Games

Upcoming New RPGs For 2025 & Beyond

Published

40 seconds ago

January 22, 2025

Role-playing games have been a staple of the gaming industry for more than three decades. Each month, the genre tends to welcome a couple of noteworthy titles, be it high-profile releases such as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Lies of P, Hogwarts Legacy, Octopath Traveler 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty or more niche projects like Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society, 8-Bit Adventures 2, and Little Witch Nobeta. There are always new RPGs on the horizon.

Due to the ambitious nature of the genre’s AAA projects, they are often announced years in advance, a practice that can result in extremely high expectations. Once the hype train gets moving, stopping it can be impossible, which has resulted in some disappointments in the past. However, when a game lives up to its potential, it is a thing of beauty. Which upcoming RPGs are the most sought-after?

Updated January 22, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The article has been updated with two upcoming role-playing games: Citizen Sleeper 2 and AI Limit.

9 JRPGs That Should Be Ported To The Nintendo Switch 2

Table of Contents

It’s high time these JRPGs received a Switch port, and with the Nintendo Switch releasing in 2025, it could be the perfect opportunity.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

A Tabletop-Inspired Sci-Fi RPG

Released: January 31, 2025
Developer(s): Jump Over the Age

Building on the novel foundation set by 2022’s Citizen Sleeper, the sequel seems set to expand on the strengths that made its predecessor such a joy to experience. Unlike most RPGs that focus on action and combat, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is all about interactivity and choice. The campaign casts players as a Sleeper trying to run a crew in the Starward Belt, all while attempting to avoid capture.

A Sleeper is a robot with a human mind.

Compared to the previous game, which was primarily set in one location, Starward Vector seems to focus heavily on managing a ship and its crew, and the setting covers different locations/hubs rather than one fixed sector. As before, dice throws will play a significant role in outcomes, and players will be able to select from a range of classes.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Ambitious Open-World Medieval RPG With A Focus On Realism

RPG

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Systems

Released: February 4, 2025
Developer(s): Advertisement

Warhorse Studios

Warhorse’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance teleports players to the Middle Ages, dropping them in a detailed and vast rendition of Central Bohemia. With slow pacing, challenging combat, and an emphasis on authenticity, the 2018 game is an impressive work of art, even if it might not appeal to everyone. The sequel will debut at the beginning of 2025, and early indications suggest that Warhorse has primarily doubled down on the original’s strengths and uniqueness.

Going by the gameplay footage shown so far, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems set to be even more immersive than its predecessor, which is no easy feat. While the first game was a slow-burn hit that gained momentum from word of mouth, the sequel seems likely to hit the ground running, especially as more hype builds in the coming months.

Avowed

Obsidian’s Next Action RPG

Systems

Released: February 18, 2025

A new Obsidian project is always a cause for celebration, and Avowed seems set to be among the developer’s most ambitious endeavors to date. While set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, the upcoming RPG should be quite a different beast. For one, Avowed is a real-time action game played either from a first or third-person perspective, which stands in stark contrast with PoE‘s isometric presentation.

Although only a few elements have been revealed so far, the RPG seems set to feature a robust magic system, along with skill trees that grant players some choice in how they build their characters (which makes sense considering Obsidian’s track record).

Obsidian has kept most of Avowed‘s story under wraps for now, only revealing that players will step into the shoes of a character who is assigned to investigate a plague. Also, companions will be part of the experience. Avowed has been delayed from 2024 to 2025, but it will hopefully be worth the wait.

The Outer Worlds 2 is also on the horizon and a very exciting prospect.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

An Action-Adventure Game With RPG Mechanics

Systems

Released: February 20, 2025

While not a turn-based RPG like the most recent mainline entries in Sega’s franchise, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii still warrants a recommendation for anyone craving a role-playing game, albeit one with beat ’em up-style action combat. For this bizarre spin-off, Goro Majima will be taking center stage, trading the yakuza life for the high seas in the process.

The Mainline Yakuza/Like A Dragon Series, Ranked

The mainline Yakuza series has some truly awesome entries. These are all of them, ranked.

Outlandish as this concept sounds, Like a Dragon has a great track record for taking unorthodox premises and running with them, incorporating the typical fantastic writing that has come to define the entire IP. Besides returning to real-time combat, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks set to allow players to piece together a crew and upgrade their ship, which they will need to do to survive battles on the sea.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Capcom’s Action Epic With RPG Elements

Systems

Released: February 28, 2025

A new Monster Hunter is always a cause for celebration, and Wilds looks primed and ready to be an impressive work of art. Capcom has confirmed that a February 2025 release is on the cards and that the game will launch on the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S; consequently, Wilds will likely have more in common with World rather than Rise since the latter was designed around the Nintendo Switch’s limitations, resulting in fairly small maps compared to its predecessor.

