New games of 2021: all the upcoming PC games to watch for
The year is half over already but there are still so many new 2021 games to look forward to from July through December. The beginning of 2021 initially felt a little quiet, but that gave us a chance to pay attention to a few unexpected hits like Valheim and Loop Hero. Now that the summer has begun and E3 announcements are freshly behind us, we're starting to look forward to some of the biggest launches yet to come in 2021.
Some of the biggest games of 2021 got delayed from earlier in the year to this autumn and holiday season, which isn't as disappointing now that we're so much closer to that point in the year. More of the biggest new 2021 games are just around the corner. Again.
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Best free PC games: Freebie fest
Best laptop games: Low-specs
The biggest new games of 2021 are also launching on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which means developers have more power at their disposal while designing them. The PC versions will hopefully benefit as well.
Covid-19 caused some games to be delayed from 2020 to 2021, but it's making an even bigger impact this year. Expect more as the year goes on and developers continue working from home. As we did last year, we'll keep this list of the games of 2021 updated with new release dates and delay announcements. And on the bright side, for every game that gets delayed, something new and exciting pops up too. PC gaming is never boring.
This is your big guide to the games to watch in 2021, which we've organized by month to help you look ahead. At the top we've highlighted the biggest and most anticipated games launching this year. At the bottom are 2021 games with release dates "TBA"—things that should be (or we hope will be) arriving this year—but haven't yet committed to a release date.
2021 Games: The biggest releases
As game studios switched to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of big releases originally planned for launch in 2020 got pushed back. Now there are plenty of big games, both delayed and newly announced, to look forward to in 2021. Here are the most anticipated games of this year to watch for.
Hitman 3 | Stealth Hijinks | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. We gave this stealth finale a 90% in our Hitman 3 review.
Resident Evil Village | Survival Horrors | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.
New World | Amazon-powered MMO | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.
Deathloop | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure, and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours, or start over.
Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.
Back 4 Blood | Co-op zombie murder | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.
Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters.
Age of Empires 4 | Strategic Return| October 28
Relic has a lot to live up to with this highly anticipated follow-up to a classic real-time strategy series. Trailers suggest it'll follow in the footsteps of the well-liked Age of Empires 2, which would be the safe play.
Ruined King | LoL RPG | 2021
Riot continues to broaden its portfolio with Ruined King, a spinoff League of Legends story taking the form of a turn-based RPG. The game stars a handful of League heroes making the jump from MOBA to RPG: Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke.
Halo Infinite | 2021
The Chief is back in the long-awaited next game in 343 Industries' take on Halo. The Banished are back for Master Chief to tangle with, and this time he's got a grappling hook! Taking a page from other FPS series, Infinite's multiplayer will actually be free to play while the campaign will be purchased as usual.
2021 games: January
January's release schedule this year is the home of at least one game that flung itself into 2021 when Cyberpunk 2077 got its final delay into December 2020. Bloober Team's next horror adventure The Medium didn't want to compete with the biggest developer in Poland, apparently. We're also being treated to a new Hitman this month among other surprise delights.
January new game highlights
Hitman 3 | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. Get more intel in our Hitman 3 review.
The Medium | January 28
Bloober Team is back with another horror game, this time one that takes place in two planes of existence. As the titular medium, you'll use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles that take place between both realities. Get a full reading in our The Medium review.
Yakuza: Remastered Collection | January 28
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The collection includes remastered versions Yakuzas 3, 4, and 5, making up the middle chunk of Kiryu Kazuma's punching adventures in Kamurocho.
January 2021 game releases
- January 7 — Noch - Apocalyptic survival horror
- January 8 — Iron Conflict (Early Access) - World War 2 RTS
- January 13 — Skellboy Refractured - Cardboard action RPG
- January 14 — Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Beat 'em up re-release
- January 14 — Sunlight - A first-person hike in the woods
- January 18 — Everspace 2 (early access) - Open world space shooter
- January 20 — Hitman 3 - Stealth simulation hijinx
- January 21 — Dyson Sphere Program (Early access) - Space factory sim
- January 21 — Ender Lilies (Early Access) - Side-scrolling action RPG
- January 21 — Orange Cast: Sci-Fi Space Action Game - What it says on the tin
- January 25 — Atelier Ryza 2 - Another Atelier fantasy RPG
- January 26 — Cyber Shadow - Retro style Metroidvania
- January 26 — Encodya - A kid and her robot point & click adventure
- January 28 — Disjunction - Cyberpunk stealth RPG
- January 28 — The Medium - Bloober Team's next horror game
- January 28 — Sword of the Necromancer - Dungeon crawler
- January 28 — Tohu - Point & click adventure
- January 28 — Yakuza: Remastered Collection - Yakuzas 3, 4, and 5 finally on PC
- January 29 — Gods Will Fall - Hack & slash roguelike
2021 games: February
February is full of sequels and spinoffs in popular series like Nioh 2, Little Nightmares 2, and Persona 5 Strikers. This month has also turned into the release window for several early access games that plan to continue development throughout this year.
February new game highlights
Valheim | February 2
Valheim calls itself a brutal survival game but you might be best off thinking of it as Viking Minecraft with bosses. It's got a huge open world of crafting and survival that's especially fun in co-op. Check out our Valheim tips if you want to get started.
Nioh 2 | February 5
Team Ninja's next action RPG maintains its Souls-inspired roots but continues to spice up its samurai combat with a new yokai form for your half-demon protagonist. Get a look at the successes of the sequel in our Nioh 2 review.
Little Nightmares 2 | February 10
Tarsier Studios has cooked up a sequel to its grim and spooky platformer. As young children Mono and Six, you'll sneak your way through the horrible nightmare world. Take a peek at our Little Nightmares 2 review.
Hellish Quart (early access)| February 16
Hellish Quart looks like the ultimate test of your mettle. The physics-based battles between 17th century combatants use all manner of weaponry in its fencing battles. It could just be the ultimate fighting game. Check out our Hellish Quart impressions before you take a stab yourself.
February 2021 game releases
- February 2 — Valheim (Early access) - Viking crating survival
- February 4 — Aircraft Carrier Survival - Strategy simulation
- February 4 — Blue Fire - 3D platformer
- February 4 — Nuts - Squirrel surveillance mystery
- February 4 — Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood - Action adventure
- February 5 — Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition - Souls-like action RPG
- February 8 — Becastled (Early Access) - Siege defense
- February 10 — Little Nightmares 2 - 2D platformer thriller
- February 16 — Hellish Quart (early access) - Sword fight simulator
- February 17 — Nebuchadnezzar - Isometric city-builder
- February 18 — Rustler (Early access) - The medieval GTA game
- February 21 — Rogue Invader - Roguelike action shooter
- February 23 — Persona 5 Strikers - Persona's Dynasty Warriors spinoff
- February 24 — Fights in Tight Spaces (early access) - Turn-based James Bond
- February 25 — Imagine Earth (Early Access) - Colony management sim
2021 games: March
March is the month we'll be able to sit down with our friends to play the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, It Takes Two. It's also bringing some long-awaited follow-up games like Evil Genius 2, Shelter 3, and Crash Bandicoot 4.
March new game highlights
It Takes Two | March 26
Hazelight returns with another co-op adventure, though It Takes Two looks much lighter in tone than the prison escape adventure A Way Out. Check out our It Takes Two review for details on the co-op bash.
