If you have a stack of leftover games from 2019, you better start finishing them soon, because 2020 is bringing several enormous new releases, despite all eyes being on the holiday season when the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will launch. New entries in long-running franchises will launch, including some that we haven’t seen in over a decade, and completely original games will also release from major studios. We suggest you start saving your money because your wallet is in for some pain. These are our most anticipated games of 2020.
Recommended reading:
- Every confirmed and rumored Xbox Series X game so far
- Every confirmed and rumored PS5 game so far
- Xbox Series X vs. PS5
August
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PC, PS4 — August 4)
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout could very well be the next big thing, giving you insane 60-player online multiplayer action that throws you through challenging obstacle courses. Interestingly, this game is launching as a PS Plus game this month, similar to Rocket League in 2015, so Fall Guys will have a large audience right from the start. And with a game focusing on multiplayer, having people available to play it is essential. Based on its previews and our time with it at E3 2019, Fall Guys is shaping up to be a blast.
Battletoads (Xbox One, PC — August 20)
Can you believe it? We’re getting a new Battletoads game in 2020, and it looks like it’s bringing us classic beat ’em up action with new visuals. It will serve as a reboot of the series, with developer Dlala Studios (under supervision of Rare) at the helm. You can expect three-player couch co-op play and lots of different gameplay styles, such as traditional 2D platforming, action, and some shooting elements. Let’s hope its keeps the essence of what makes Battletoads challenging while being fair to newcomers.
Madden NFL 21 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Stadia — August 28)
Each year, we get a new Madden NFL game, and each year, it becomes one the bestselling games. Madden NFL 21 will be coming soon, boasting its Skill Stick control scheme to allow players to use the right stick to have more control when evading other players while on offense. Defense will be getting a boost as well, giving us new ways to tackle while making the gameplay feel more balanced. It will also be getting a next-generation version, though it’s unclear when. What we do know is that players will be able to upgrade to the Xbox Series X and PS5 versions for free.
September
Marvel’s Avengers (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia — September 4)
An action-adventure game starring the Avengers, including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and more, Marvel’s Avengers is set after a tragic event led to the organization being disbanded, but a new threat necessitates its revival. It will focus on linear, narrative-driven gameplay as part of the single-player component. Alongside traditional campaign content, there will also be a live service element that supports cooperative play.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC — September 4)
Reliving games from our childhoods is a new trend with video games, and the next one is a collection many are excited for. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will contain remakes of the two original games from the PS1 era, in one complete package. Somehow, Activision managed to secure most of the songs from the beloved games, as well as a full roster of skaters for us to enjoy. Don’t forget to pre-order to gain access to the nostalgic Warehouse Demo — available on August 14th.
October
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (PS4, Xbox One, PC — October 2)
Speaking of reliving our childhoods, Crash is back in an all-new sequel titled Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Considering the success of the N. Sane Trilogy and Nitro-Fueled, it was only a matter of time to see a proper follow-up like this one. It’s About Time sends players on a platforming adventure to prevent Cortex and company from causing chaos. It’s a story you’d expect, but there’s still massive hype for it, and we’ll get to play it later this year.
Star Wars: Squadrons (PS4, Xbox One, PC — October 2)
EA has had the Star Wars video game rights for some time now, but some might argue the company’s output has been lackluster. That might change with the upcoming Star Wars: Squadrons, as it looks to be an absolute blast. In it, we’ll get to enjoy a proper single-player campaign, in which you can play from the perspective of both the Empire and the Republic as you partake in thrilling dogfights in space. Then, once you’re ready, you can hop online to battle it out against real players. The entire game will be playable in VR, which is a huge selling point for many fans.
Watch Dogs: Legion (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia, PS5, Xbox Series X — October 29)
Watch Dogs: Legion isn’t just a simple third game, but rather a full reimagining of what is possible in the Watch Dogs universe. Set in London, Legion doesn’t have a protagonist. Instead, you can play as literally anyone you meet in the open world, ranging from brawling street thugs to grandmothers with a knack for hacking. If they die once, they’re gone for good, and you then move on to play as a different character. This wildly ambitious concept is being led by director Clint Hocking, who has acclaimed games like Far Cry 2 and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory on his resume already.