Now, an argument could be made that Monster Hunter exists in a unique category outside of RPGs, which is certainly fair. Still, the games always incorporate a variety of role-playing elements, and they are generally good picks for fans of the genre who want to focus on action over story.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster

A Compilation Containing Two JRPG Classics

Putting aside spin-offs, the last Suikoden games debuted in 2006, nearly two decades ago by this point. The world has gone way too long without a new mainline entry, and while a sequel does not appear to be on the horizon, Konami is at least revisiting the first two games in the form of an HD remaster compilation package.

Suikoden Protagonist, Nanami, and Joei - Trails from Zero Lloyd and co

JRPGs To Play While You Wait For Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster

With Suikoden 1 & 2 getting a remaster in 2023, we take a look at JRPGs for fans to play while they wait.

Now, the revealed improvements and changes are fairly ordinary, mostly focusing on improved backgrounds, animations, and basic quality-of-life adjustments like auto-save and a fast-forward for battles. This package seems set to play things safe and mostly just preserve the base games. Fortunately, Suikoden and its sequel are timeless masterpieces.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

Action RPG With Mecha

Systems

Nintendo has been leaning a bit heavily on remakes and remasters in the last few years, but the games themselves are still exciting. With the arrival of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, all the mainline entries in the series will now be available on the Nintendo Switch, making the hybrid console the definitive way to experience Monolith Soft’s fantastic franchise.

A spin-off confined to the Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X tends to not receive quite as much love as its numbered brethren, which is a shame as it has arguably one of the best combat systems in the series. Even in 2015, the game’s open-world and visuals were very impressive, and the Definitive Edition seems to come with a notable upgrade. Nintendo even mentioned new story content.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Stealth Action-Adventure RPG

Systems

While not everyone loved the shift, Assassin’s Creed has been steadily implementing more RPG elements since Origins, with Mirage being an exception. Ubisoft’s upcoming entry, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, looks set to continue this trend, at least according to comments made in this Xbox interview by its Game Director, Charles Benoit. Set in Feudal Japan, this project will feature two protagonists, a shinobi named Naoe and a samurai called Yasuke. Except for certain missions, players will be able to swap between these characters on the fly, and they have unique skills, weapons, and playstyles.

Every Assassin’s Creed game is a big deal, but Shadows appears to be attracting more hype than usual. Part of that has to do with the setting, as fans have been craving a Japan-based adventure for years. The dual-protagonist structure is also compelling, especially since Naoe seems to be designed to facilitate stealth-based combat similar to the older entries in the series.

Originally scheduled for November 2024, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was pushed back to March 20, 2025.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land

A New Alchemy-Themed JRPG Adventure With A Switch To Real-Time Combat

Released: March 21, 2025
Developer(s): Advertisement

Gust

Gust’s Atelier has never enjoyed the same level of exposure and popularity as, for example, Final Fantasy or even Tales, but the franchise has been fairly consistent over the decades. The Ryza and Sophie subseries generally performed really well, showcasing the IP at its best and arguably attracting the most attention up to this point. As tends to happen every couple of entries, Gust is preparing to launch into a new era by introducing a new protagonist, although the proposed changes seem to be far more expansive than just a new female lead.

Atelier Yumia will utilize a real-time combat system rather than the traditional turn-based battles that make up the older entries. Now, to be fair, Atelier has focused on delivering flashy battle animations for a while, and Yumia‘s version seems to still focus quite a bit on ranged spells and combo chains; consequently, this shift might not revamp the core gameplay loop to the point of feeling like a complete departure from the status quo. Anyway, it looks pretty great, and Gust (and Koei Tecmo) deserve praise for trying something new.

Naturally, Atelier would not be Atelier without a robust synthesis system, something that will almost certainly not be neglected by the upcoming 2025 RPG. Players will be spending a lot of time creating items that can be used either in battles or while exploring the world.

AI Limit

Another Anime Soulslike

Systems

Released: March 27, 2025
Developer(s): Sense Games

Soulslikes are not that exciting nowadays because they are so plentiful. AI Limit might just end up being another entry in an RPG subgenre that has threatened to become overexposed in recent years, destined to be forgotten within a few weeks of its debut. However, the demo is pretty decent, and the anime aesthetic sets it apart from the crowd to an extent (except for Code Vein, of course).