Loop Hero | March 4
Loop Hero is another early indie gem of 2021. This procedural "micro RPG" is all about playing your cards right so your heros can battle their way through successive loops of traps and enemies. Take a spin through our Loop Hero review for more.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | March 25
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The Song of Life is the last Yakuza game starring stoic punch machine Kazuma Kiryu and a fitting finale to the original series. Our Yakuza 6 review explains how Kiryu's finale holds its own.
Evil Genius 2 | March 30
Evil Genius 2 is finally arriving, Rebellion's follow up to the old RTS from 2004. Build your lair and train your minions and become the best bad manager you can be while defending against the nefarious good guys. Get the rest of the schemes in our Evil Genius 2 review.
March 2021 game releases
- March 1 — Foregone - 2D Action platformer
- March 2 — Maquette - First-person puzzler
- March 4 — Loop Hero - Roguelike deck-building auto-battler (Our review)
- March 5 — Circuit Superstars - Top-down motorsports
- March 9 — Stronghold Warlords - Historical RTS
- March 11 — Supercross 4 - Motorbike racing
- March 16 — Mundaun - Hand-drawn horror
- March 17 — Adios - Midwest crime story
- March 18 — Dogworld - 2D pixel platformer with lots of dogs
- March 23 — Overcooked! All You Can Eat - Co-op kitchen hijinx
- March 23 — Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 - Two arcade classics combined
- March 25 — Dorfromantik - Relaxing strategy builder
- March 25 — Lords of Exile - Side-scrolling platformer
- March 25 — Yakuza 6 - The conclusion of Kiryu's punching saga (Our review)
- March 26 — Balan Wonderworld - Action platformer
- March 26 — Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - Crash is back (Our review)
- March 26 — Genesis Noir - Psychedelic point & click story
- March 26 — It Takes Two - A cartoony co-op adventure
- March 26 — Spacebase Startopia - Space station manager RTS
- March 30 — Evil Genius 2 - Goofy strategy
- March 30 — Kingdom Hearts - Final Fantasy meets Disney finally on PC
- March 30 — Shelter 3 - Elephant mom survival (Our review)
- March 30 — Disco Elysium: The Final Cut - Free update with extra voice acting
2021 games: April
April wound up a little light after some big delays, but there are a few indie gems to keep an eye on along with looter shooter Outriders. Nier: Replicant's PC release hits this month too, which will surely keep you busy.
April new game highlights
Outriders | April 1
This action FPS from People Can Fly is a class-based shooter that may look a lot like Destiny at first glance. Our Outriders review digs into the specifics on why this one doesn't quite hit the mark.
Cozy Grove | April 8
This super cute collectathon island adventure might be as close as we'll get to Animal Crossing on PC. You're play as an adorable Spirit Scout getting to know the local ghosts which are even more adorable bears.
Nier Replicant | April 23
The predecessor to Automata is finally arriving on PC. Like Automata, Replicant dabbles in several genres aside from just being a straightforward RPG. Our Nier Replicant review confirms that it's still a classic.
April 2021 game releases
- April 1 — Outriders - Third-person looter shooter
- April 6 — Oddworld: Soulstorm - Throwback 2D puzzler - Our preview
- April 8 — Cozy Grove - Adorable life-sim adventure
- April 8 — First Class Trouble (early access) - Hidden role party game
- April 9 — Say No! More - Comedy combat adventure
- April 9 — The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV - Cold Steel finale
- April 9 — Trials of Fire - Roguelike card combat
- April 15 — Godstrike - Boss rush bullet hell
- April 15 — Rain On Your Parade - Cute, silly puzzler
- April 15 — Quantum League - Time-bending competitive shooter
- April 15 — Shadow Man: Remastered - 90's horror revival
- April 16 — Emily Is Away 3 - Social media story game
- April 20 — Silicon Dreams - Cyberpunk interrogation
- April 22 — Buildings Have Feelings Too - Silly city management
- April 22 — MotoGP 21 - Motorcycle racing sim
- April 22 — Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion - Action crops
- April 23 — Nier Replicant - Mind-bending action remake
- April 29 — Insurmountable - Roguelike tactical mountaineering
2021 games: May
May is an action-packed month with the long-awaited martial arts cat adventure Biomutant, and Resident Evil Village. If you aren't one for all that heart-pounding combat, maybe Skate City is more your speed.
May new game highlights
Resident Evil Village | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition | May 14
BioWare's space trilogy has taken flight again with a remastered edition. It may not be an astronomical upgrade from the originals, but if you have yet to play the trilogy, this is the best way to do it. Get your entire flight plan in our Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition review.
Biomutant | May 25
Experiment 101's long-awaited gritty cat RPG is finally here. It's an post-apocalyptic open world full of mutant animal characters whose physical attributes actually reflect their RPG stats. It sure looks pretty, but it wound up a bit disappointing, according to our Biomutant review.
May 2021 game releases
- May 1 — Scavengers - Battle royale-style PvPvE shooter
- May 5 — Distant Kingdoms - Fantasy city building & management sim
- May 6 — Skate City - Skate combos around the world
- May 7 — The Invisible Hand - Stonks simulator
- May 7 — Resident Evil Village - Horrific vacation
- May 7 — Papetura - Adventure game handmade and animated with paper
- May 10 — Hood: Outlaws & Legends - Team-based PvPvE
- May 11 — The Hand of Merlin - Tactical RPG meets King Arthur meets horror
- May 12 — Huntdown - Arcade shooter
- May 13 — Before We Leave - A non-violent city builder
- May 13 — GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon - Sidescrolling action roguelike
- May 13 — Monster Harvest - Stardew Valley but Pokemon
- May 14 — Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - Remastered trilogy
- May 14 — Subnautica: Below Zero - Underwater survival
- May 18 — Essays on Empathy - Collection of 10 story games
- May 20 — Grindstone - Goofy grid-based puzzler
- May 20 — Mind Scanners - Sci-fi narrative sim
- May 20 — Of Bird and Cage - Heavy metal interactive fiction
- May 21 — Knockout City - 3v3 dodgeball action
- May 25 — Biomutant - Kung-fu cat RPG
- May 25 — Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne - Another Atlus RPG classic
- May 25 — Strangeland - Surreal point & click adventure
- May 26 — Graven (early access) - Retro fantasy FPS
- May 27 — Solasta: Crown Of The Magister - Another D&D-based RPG
- May 27 — Weaving Tides - Woven puzzle platformer
2021 games: June
June is heating up with lots of familiar favorites. Legend Of Mana's HD remaster is arriving on PC along with the Ninja Gaiden master collection. The long-awaited Chivalry 2 is finally dropping this month as well, which should be plenty of chaos for the month.
June new game highlights
Chivalry 2 | June 8
Medieval fighting is having a comeback when Torn Banner Studios release the sequel to their competitive sword battling game. Battles can be bigger than ever this time with 64-player objective maps to tackle. Torn Banner has raised the standard again, according to our Chivalry 2 review.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 | June 4
Contracts 2 is going further than its predecessor with even longer range shots than before. This stealth FPS now has 1000 meter shots to tackle across its campaign. Get your briefing in our Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 review.