November
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC — November 13)
Yes, we got Shenmue III at long last in 2019, but Sega’s Yakuza series effectively replaced it with a better alternative years ago. In the latest game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the development team is taking a huge risk by switching the combat to a turn-based role-playing style, and despite it seeming like a weird fit in a series known for brawling, the goofiness and charm of Yakuza looks like it will still shine through completely. What won’t change are the great characters and storytelling we expect from Yakuza, and we expect a ton of bizarre mini-games, as always.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS, Stadia — November 17)
Ubisoft is usually on board for the launch of a new system — this time, coming out swinging with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It will take place in the age of the Vikings and allow players to take on the role of a male or female, much like previous installments. Valhalla is reportedly less “bloated” than Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, though to what extent is unknown. It will still feature the action RPG mechanics from recent entries, but do so with a new theme and setting later this year.
Cyberpunk 2077 (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia — November 19)
Breathtaking? We’ll see! CD Projekt RED is best known for its Witcher trilogy of games, but it’s venturing into brand-new territory with Cyberpunk 2077. An adaptation of the Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game, Cyberpunk 2077 shifts to a first-person perspective and throws us into a stunning futuristic world, loading with missions to complete and story choices to make. At your side is a digitized Keanu Reeves, but even without John Wick himself, we’re pretty sure we’d still be losing hundreds of hours in this one.
Unscheduled
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
As revealed during Sony’s recent PS5 showcase, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a stand-alone adventure that takes place in the same universe as 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. While there’s a lot we don’t know about it, we do know it stars Miles Morales, who — in the comics — takes on the role of Spider-Man after being trained by Peter Parker. It’s supposed to be a smaller-scale release, akin to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and is due out this holiday, likely in time for the PS5’s release.
Dying Light 2 (Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X)
Techland’s Dying Light 2 looks drastically different from the original game, with a changing world and more sophisticated storytelling layered on top of its unique parkour-meets-zombie-killing gameplay. With an emphasis on player choices, Dying Light 2 is aiming for complexity, which might explain why its release date has been pushed back so many times. If the studio can pull it off, it could just be one of the best games of the entire year.
Halo Infinite (Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X)
343 Industries needs to revive Halo in a big way, with Halo 5: Guardians failing to reinvigorate a franchise that has been on the decline since original developer Bungie left it nearly a decade ago. With Halo Infinite, that just might be possible, as the studio is focusing on Master Chief in a large-scale science-fiction shooter adventure that seems to better grasp why players fell in love with Halo all those years ago. Cross-play support and a powerful new engine should also help to show off the next Xbox system’s technical prowess, as well.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC)
The Star Wars films have been adapted into several video games over the years, but they’re split across multiple systems and some of them have not aged particularly well. With Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, every mainline film will be adapted into an enormous, sprawling video game that acts as a perfect companion piece to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s sure to keep the Lego series’ classic humor intact, however, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Zombie-shooting action in a Tom Clancy game? That sounds like an odd fit, but it’s what Ubisoft is doing with the cooperative Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine. Rather than make a sequel to the competitive multiplayer game Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft’s latest shooter pits the world’s elite operatives against infected humans with alien parasites, so you’ll need to learn all-new tactics and strategies to take them down. It’s a far cry from the Rainbow Six of old, but it’s nothing if not surprising.
SkateBIRD (Switch, PC)
Move over Skate and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, because there is a new shredding expert on the scene. In SkateBIRD, you are a bored pet bird who must entertain themselves in your owner’s home with a variety of objects like straws and staplers. With your tiny, adorable skateboard, you can become the next extreme sports legend, and you can even attract your birds to visit your makeshift park. It’s all backed up by a bumping “bird-hop” soundtrack, and you can even collect little outfits for your bird to wear while they’re grinding the rails and doing manuals on kitchen tables.
Deathloop (PS5, PC)
From the talented team at Arkane Studios comes a new fast-paced shooter, Deathloop. Imagine if Groundhog Day, Dishonored, and Hotline Miami all had a baby. That’s Deathloop. In it, you’re stuck in a time loop with the goal of taking out your target however necessary. You’ll have access to an arsenal of weapons and will be able to run, jump, and attack enemies using stealth or approach things head-on using parkour. It’s a timed PS5 exclusive, though it’s unknown when it’ll come to other platforms.
Bravely Default II (Switch)
Confusingly, Bravely Default II is the third game in the series, but it will not be a direct follow-up to the original. Instead, it will feature a new cast of characters and story, but will include the same turn-based gameplay you know and love — with a few adjustments, of course. It seems like it’s aiming to be a lot more challenging than the first two games, at least based on what we got to play during its demo (which is available to download for free right now). Nintendo said this will be headed to Switch sometime in 2020, though we haven’t gotten an update in quite some time.
