry and stun foes, switching to a larger katana without missing a beat to slash that health bar shreds. Throughout January we are spotlighting the 50 most anticipated games of 2025 with exclusive interviews, hands-on previews, analysis, and so much more. Visit our Big in 2025 coverage hub to find all of our articles across the month. Co-op adventure Split Fiction runs players through a gauntlet of ever-changing sci-fi and fantasy levels.
Sony announced the release of Caught Stealing to replace the release of Insidious since the latter has been pushed back a year. Set in the 90s, the film is based on Charlie Huston’s book series and follows Hank Tompson (Austin Butler), a former baseball player who is thrust into a world of crime in New York City. That’s the premise of the new movie from director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name). Ostensibly, it’s about three tennis players—Tashi (Zendaya), Art (Mike Faist), and Patrick (Josh O’Connor)—who meet as teenagers and then find themselves facing off, years later, while trying to win Grand Slam titles.
The story will reportedly revolve around a grown-up Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), who has become emperor, and will see the return of Connie Nielsen as Lucilla. Another sequel to “Avatar” is also expected, following the success of previous entries in the franchise. As the year approaches, more announcements are likely to be made regarding Indian cinema productions. “Better Man,” a biopic about UK musician Robbie Williams, is set for release on January 10, 2025. The film will have a limited release on December 25, 2024, before its wider release. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” brings Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps back to the big screen.
Set in the far-flung future in a downtrodden corner of the galaxy, Citizen Sleeper 2 asks players to manage a crew of misfits on difficult, dubiously legal jobs, adding a whole new layer of challenge. If its demo last year is anything to go by, Citizen Sleeper 2 still packs an incredible narrative punch along with its more finely honed dice system. The debut title from Sandfall Interactive is an ambitious RPG that is already turning heads for Game of the Year consideration. The game contains turn-based, party-based combat with light real-time elements (think closer to Earthbound than Final Fantasy VII Remake) and a dark-fantasy setting inspired by French Revolutionary imagery. Plus, it reminds us of those classic Nintendo RPGs—like Paper Mario for adults. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing.
As part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), The Fantastic Four has been highly anticipated by Marvel fans for years. The casting of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach has further fueled excitement, with many eager to see how this iconic team is integrated into the MCU’s larger narrative. Wylde Society is set on the island of Fairhaven at the turn of the 20th century and is a prequel to the 2022 cozy life-sim Wylde Flowers, from developer Studio Drydock. And like its successor, this upcoming game will feature magical aspects and witchy things.
Ghost of Yōtei is a whole new story set hundreds of years after Ghost of Tsushima. Splitting the action between two protagonists is a major change for Assassin’s Creed. So far, here’s every game no longer releasing in 2025 or confirmed for 2026 and beyond. It’s a schedule that, in the best and worst ways, looks to keep the pace of more frantic years like 2023—that summer we all ping-ponged wildly between Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and Diablo 4.
Sydney Sweeney stars as a struggling woman who finds work as a housemaid for an affluent couple (Amanda Seyfried and It Ends with Us‘ Brandon Sklenar), only to discover her new employers may harbor some dark secrets. Edgar Wright brings us a new adaptation of the Stephen King sci-fi novel, which first made it onto the big screen in the form of an Arnold Schwarzenegger action extravaganza in 1987. Set to release this Fall, The Smashing Machine follows MMA legend Mark Kerr as he rises to fame while battling intense personal struggles. Directed by Benny Safdie, the film promises a raw, emotional look into the cost of greatness.