Backbone | June 8
This detective adventure game stars a raccoon in a trench coat but don't let that fool you. This one looks like a pretty dark, dystopian mystery story. Backbone has some super stylish visuals, what sounds like a great soundtrack, and a bit of stealth mixed with its point & click adventuring. Before you take a crack yourself, here's our Backbone impressions.
Scarlet Nexus | June 24
This sci-fi action RPG looks like a weird and wild adventure. You'll play a a psionic, a human with psychic abilities trained to fight the mutants called Others, which are wacky things giant human arms with a steam valve in the center. We break it all down in our Scarlet Nexus review.
June 2021 game releases
- June 1 — Griftlands - Story-heavy sci-fi deckbuilding roguelike (Our preview)
- June 1 — Going Medieval (early access) - Medieval city builder
- June 1 — Necromunda: Hired Gun - Warhammer 40k FPS
- June 2 — Hokko Life (early access) - Life and town sim
- June 3 — Critters For Sale - Psychedelic point & click
- June 3 — The Magnificent Trufflepigs - First-person story adventure
- June 4 — Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 - Tactical FPS campaign
- June 8 — Backbone - Noir animal detective mystery
- June 8 — Chivalry 2 - First Person Sworder (Our preview)
- June 9 — No More Heroes & NMH 2- Classic beat 'em up goofing
- June 9 — Ninja Gaiden Master Collection - Three Ninja Gaidens in one
- June 11 — Guilty Gear Strive - 2D anime fighter
- June 12 — Beasts of Maravilla Island - Magical photography adventure
- June 13 — Lumberhill - Co-op wood-cutting party game
- June 13 — Minute of Islands - Puzzling adventure
- June 15 — Wildermyth - Tactical RPG with procedural stories
- June 17 — Red Solstice 2: Survivors - Real-time tactics RPG
- June 17 — Roguebook - Roguelike deck-builder
- June 22 — Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance - Action-heavy D&D
- June 22 — Lego Builder's Journey - Charming puzzle game
- June 24 — Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX - 2D platformer
- June 24 — Legend of Mana HD Remaster - Classic Mana series RPG
- June 24 — Scarlet Nexus - Sci-fi action RPG
- June 30 — Townscaper - Casual building sandbox
2021 games: July
July has turned into a strong month for some console series that are headed to PC. Monster Hunter series spinoff Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are both great gets for PC players. If those aren't your speed, there's more Warhammer this month too.
July new game highlights
Monster Hunter Stories 2 | July 9
Monster Hunter Stories is the exceptionally cute spinoff series from the main Monster Hunter line. Unlike Monster Hunter World, you'll tame, befriend, and ride "monsties" and fight with them in turn-based battles.
Cris Tales | July 20
Cris Tales is a very stylish love letter to classic JRPGs. Crisbell's turn-based battles all hinge on controlling time, seeing the effects of your attacks in the future and using them to prepare in the present.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | July 27
We're finally starting to get more Ace Attorney games on PC and this collection has two great lawyering adventures. Following an ancestor of legendary Phoenix Wright, this one takes you back to the 1800s.
The Forgotten City | July 28
Originally an impressive Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City has now expanded into a much bigger standalone game. It takes you back to ancient Rome to solve the mystery of a city whose citizens were all turned to gold.
July 2021 game releases
- July 6 — Crowfall - PvP fantasy MMO
- July 8 — Boomerang X - Boomerang-based FPS
- July 9 — Monster Hunter Stories 2 - MonHunt's Pokemon-like spinoff
- July 12 — Claire de Lune - Portal-y puzzle adventure
- July 14 — Dream Engines (Early access) - Flying city-builder
- July 15 — Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - Turn-based strategy
- July 16 — F1 2021 - Formula One, now with story mode
- July 20 — Cris Tales - Turn-based time manipulation RPG
- July 20 — Death's Door - A crow with a sword harvests the souls of the dead
- July 20 — Mini Motorways - Tiny strategy sim
- July 22 — Last Stop - Supernatural sci-fi adventure
- July 23 — Orcs Must Die! 3 - Steam launch following Stadia exclusivity
- July 26 — Samurai Warriors 5 - Hack and slash series return
- July 27 — Alchemic Cutie - Slime farmer life sim
- July 27 — The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles - Historical lawyer drama
- July 27 — Hell Let Loose - WWII-based FPS
- July 27 — Idol Manager - Exactly what it sounds like
- July 27 — Tribes of Midgard - More Viking crafting survival
- July 27 — Neo: The World Ends With You - JRPG cult classic sequel
- July 28 — Final Fantasy Pixel Remake - Final Fantasies 1-6
- July 28 — The Forgotten City - Time-travel RPG based on a Skyrim mod
- July 28 — Chernobylite - Survival-horror RPG with Stalker vibe
- July 28 — Unbound: Worlds Apart - 2D puzzle platformer
- July 29 — The Ascent - Co-op cyberpunk shooter
- July 29 — Blaster Master Zero 3 - Metroid-y throwback
- July 29 — Eldest Souls - Boss rush action RPG
2021 games: August
Unless it winds up with another delay, August is officially the month that Amazon will push their first MMO out the door. It's joined by Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, the really lovely-looking action adventure we've had our eyes on since it was first revealed, and Amplitude's Civ-like Humankind.
August new game highlights
Humankind | August 17
Aiming to evolve world-building strategy, Humankind looks like a possible rival to Civilization. Amplitude Studios are challenging players to create civilizations that change and survive rather than dominating opponents.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits | August 24
The first game from former animation studio Ember Lab certainly looks the part. It's a very pretty world with shades of Zelda in its action combat and puzzling adventure. Let us guide you through it in our Kena: Bridge of Spirits preview.
New World | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.
August 2021 new game releases
- August 3 — Lemnis Gate - Time-loop multiplayer FPS
- August 5 — Death Trash - Splatterpunk RPG where puking is a skill (Early Access)
- August 5 — Starmancer - Spacebase building sim
- August 9 — Book Of Travels (early access) - Tiny MMO
- August 12 — Icarus - Day Z's creators next crafting survival
- August 12 — Naraka: Bladepoint - Multiplayer sword battler
- August 12 — Skatebird - Tony Hawk but with hawks (and other birds)
- August 17 — Humankind - 4X strategy game
- August 19 — 12 Minutes - Indie story thriller
- August 24 — Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Co-op shooter
- August 24 — Kena: Bridge of Spirits - Cinematic action adventure
- August 24 — Hoa - Hand-painted 2D platformer
- August 24 — King's Bounty 2 - Turn-based tactics
- August 25 — Psychonauts 2 - Classic 3D platformer sequel
- August 31 — KeyWe - Co-op puzzle platformer
- August 31 — New World - Amazon Games Studios' colonial MMO
2021 games: September
September is now host to a lot of Life Is Strange, between the new True Colors and a remaster of the original and its sequel. We're also looking forward to Arkane's new stylish shooter Deathloop and Rider's Republic too.
September new game highlights
Deathloop | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours or start over.
Tales of Arise | September 10
The latest Tales JRPG has been a long time coming, but it's looking promising, with a new engine and bigger budget than the series has seen in years. Expect some very anime drama and even faster action-RPG combat than past Tales games.