7 Best Soulslike Games That Are Mostly Boss Fights
Advertisement

These titles cut right to the heart of the soulslike experience – the boss fights.

Gameplay-wise, AI Limit sticks fairly close to the Soulslike blueprint, albeit with a few unorthodox tweaks like a transformation mechanic. Still, the game might not hold too many surprises for people who are very familiar with these types of releases, and that does not have to be a negative thing.

AI Limit‘s demo is available on both Steam and the PlayStation Store.

The First Berserker: Khazan

Action RPG With Intense Soulslike Combat

Systems

Released: March 27, 2025
Developer(s): Neople
Advertisement

Coming from a relatively unknown studio but set within a popular international franchise (Dungeon Fighter Online), The First Berserker: Khazan looks impressive from its gameplay footage so far, which depicts a dark fantasy world and fairly fast-paced, stylish combat (and bloody).

As with any of these types of projects, The First Berserker: Khazan‘s quality will be difficult to predict without hands-on time to determine how good the gameplay feels. Fortunately, the title will be an Xbox Game Pass Day One release, so a lot of players will be able to check it out.

The First Berserker: Khazan‘s demo is available on PC, Xbox, and the PlayStation Store.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A Turn-Based RPG With A Dark Fantasy Setting

Systems

Released: 2025
Developer(s): Sandfall Interactive

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 seems fascinating so far, at least based on the available footage and information. Sandfall Interactive is crafting a turn-based RPG set in a unique fantasy world that has a fascinating aesthetic that is almost surreal, with the main antagonist being a Paintress who has the power to kill anyone of a certain age. That concept is great and has an almost cosmic horror aspect to it.

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 Release Window Revealed

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Announces Release Window and Voice Cast

Developer Sandfall Interactive reveals the voice cast for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and announces the game’s release window.

In a nice change of pace for a Western developer, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 utilizes a combat system that appears to blend classic JRPG elements with real-time commands, hopefully finding a middle-ground that highlights the strengths of both styles. The game is also built in Unreal Engine 5, so it should look pretty spectacular.

Borderlands 4

Looter-Shooter

Looter Shooter

Action

Adventure

RPG

Systems

Gearbox’s Borderlands is the definitive looter-shooter franchise, and it does not really have any major challengers. Despite garnering an array of criticisms that might not make them 100% beloved, Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are still fantastic co-op shooters with more than enough RPG elements to satisfy people who want to explore different builds and loadouts. Borderlands 4 is loosely slated for a 2025 release, although very little is known about the sequel at this point. The B4 reveal trailer did not include too much information, and the same can be said for the available concept art.

Despite the lack of information, the project is still surrounded by plenty of excitement, simply due to the IP’s mostly positive reputation. There are just not all that many alternatives to Borderlands, and the fourth entry will likely be “good” at a minimum.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Systems

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is the definition of a cult classic. While rough around the edges, the RPG features fantastic writing and characters, along with a great deal of customization that provides players with plenty of creative freedom. It is a masterpiece that, for the longest time, seemed destined to remain a solitary project (in the video game industry, anyway); however, in 2019, Bloodlines 2 was revealed to the world. Since then, the game has been pushed back a few times, and information regarding its production has been inconsistent. That said, a few Vampire: The Masquerade spin-offs have debuted over the last few years, so the IP is alive.

Set in Seattle, Bloodlines 2 will let players create a newly transformed vampire, which will involve picking things like their human background and preferred discipline. Vampire: The Masquerade‘s success can be partially credited to its deep clan system, which permits players to commit to one of the vampire groups operating in the city. This element should be present in Bloodlines 2. In terms of gameplay, so far, it seems like the sequel will stick close to its predecessor; therefore, expect first-person action with a heavy focus on a dialogue system.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

The Next Evolution

Systems

At this point, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is largely shrouded in shadow, with very little available information. Game Freak has confirmed that the project will take place in Kalos, which was introduced during the sixth generation. Similar to 2022’s Arceus, one has to assume Z-A takes place well before the events of X and Y. Beyond that, the sequel/successor will almost certainly expand on its predecessor’s concepts, specifically an open-world and less focus on combat.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A – 5 Things The Game Can Do To Improve Customization

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the horizon, here are some ways that customization could be improved from Legends: Arceus.

