Gaming in 2024: Upcoming Releases and Trends

The gaming landscape in 2024 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year filled with highly anticipated releases across all platforms. From beloved franchises to innovative new IPs, here's a comprehensive look at the most significant upcoming releases.

December 2024 Releases

The final month of 2024 brings several exciting titles to close out the year. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete launches on December 3 for mobile platforms, while Fantasian Neo Dimension arrives on December 5 for PS5, Switch, Xbox, and PC. The highly anticipated Marvel Rivals debuts on December 6 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes its way to Xbox Series X|S and PC on December 9, followed by Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered on December 10 for all major platforms.

Early 2025 Heavy Hitters

Several major titles have already been confirmed for early 2025:

• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Civilization 7 both launch on February 11, 2025
• The mysterious Assassin's Creed Shadows follows on February 14
• Avowed, Obsidian's new fantasy RPG, releases on February 18
• Monster Hunter Wilds rounds out the month on February 28

Major Upcoming Releases by Genre

Action-Adventure

• Black Myth: Wukong, the ambitious Chinese action-RPG based on Journey to the West, launches August 20, 2024
• Star Wars Outlaws brings an open-world scoundrel experience on August 30

RPGs

• Visions of Mana marks the series' return on August 29
• Ys X: Nordics continues Adol's adventures on October 25, featuring naval combat and exploration
• Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven arrives as a full 3D remake on October 24

Horror and Survival

• The long-awaited Silent Hill 2 Remake launches October 8, bringing modern graphics and gameplay to the psychological horror classic
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion releases the same day, introducing the new Spiritborn class

First-Person Shooters

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 arrives October 25, featuring a Gulf War setting and the return of fan-favorite character Frank Woods. The game includes both traditional multiplayer and the popular Round-Based Zombies mode.

Platform Exclusives

PlayStation 5

• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (February 29, 2024)
• Stellar Blade (April 26)

Nintendo Switch

• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (October 10)
• Fitness Boxing 3 (December 5)

Xbox Series X|S

Several games will launch day one on Xbox Game Pass, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Technical Innovations

Many upcoming titles are leveraging next-generation hardware capabilities:

Graphics and Performance

• Silent Hill 2 Remake features completely rebuilt visuals and modern gameplay mechanics
• Black Myth: Wukong showcases advanced graphics technology and detailed character animations

Online Features

• Marvel Rivals introduces new multiplayer mechanics
• F1 Manager 2024 brings enhanced online competition features

Release Calendar Highlights

July 2024

• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (July 19)
• F1 Manager 2024 (July 23)
• Earth Defense Force 6 (July 25)

August 2024

• Black Myth: Wukong (August 20)
• Visions of Mana (August 29)
• Star Wars Outlaws (August 30)

October 2024

• Silent Hill 2 Remake (October 8)
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (October 8)
• Fantasy Life i (October 10)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (October 25)

Development Trends

Remakes and Remasters

• Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
• Silent Hill 2 Remake
• Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven

Multi-Platform Releases

• Marvel Rivals (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
• Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered (All platforms)