September 2021 game releases
- September 1 — Lake - Postal worker simulator
- September 2 — Riders Republic - Every extreme sports game in one
- September 2 — Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Old school CRPG
- September 3 — Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions - PvP boxing
- September 10 — Tales of Arise - Real-time battle JRPG adventure
- September 10 — Life Is Strange: True Colors - Small-town mystery
- September 14 — Deathloop - Arkane's FPS sandbox
- September 17 — Aragami 2 - Ninja stealth action
- September 23 — Sable - A lovely desert hoverbike adventure
- September 23 — Diablo 2: Resurrected - graphical overhaul of the action-RPG
- September 30 — Astria Ascending - JRPG written by a Final Fantasy writer
- September 30 — Hot Wheels Unleashed - Orange track arcade racer
- September 30 — Life is Strange Remastered - First game and prequel
- September ?? — Blood Bowl 3 (early access) - Truly fantasy football
2021 games: October
October is still a ways out but thanks to Back 4 Blood's delay we know at least one trick we'll be treated to for the month. More spooky games will definitely hit the schedule throughout the year.
October new game highlights
Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.
Back 4 Blood | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.
Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters.
October 2021 game releases
- October 12— Back 4 Blood - Essentially Left 4 Dead 3 (Our preview)
- October 22 — Battlefield 2042 - Near-future FPS with double the player count
- October 22 — House of Ashes - The third Dark Pictures horror story
- October 26 — Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Singleplayer action game
- October 28 — Age of Empires 4 - Real-time strategy
- October ?? — Len's Island - Island crafting adventure
2021 games: November
- November 9 — Forza Horizon 5 - Mexico-based racing sim
2021 games: December
- December 7 — Dying Light 2 - Zombie-killing parkour
- December ?? — Shredders - Open-world multiplayer snowboarding
2021 games: release dates to be announced
There are plenty of games that have been announced for this year but without a specific date set just yet. There are also plenty of games here that were planned for 2020 and have slipped the mark, which we're anticipating will release at some point in 2021. You might also spot just a bit of wishful thinking here. Will Tunic finally launch this year? What about Hollow Knight: Silksong? We sure hope so.
- AK-xolotl: Wars - Multiplayer bullet hell
- The Anacrusis - 70's style L4D-inspired shooter, expected Fall
- Arcade Paradise - Management adventure
- Archvale - Bullet hell RPG
- The Artful Escape - Psychedelic adventure game
- Atomic Heart - Sci-fi Soviet shooter
- Axiom Verge 2 - Sci-fi Metroidvania
- Babylon's Fall - Action RPG
- Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance - Classic hack and slash RPG
- The Big Con - 90's-themed teen crime caper
- Black Book - Card battler RPG
- Bloodhunt - A battle royale based on Vampire: The Masquerade
- Bonfire Peaks - Sokoban-style puzzler
- Boyfriend Dungeon - Rogue-like dating sim
- Bright Memory: Infinite - Action FPS
- Chasing Static - 1980s-inspired horror adventure in Wales
- Chenso Club - Co-op roguelike with cute chainsaws
- CONV/RGENCE: A League of Legends Story - Action platformer
- Despot's Game - Strategy roguelike
- Dodgeball Academia - Arcade sports
- Dread Templar - Retro FPS with bullet time
- Eastward - 2D indie RPG
- Evil Dead: The Game - Co-op zombie slayer
- Evil West - Cowboys vs. vampires
- Expeditions: Rome - Party-based strategy RPG
- Far: Changing Tides - Puzzle-y action adventure
- Freshly Frosted - Pastry-based puzzler
- Frog Detective 3 - Another amphibious mystery
- Get In The Car, Loser - Lesbian road trip RPG
- Ghostwire: Tokyo - Neon combat
- Glitchpunk - Top-down cyberpunk shooter
- The Good Life - Mysterious cat caper plus photography
- Grow: Song of the Evertree - Cosy worldbuilding sandbox
- Halo Infinite - Master Chief's next adventure
- Happy Game - Psychedelic horror adventure
- Happy's Humble Burger Farm - First-person horror
- Harold Halibut - Claymation space story
- Hollow Knight: Silksong - Challenging metroidvania
- Indiana Jones - MachineGames' (untitled) Indy game
- Inkulinati - Medieval animal strategy
- Jett: The Far Shore - Interstellar adventure
- Jurassic World Evolution 2 - Park sim sequel
- Know By Heart - Story-based adventure
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - Blocky beat-em-up
- Let's Build A Zoo - Cute park management
- Letters - A Written Adventure - 90's penpal story adventure
- Lord Winklebottom Investigates - Point & click adventure
- Lost Ark - Free-to-ply Korean action-RPG MMO
- N1RV-ANN-A - Cyberpunk bartending visual novel
- Neon White - Deck-building FPS
- Nighthawks - A vampire RPG from adventure game veterans
- No Longer Home - Point & click adventure
- OlliOlli World - OlliOlli but prettier
- Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals - Spooky mystery adventure
- Pixel Tactics Online - Turn-based tactics
- Pharaoh: A New Era - City builder remaster
- Rainbow Six Extraction - Tactical FPS spin-off with zombies
- Resident Evil 4 VR - Horror through Leon's eyes
- The Riftbreaker - Mech base building survival
- Road 96 - Hitchhiking story adventure
- Rocksmith+ - Guitar/bass-learning rhythm game becomes a subscription
- Rogue Lords - Turn-based roguelike of villains
- Roller Champions - Competitive roller derby
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story - Narrative adventure
- Rune Factory 4 Special - Farming and monster battling
- Scorn - First-person horror
- Serial Cleaners - Stealth action mob cleanup crew
- The Settlers - Reboot of classic build-up strategy game
- Shadow Warrior 3 - Guns, parkour, and gore galore
- Sifu - Kung-fu brawler from the creators of Absolver (fall)solar
- Solar Ash - Action adventure
- Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator - Management sim
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - Comedy narrative, expanded
- Stray - Adorable cyberpunk cats
- Tails of Iron - 2D action adventure
- Terra Nil - Reverse city-builder
- Toem - Photography adventure game
- Total War: Warhammer 3 - Grand strategy RTS with polar bear mounts
- Tunic - Cute fox adventure
- Unpacking - Organization puzzler
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Vermintide, but 40K
- Wartales - Gritty mercenary tactics (Early Access this year)
- Way to the Woods - Bambi adventure
- Weird West - Dishonored dev does a top-down immersive sim
- Windjammers 2 - Classic disc tennis sequel
- Witchbrook - Wizarding school life sim
- Wolfstride - Comic book-y turn-based mech battles
- Wrath: Aeon of Ruin - Quake-like retro shooter
- Young Souls - Artistic 2D beat-em-up
What's moved to 2022?
Some games expected for 2021 have already announced delays to 2022, or just confirmed next year as their release date in the first place. Here's what you can look forward to next year:
- January 21, 2022 - Elden Ring - From Software's next big RPG
- 2022 — Gotham Knights - Crime-fighting team up
- 2022 — Hogwarts Legacy - Magical RPG
- 2022 — Kerbal Space Program 2 - Physics disaster in space
- 2022 — The Lord of the Rings: Gollum - Fantasy spinoff RPG
- 2022? — Skull & Bones - Naval RPG
- 2022? — Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Blood-sucking sim - Our preview
- 2022? — Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake - Action adventure
from PCGamer latest https://ift.tt/3g4ZopE
The year is half over already but there are still so many new 2021 games to look forward to from July through December. The beginning of 2021 initially felt a little quiet, but that gave us a chance to pay attention to a few unexpected hits like Valheim and Loop Hero. Now that the summer has begun and E3 announcements are freshly behind us, we're starting to look forward to some of the biggest launches yet to come in 2021.