Despite being barely anything more than a logo at the moment, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is unquestionably one of the most highly-anticipated 2025 RPGs. Why? Well, it is Pokemon. More specifically, it is a follow-up to perhaps the franchise’s best-received game of the Switch generation.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault

A Shop Keeper Who Loves Action RPGs

RPG

Open-World

Action

Adventure

Systems

Released: 2025-00-00
Developer(s): Digital Sun
Advertisement

A charming indie action RPG that emphasizes shop management, Moonlighter is not only very fun but also offers quite a bit of replay value. The 2018 release was successful enough that a sequel always seemed likely, especially since the concept certainly had room to grow. Fortunately, Digital Sun seems set to return to this universe, once again casting players as Will, a shopkeeper who needs to keep his inventory stocked by going out in the wild and collecting loot.

Moonlighter 2‘s biggest change is the switch to a full 3D presentation, albeit presented from an isometric angle. While its predecessor’s pixel art is top-notch, the sequel should be a pretty substantial upgrade in terms of visuals and presentation. Beyond that, players will get to explore a new area, Tresna, while helping a struggling village to flourish.

Pathologic 3

A Horror-Fueled Journey

Released: 2025-00-00
Developer(s): Ice-Pick Lodge

Pathologic is not for everyone. The series is known for cryptic storytelling, ambiguous characters, purposefully frustrating mechanics, and nightmarish world design that can be genuinely unsettling. In other words, Pathologic is a wonderful but acquired taste. The third entry’s announcement came as a surprise since its concept was originally planned to be the Bachelor route of Pathologic 2, the final step in that game’s episodic-style release cycle.

Now, to be clear, Pathologic 3 appears set to expand greatly on the route, offering an experience that should hopefully justify its standalone presentation. Even if Pathologic 2 is not quite as highly regarded as its predecessor, both games are very good, and there is nothing to suggest their successor will fail to maintain that high standard. Horror RPGs are extremely rare, so this series should be cherished.

The Witcher 4

Action & Open-World (Presumably)

CD Projekt Red has been working on a new The Witcher project for a few years, but the developer did not confirm that it would be the next mainline entry in the saga until The Game Awards 2024. The Witcher 4 is on the horizon, and it is an exciting time to be a fan of open-world RPGs or just games in general. While Cyberpunk 2077‘s debut state reduced CD Projekt Red’s public goodwill, the developer’s post-launch commitment helped right a few of those initial wrongs, and the game is nowadays in good shape. More importantly, The Witcher 3 is still largely regarded as one of the greatest Western RPGs of all time, and time has done very little to dull its shine.

As the previous entry’s DLC nicely completed Geralt’s story, it had long been speculated that The Witcher 4 would feature a new protagonist, and Ciri has always been the most obvious pick. Well, The Game Awards’ trailer largely confirmed that rumor, with the powerful character being front and center. At this point, almost nothing is known about the sequel’s direction, except for Ciri seeming to be a few years older than in Wild Hunt. Also, Geralt will likely make an appearance in The Witcher 4.

Open-World (Presumably)

Systems

Developer(s): Bethesda Game Studios
Released: 2026-00-00

It was only a matter of time before The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed, although that is essentially all that Bethesda has done. Except for some minor details that can be surmised from the few seconds of footage that has been released so far, the game is still largely a mystery; however, TES 6 is one of those upcoming RPGs that only needs to exist to generate hype.

The Elder Scrolls: 6 Games With The Best Storylines

The Elder Scrolls franchise is one of the most popular and beloved franchises in gaming history, but some storylines are better than others

Realistically, Bethesda’s sequel is still a few years away from a debut, and the publisher will probably not start to heavily market the project until after Starfield‘s cycle is complete. Nevertheless, it would be shocking if TES 6 does not wind up as one of the best-selling games of all time.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames Of Fate

Turn-Based (Presumably)

Dragon Quest 12 is a weird one. Since being revealed in 2021, Square Enix has barely uttered a word regarding the next mainline entry in the storied JRPG franchise. Dragon Quest‘s influence and popularity cannot be understated, particularly in Japan where the series is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. While there was a fairly long dry spell after DQ8, the 11th mainline entry was a hit in Western countries, elevating the license to international highs it had not experienced for a while. Thanks to its predecessor’s success, Dragon Quest 12 is poised to be one of the biggest releases in the license’s history outside of Japan.

Perhaps, Square Enix announced DQ12‘s existence a bit prematurely or simply wanted to gauge the public’s interest in a sequel; whatever the reason, the post-reveal silence has lasted slightly too long. Hopefully, the publisher will expand on the game’s development at some point in the near future as the gaming world is ready for a new mainline Dragon Quest adventure.

3:43