Some of the biggest games of 2021 got delayed from earlier in the year to this autumn and holiday season, which isn't as disappointing now that we're so much closer to that point in the year. More of the biggest new 2021 games are just around the corner. Again.
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Best free PC games: Freebie fest
Best laptop games: Low-specs
The biggest new games of 2021 are also launching on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which means developers have more power at their disposal while designing them. The PC versions will hopefully benefit as well.
Covid-19 caused some games to be delayed from 2020 to 2021, but it's making an even bigger impact this year. Expect more as the year goes on and developers continue working from home. As we did last year, we'll keep this list of the games of 2021 updated with new release dates and delay announcements. And on the bright side, for every game that gets delayed, something new and exciting pops up too. PC gaming is never boring.
This is your big guide to the games to watch in 2021, which we've organized by month to help you look ahead. At the top we've highlighted the biggest and most anticipated games launching this year. At the bottom are 2021 games with release dates "TBA"—things that should be (or we hope will be) arriving this year—but haven't yet committed to a release date.
2021 Games: The biggest releases
As game studios switched to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of big releases originally planned for launch in 2020 got pushed back. Now there are plenty of big games, both delayed and newly announced, to look forward to in 2021. Here are the most anticipated games of this year to watch for.
Hitman 3 | Stealth Hijinks | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. We gave this stealth finale a 90% in our Hitman 3 review.
Resident Evil Village | Survival Horrors | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.
New World | Amazon-powered MMO | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.
Deathloop | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure, and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours, or start over.
Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.
Back 4 Blood | Co-op zombie murder | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.
Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters.
Age of Empires 4 | Strategic Return| October 28
Relic has a lot to live up to with this highly anticipated follow-up to a classic real-time strategy series. Trailers suggest it'll follow in the footsteps of the well-liked Age of Empires 2, which would be the safe play.
Ruined King | LoL RPG | 2021
Riot continues to broaden its portfolio with Ruined King, a spinoff League of Legends story taking the form of a turn-based RPG. The game stars a handful of League heroes making the jump from MOBA to RPG: Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke.
Halo Infinite | 2021
The Chief is back in the long-awaited next game in 343 Industries' take on Halo. The Banished are back for Master Chief to tangle with, and this time he's got a grappling hook! Taking a page from other FPS series, Infinite's multiplayer will actually be free to play while the campaign will be purchased as usual.
2021 games: January
January's release schedule this year is the home of at least one game that flung itself into 2021 when Cyberpunk 2077 got its final delay into December 2020. Bloober Team's next horror adventure The Medium didn't want to compete with the biggest developer in Poland, apparently. We're also being treated to a new Hitman this month among other surprise delights.
January new game highlights
Hitman 3 | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. Get more intel in our Hitman 3 review.
The Medium | January 28
Bloober Team is back with another horror game, this time one that takes place in two planes of existence. As the titular medium, you'll use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles that take place between both realities. Get a full reading in our The Medium review.
Yakuza: Remastered Collection | January 28
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The collection includes remastered versions Yakuzas 3, 4, and 5, making up the middle chunk of Kiryu Kazuma's punching adventures in Kamurocho.
January 2021 game releases
- January 7 — Noch - Apocalyptic survival horror
- January 8 — Iron Conflict (Early Access) - World War 2 RTS
- January 13 — Skellboy Refractured - Cardboard action RPG
- January 14 — Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Beat 'em up re-release
- January 14 — Sunlight - A first-person hike in the woods
- January 18 — Everspace 2 (early access) - Open world space shooter
- January 20 — Hitman 3 - Stealth simulation hijinx
- January 21 — Dyson Sphere Program (Early access) - Space factory sim
- January 21 — Ender Lilies (Early Access) - Side-scrolling action RPG
- January 21 — Orange Cast: Sci-Fi Space Action Game - What it says on the tin
- January 25 — Atelier Ryza 2 - Another Atelier fantasy RPG
- January 26 — Cyber Shadow - Retro style Metroidvania
- January 26 — Encodya - A kid and her robot point & click adventure
- January 28 — Disjunction - Cyberpunk stealth RPG
- January 28 — The Medium - Bloober Team's next horror game
- January 28 — Sword of the Necromancer - Dungeon crawler
- January 28 — Tohu - Point & click adventure
- January 28 — Yakuza: Remastered Collection - Yakuzas 3, 4, and 5 finally on PC
- January 29 — Gods Will Fall - Hack & slash roguelike
2021 games: February
February is full of sequels and spinoffs in popular series like Nioh 2, Little Nightmares 2, and Persona 5 Strikers. This month has also turned into the release window for several early access games that plan to continue development throughout this year.
February new game highlights
Valheim | February 2
Valheim calls itself a brutal survival game but you might be best off thinking of it as Viking Minecraft with bosses. It's got a huge open world of crafting and survival that's especially fun in co-op. Check out our Valheim tips if you want to get started.
Nioh 2 | February 5
Team Ninja's next action RPG maintains its Souls-inspired roots but continues to spice up its samurai combat with a new yokai form for your half-demon protagonist. Get a look at the successes of the sequel in our Nioh 2 review.
Little Nightmares 2 | February 10
Tarsier Studios has cooked up a sequel to its grim and spooky platformer. As young children Mono and Six, you'll sneak your way through the horrible nightmare world. Take a peek at our Little Nightmares 2 review.
Hellish Quart (early access)| February 16
Hellish Quart looks like the ultimate test of your mettle. The physics-based battles between 17th century combatants use all manner of weaponry in its fencing battles. It could just be the ultimate fighting game. Check out our Hellish Quart impressions before you take a stab yourself.
February 2021 game releases
- February 2 — Valheim (Early access) - Viking crating survival
- February 4 — Aircraft Carrier Survival - Strategy simulation
- February 4 — Blue Fire - 3D platformer
- February 4 — Nuts - Squirrel surveillance mystery
- February 4 — Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood - Action adventure
- February 5 — Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition - Souls-like action RPG
- February 8 — Becastled (Early Access) - Siege defense
- February 10 — Little Nightmares 2 - 2D platformer thriller
- February 16 — Hellish Quart (early access) - Sword fight simulator
- February 17 — Nebuchadnezzar - Isometric city-builder
- February 18 — Rustler (Early access) - The medieval GTA game
- February 21 — Rogue Invader - Roguelike action shooter
- February 23 — Persona 5 Strikers - Persona's Dynasty Warriors spinoff
- February 24 — Fights in Tight Spaces (early access) - Turn-based James Bond
- February 25 — Imagine Earth (Early Access) - Colony management sim
2021 games: March
March is the month we'll be able to sit down with our friends to play the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, It Takes Two. It's also bringing some long-awaited follow-up games like Evil Genius 2, Shelter 3, and Crash Bandicoot 4.
March new game highlights
It Takes Two | March 26
Hazelight returns with another co-op adventure, though It Takes Two looks much lighter in tone than the prison escape adventure A Way Out. Check out our It Takes Two review for details on the co-op bash.
Loop Hero | March 4
Loop Hero is another early indie gem of 2021. This procedural "micro RPG" is all about playing your cards right so your heros can battle their way through successive loops of traps and enemies. Take a spin through our Loop Hero review for more.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | March 25
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The Song of Life is the last Yakuza game starring stoic punch machine Kazuma Kiryu and a fitting finale to the original series. Our Yakuza 6 review explains how Kiryu's finale holds its own.
Evil Genius 2 | March 30
Evil Genius 2 is finally arriving, Rebellion's follow up to the old RTS from 2004. Build your lair and train your minions and become the best bad manager you can be while defending against the nefarious good guys. Get the rest of the schemes in our Evil Genius 2 review.
March 2021 game releases
- March 1 — Foregone - 2D Action platformer
- March 2 — Maquette - First-person puzzler
- March 4 — Loop Hero - Roguelike deck-building auto-battler (Our review)
- March 5 — Circuit Superstars - Top-down motorsports
- March 9 — Stronghold Warlords - Historical RTS
- March 11 — Supercross 4 - Motorbike racing
- March 16 — Mundaun - Hand-drawn horror
- March 17 — Adios - Midwest crime story
- March 18 — Dogworld - 2D pixel platformer with lots of dogs
- March 23 — Overcooked! All You Can Eat - Co-op kitchen hijinx
- March 23 — Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 - Two arcade classics combined
- March 25 — Dorfromantik - Relaxing strategy builder
- March 25 — Lords of Exile - Side-scrolling platformer
- March 25 — Yakuza 6 - The conclusion of Kiryu's punching saga (Our review)
- March 26 — Balan Wonderworld - Action platformer
- March 26 — Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - Crash is back (Our review)
- March 26 — Genesis Noir - Psychedelic point & click story
- March 26 — It Takes Two - A cartoony co-op adventure
- March 26 — Spacebase Startopia - Space station manager RTS
- March 30 — Evil Genius 2 - Goofy strategy
- March 30 — Kingdom Hearts - Final Fantasy meets Disney finally on PC
- March 30 — Shelter 3 - Elephant mom survival (Our review)
- March 30 — Disco Elysium: The Final Cut - Free update with extra voice acting
2021 games: April
April wound up a little light after some big delays, but there are a few indie gems to keep an eye on along with looter shooter Outriders. Nier: Replicant's PC release hits this month too, which will surely keep you busy.
April new game highlights
Outriders | April 1
This action FPS from People Can Fly is a class-based shooter that may look a lot like Destiny at first glance. Our Outriders review digs into the specifics on why this one doesn't quite hit the mark.
Cozy Grove | April 8
This super cute collectathon island adventure might be as close as we'll get to Animal Crossing on PC. You're play as an adorable Spirit Scout getting to know the local ghosts which are even more adorable bears.
Nier Replicant | April 23
The predecessor to Automata is finally arriving on PC. Like Automata, Replicant dabbles in several genres aside from just being a straightforward RPG. Our Nier Replicant review confirms that it's still a classic.
April 2021 game releases
- April 1 — Outriders - Third-person looter shooter
- April 6 — Oddworld: Soulstorm - Throwback 2D puzzler - Our preview
- April 8 — Cozy Grove - Adorable life-sim adventure
- April 8 — First Class Trouble (early access) - Hidden role party game
- April 9 — Say No! More - Comedy combat adventure
- April 9 — The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV - Cold Steel finale
- April 9 — Trials of Fire - Roguelike card combat
- April 15 — Godstrike - Boss rush bullet hell
- April 15 — Rain On Your Parade - Cute, silly puzzler
- April 15 — Quantum League - Time-bending competitive shooter
- April 15 — Shadow Man: Remastered - 90's horror revival
- April 16 — Emily Is Away 3 - Social media story game
- April 20 — Silicon Dreams - Cyberpunk interrogation
- April 22 — Buildings Have Feelings Too - Silly city management
- April 22 — MotoGP 21 - Motorcycle racing sim
- April 22 — Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion - Action crops
- April 23 — Nier Replicant - Mind-bending action remake
- April 29 — Insurmountable - Roguelike tactical mountaineering
2021 games: May
May is an action-packed month with the long-awaited martial arts cat adventure Biomutant, and Resident Evil Village. If you aren't one for all that heart-pounding combat, maybe Skate City is more your speed.
May new game highlights
Resident Evil Village | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition | May 14
BioWare's space trilogy has taken flight again with a remastered edition. It may not be an astronomical upgrade from the originals, but if you have yet to play the trilogy, this is the best way to do it. Get your entire flight plan in our Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition review.
Biomutant | May 25
Experiment 101's long-awaited gritty cat RPG is finally here. It's an post-apocalyptic open world full of mutant animal characters whose physical attributes actually reflect their RPG stats. It sure looks pretty, but it wound up a bit disappointing, according to our Biomutant review.
May 2021 game releases
- May 1 — Scavengers - Battle royale-style PvPvE shooter
- May 5 — Distant Kingdoms - Fantasy city building & management sim
- May 6 — Skate City - Skate combos around the world
- May 7 — The Invisible Hand - Stonks simulator
- May 7 — Resident Evil Village - Horrific vacation
- May 7 — Papetura - Adventure game handmade and animated with paper
- May 10 — Hood: Outlaws & Legends - Team-based PvPvE
- May 11 — The Hand of Merlin - Tactical RPG meets King Arthur meets horror
- May 12 — Huntdown - Arcade shooter
- May 13 — Before We Leave - A non-violent city builder
- May 13 — GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon - Sidescrolling action roguelike
- May 13 — Monster Harvest - Stardew Valley but Pokemon
- May 14 — Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - Remastered trilogy
- May 14 — Subnautica: Below Zero - Underwater survival
- May 18 — Essays on Empathy - Collection of 10 story games
- May 20 — Grindstone - Goofy grid-based puzzler
- May 20 — Mind Scanners - Sci-fi narrative sim
- May 20 — Of Bird and Cage - Heavy metal interactive fiction
- May 21 — Knockout City - 3v3 dodgeball action
- May 25 — Biomutant - Kung-fu cat RPG
- May 25 — Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne - Another Atlus RPG classic
- May 25 — Strangeland - Surreal point & click adventure
- May 26 — Graven (early access) - Retro fantasy FPS
- May 27 — Solasta: Crown Of The Magister - Another D&D-based RPG
- May 27 — Weaving Tides - Woven puzzle platformer
2021 games: June
June is heating up with lots of familiar favorites. Legend Of Mana's HD remaster is arriving on PC along with the Ninja Gaiden master collection. The long-awaited Chivalry 2 is finally dropping this month as well, which should be plenty of chaos for the month.
June new game highlights
Chivalry 2 | June 8
Medieval fighting is having a comeback when Torn Banner Studios release the sequel to their competitive sword battling game. Battles can be bigger than ever this time with 64-player objective maps to tackle. Torn Banner has raised the standard again, according to our Chivalry 2 review.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 | June 4
Contracts 2 is going further than its predecessor with even longer range shots than before. This stealth FPS now has 1000 meter shots to tackle across its campaign. Get your briefing in our Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 review.
Backbone | June 8
This detective adventure game stars a raccoon in a trench coat but don't let that fool you. This one looks like a pretty dark, dystopian mystery story. Backbone has some super stylish visuals, what sounds like a great soundtrack, and a bit of stealth mixed with its point & click adventuring. Before you take a crack yourself, here's our Backbone impressions.
Scarlet Nexus | June 24
This sci-fi action RPG looks like a weird and wild adventure. You'll play a a psionic, a human with psychic abilities trained to fight the mutants called Others, which are wacky things giant human arms with a steam valve in the center. We break it all down in our Scarlet Nexus review.
June 2021 game releases
- June 1 — Griftlands - Story-heavy sci-fi deckbuilding roguelike (Our preview)
- June 1 — Going Medieval (early access) - Medieval city builder
- June 1 — Necromunda: Hired Gun - Warhammer 40k FPS
- June 2 — Hokko Life (early access) - Life and town sim
- June 3 — Critters For Sale - Psychedelic point & click
- June 3 — The Magnificent Trufflepigs - First-person story adventure
- June 4 — Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 - Tactical FPS campaign
- June 8 — Backbone - Noir animal detective mystery
- June 8 — Chivalry 2 - First Person Sworder (Our preview)
- June 9 — No More Heroes & NMH 2- Classic beat 'em up goofing
- June 9 — Ninja Gaiden Master Collection - Three Ninja Gaidens in one
- June 11 — Guilty Gear Strive - 2D anime fighter
- June 12 — Beasts of Maravilla Island - Magical photography adventure
- June 13 — Lumberhill - Co-op wood-cutting party game
- June 13 — Minute of Islands - Puzzling adventure
- June 15 — Wildermyth - Tactical RPG with procedural stories
- June 17 — Red Solstice 2: Survivors - Real-time tactics RPG
- June 17 — Roguebook - Roguelike deck-builder
- June 22 — Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance - Action-heavy D&D
- June 22 — Lego Builder's Journey - Charming puzzle game
- June 24 — Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX - 2D platformer
- June 24 — Legend of Mana HD Remaster - Classic Mana series RPG
- June 24 — Scarlet Nexus - Sci-fi action RPG
- June 30 — Townscaper - Casual building sandbox
2021 games: July
July has turned into a strong month for some console series that are headed to PC. Monster Hunter series spinoff Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are both great gets for PC players. If those aren't your speed, there's more Warhammer this month too.
July new game highlights
Monster Hunter Stories 2 | July 9
Monster Hunter Stories is the exceptionally cute spinoff series from the main Monster Hunter line. Unlike Monster Hunter World, you'll tame, befriend, and ride "monsties" and fight with them in turn-based battles.
Cris Tales | July 20
Cris Tales is a very stylish love letter to classic JRPGs. Crisbell's turn-based battles all hinge on controlling time, seeing the effects of your attacks in the future and using them to prepare in the present.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | July 27
We're finally starting to get more Ace Attorney games on PC and this collection has two great lawyering adventures. Following an ancestor of legendary Phoenix Wright, this one takes you back to the 1800s.
The Forgotten City | July 28
Originally an impressive Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City has now expanded into a much bigger standalone game. It takes you back to ancient Rome to solve the mystery of a city whose citizens were all turned to gold.
July 2021 game releases
- July 6 — Crowfall - PvP fantasy MMO
- July 8 — Boomerang X - Boomerang-based FPS
- July 9 — Monster Hunter Stories 2 - MonHunt's Pokemon-like spinoff
- July 12 — Claire de Lune - Portal-y puzzle adventure
- July 14 — Dream Engines (Early access) - Flying city-builder
- July 15 — Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - Turn-based strategy
- July 16 — F1 2021 - Formula One, now with story mode
- July 20 — Cris Tales - Turn-based time manipulation RPG
- July 20 — Death's Door - A crow with a sword harvests the souls of the dead
- July 20 — Mini Motorways - Tiny strategy sim
- July 22 — Last Stop - Supernatural sci-fi adventure
- July 23 — Orcs Must Die! 3 - Steam launch following Stadia exclusivity
- July 26 — Samurai Warriors 5 - Hack and slash series return
- July 27 — Alchemic Cutie - Slime farmer life sim
- July 27 — The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles - Historical lawyer drama
- July 27 — Hell Let Loose - WWII-based FPS
- July 27 — Idol Manager - Exactly what it sounds like
- July 27 — Tribes of Midgard - More Viking crafting survival
- July 27 — Neo: The World Ends With You - JRPG cult classic sequel
- July 28 — Final Fantasy Pixel Remake - Final Fantasies 1-6
- July 28 — The Forgotten City - Time-travel RPG based on a Skyrim mod
- July 28 — Chernobylite - Survival-horror RPG with Stalker vibe
- July 28 — Unbound: Worlds Apart - 2D puzzle platformer
- July 29 — The Ascent - Co-op cyberpunk shooter
- July 29 — Blaster Master Zero 3 - Metroid-y throwback
- July 29 — Eldest Souls - Boss rush action RPG
2021 games: August
Unless it winds up with another delay, August is officially the month that Amazon will push their first MMO out the door. It's joined by Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, the really lovely-looking action adventure we've had our eyes on since it was first revealed, and Amplitude's Civ-like Humankind.
August new game highlights
Humankind | August 17
Aiming to evolve world-building strategy, Humankind looks like a possible rival to Civilization. Amplitude Studios are challenging players to create civilizations that change and survive rather than dominating opponents.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits | August 24
The first game from former animation studio Ember Lab certainly looks the part. It's a very pretty world with shades of Zelda in its action combat and puzzling adventure. Let us guide you through it in our Kena: Bridge of Spirits preview.
New World | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.
August 2021 new game releases
- August 3 — Lemnis Gate - Time-loop multiplayer FPS
- August 5 — Death Trash - Splatterpunk RPG where puking is a skill (Early Access)
- August 5 — Starmancer - Spacebase building sim
- August 9 — Book Of Travels (early access) - Tiny MMO
- August 12 — Icarus - Day Z's creators next crafting survival
- August 12 — Naraka: Bladepoint - Multiplayer sword battler
- August 12 — Skatebird - Tony Hawk but with hawks (and other birds)
- August 17 — Humankind - 4X strategy game
- August 19 — 12 Minutes - Indie story thriller
- August 24 — Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Co-op shooter
- August 24 — Kena: Bridge of Spirits - Cinematic action adventure
- August 24 — Hoa - Hand-painted 2D platformer
- August 24 — King's Bounty 2 - Turn-based tactics
- August 25 — Psychonauts 2 - Classic 3D platformer sequel
- August 31 — KeyWe - Co-op puzzle platformer
- August 31 — New World - Amazon Games Studios' colonial MMO
2021 games: September
September is now host to a lot of Life Is Strange, between the new True Colors and a remaster of the original and its sequel. We're also looking forward to Arkane's new stylish shooter Deathloop and Rider's Republic too.
September new game highlights
Deathloop | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours or start over.
Tales of Arise | September 10
The latest Tales JRPG has been a long time coming, but it's looking promising, with a new engine and bigger budget than the series has seen in years. Expect some very anime drama and even faster action-RPG combat than past Tales games.
September 2021 game releases
- September 1 — Lake - Postal worker simulator
- September 2 — Riders Republic - Every extreme sports game in one
- September 2 — Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Old school CRPG
- September 3 — Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions - PvP boxing
- September 10 — Tales of Arise - Real-time battle JRPG adventure
- September 10 — Life Is Strange: True Colors - Small-town mystery
- September 14 — Deathloop - Arkane's FPS sandbox
- September 17 — Aragami 2 - Ninja stealth action
- September 23 — Sable - A lovely desert hoverbike adventure
- September 23 — Diablo 2: Resurrected - graphical overhaul of the action-RPG
- September 30 — Astria Ascending - JRPG written by a Final Fantasy writer
- September 30 — Hot Wheels Unleashed - Orange track arcade racer
- September 30 — Life is Strange Remastered - First game and prequel
- September ?? — Blood Bowl 3 (early access) - Truly fantasy football
2021 games: October
October is still a ways out but thanks to Back 4 Blood's delay we know at least one trick we'll be treated to for the month. More spooky games will definitely hit the schedule throughout the year.
October new game highlights
Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.
Back 4 Blood | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.
Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters.
October 2021 game releases
- October 12— Back 4 Blood - Essentially Left 4 Dead 3 (Our preview)
- October 22 — Battlefield 2042 - Near-future FPS with double the player count
- October 22 — House of Ashes - The third Dark Pictures horror story
- October 26 — Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Singleplayer action game
- October 28 — Age of Empires 4 - Real-time strategy
- October ?? — Len's Island - Island crafting adventure
2021 games: November
- November 9 — Forza Horizon 5 - Mexico-based racing sim
2021 games: December
- December 7 — Dying Light 2 - Zombie-killing parkour
- December ?? — Shredders - Open-world multiplayer snowboarding
2021 games: release dates to be announced
There are plenty of games that have been announced for this year but without a specific date set just yet. There are also plenty of games here that were planned for 2020 and have slipped the mark, which we're anticipating will release at some point in 2021. You might also spot just a bit of wishful thinking here. Will Tunic finally launch this year? What about Hollow Knight: Silksong? We sure hope so.
- AK-xolotl: Wars - Multiplayer bullet hell
- The Anacrusis - 70's style L4D-inspired shooter, expected Fall
- Arcade Paradise - Management adventure
- Archvale - Bullet hell RPG
- The Artful Escape - Psychedelic adventure game
- Atomic Heart - Sci-fi Soviet shooter
- Axiom Verge 2 - Sci-fi Metroidvania
- Babylon's Fall - Action RPG
- Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance - Classic hack and slash RPG
- The Big Con - 90's-themed teen crime caper
- Black Book - Card battler RPG
- Bloodhunt - A battle royale based on Vampire: The Masquerade
- Bonfire Peaks - Sokoban-style puzzler
- Boyfriend Dungeon - Rogue-like dating sim
- Bright Memory: Infinite - Action FPS
- Chasing Static - 1980s-inspired horror adventure in Wales
- Chenso Club - Co-op roguelike with cute chainsaws
- CONV/RGENCE: A League of Legends Story - Action platformer
- Despot's Game - Strategy roguelike
- Dodgeball Academia - Arcade sports
- Dread Templar - Retro FPS with bullet time
- Eastward - 2D indie RPG
- Evil Dead: The Game - Co-op zombie slayer
- Evil West - Cowboys vs. vampires
- Expeditions: Rome - Party-based strategy RPG
- Far: Changing Tides - Puzzle-y action adventure
- Freshly Frosted - Pastry-based puzzler
- Frog Detective 3 - Another amphibious mystery
- Get In The Car, Loser - Lesbian road trip RPG
- Ghostwire: Tokyo - Neon combat
- Glitchpunk - Top-down cyberpunk shooter
- The Good Life - Mysterious cat caper plus photography
- Grow: Song of the Evertree - Cosy worldbuilding sandbox
- Halo Infinite - Master Chief's next adventure
- Happy Game - Psychedelic horror adventure
- Happy's Humble Burger Farm - First-person horror
- Harold Halibut - Claymation space story
- Hollow Knight: Silksong - Challenging metroidvania
- Indiana Jones - MachineGames' (untitled) Indy game
- Inkulinati - Medieval animal strategy
- Jett: The Far Shore - Interstellar adventure
- Jurassic World Evolution 2 - Park sim sequel
- Know By Heart - Story-based adventure
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - Blocky beat-em-up
- Let's Build A Zoo - Cute park management
- Letters - A Written Adventure - 90's penpal story adventure
- Lord Winklebottom Investigates - Point & click adventure
- Lost Ark - Free-to-ply Korean action-RPG MMO
- N1RV-ANN-A - Cyberpunk bartending visual novel
- Neon White - Deck-building FPS
- Nighthawks - A vampire RPG from adventure game veterans
- No Longer Home - Point & click adventure
- OlliOlli World - OlliOlli but prettier
- Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals - Spooky mystery adventure
- Pixel Tactics Online - Turn-based tactics
- Pharaoh: A New Era - City builder remaster
- Rainbow Six Extraction - Tactical FPS spin-off with zombies
- Resident Evil 4 VR - Horror through Leon's eyes
- The Riftbreaker - Mech base building survival
- Road 96 - Hitchhiking story adventure
- Rocksmith+ - Guitar/bass-learning rhythm game becomes a subscription
- Rogue Lords - Turn-based roguelike of villains
- Roller Champions - Competitive roller derby
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story - Narrative adventure
- Rune Factory 4 Special - Farming and monster battling
- Scorn - First-person horror
- Serial Cleaners - Stealth action mob cleanup crew
- The Settlers - Reboot of classic build-up strategy game
- Shadow Warrior 3 - Guns, parkour, and gore galore
- Sifu - Kung-fu brawler from the creators of Absolver (fall)solar
- Solar Ash - Action adventure
- Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator - Management sim
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - Comedy narrative, expanded
- Stray - Adorable cyberpunk cats
- Tails of Iron - 2D action adventure
- Terra Nil - Reverse city-builder
- Toem - Photography adventure game
- Total War: Warhammer 3 - Grand strategy RTS with polar bear mounts
- Tunic - Cute fox adventure
- Unpacking - Organization puzzler
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Vermintide, but 40K
- Wartales - Gritty mercenary tactics (Early Access this year)
- Way to the Woods - Bambi adventure
- Weird West - Dishonored dev does a top-down immersive sim
- Windjammers 2 - Classic disc tennis sequel
- Witchbrook - Wizarding school life sim
- Wolfstride - Comic book-y turn-based mech battles
- Wrath: Aeon of Ruin - Quake-like retro shooter
- Young Souls - Artistic 2D beat-em-up
What's moved to 2022?
Some games expected for 2021 have already announced delays to 2022, or just confirmed next year as their release date in the first place. Here's what you can look forward to next year:
- January 21, 2022 - Elden Ring - From Software's next big RPG
- 2022 — Gotham Knights - Crime-fighting team up
- 2022 — Hogwarts Legacy - Magical RPG
- 2022 — Kerbal Space Program 2 - Physics disaster in space
- 2022 — The Lord of the Rings: Gollum - Fantasy spinoff RPG
- 2022? — Skull & Bones - Naval RPG
- 2022? — Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Blood-sucking sim - Our preview
- 2022? — Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake - Action adventure
via IFTTT
Post a Comment