Before we get into the reasons why 2025 will possibly be the biggest year in videogame history, I owe you an apology.
Twelve months ago, in my predictions for 2024, I wrote, "After years of speculation, all evidence points to 2024 as the year when Nintendo finally announces the successor to its immensely successful console, Nintendo Switch." I even said a 2024 announcement was "inevitable." But… not a sausage. Not even in the face of swirling speculation. Beyond confirming that a new console is coming, the house of Mario stayed resolutely schtum. I'm so sorry.
So here we are, a year later, with me predicting the following: All evidence points to 2025 as the year when Nintendo finally announces the successor to its immensely successful console, Nintendo Switch.
No, wait, hear me out. Nintendo has actually announced an announcement. The company says it will reveal its new system before the end of the fiscal year. That means a March 2025 reveal at the very latest. And while I'll never use the word "inevitable" about Nintendo ever again, it seems likely that it would put the new system on sale within a few months of announcing it, right? <i>Right?</i>
So then the question becomes, what will the as-yet-unnamed system be like? And what kind of games will launch with it?
Switch 2 Hints
Toward the end of 2024, console accessories maker Dbrand began advertising its own protective cases for the Switch's successor. It says the cases are based on the actual dimensions of the hardware. Other mockups have emerged online too, with a similar look.
If these are to be believed, the new console will repeat the Switch's hybrid home console/handheld console form factor (which would be a wise move). However, it would have a slightly larger body and screen. And JoyCons would connect to the main unit by strong magnets rather than the current system's rattly rails.
All of this is good news and in line with Nintendo's comments that games from the current Switch will carry over to the new console. It's also consistent with continuing the Nintendo Switch Online membership system. Meanwhile, we should expect the Switch 2 to have higher specs giving games better visual fidelity and framerate performance than the now-aging Switch.
The Price Tag?
The price is anyone's guess. This past year or so we have seen the global economy trigger price rises for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. That could mean a higher price for the new Nintendo console too. But that said, Nintendo is in the business of making family-friendly consoles at family-friendly prices. For that reason, I think the company is more likely to cut the specs back to offer a lower price.
Therefore, I predict the new console will launch at $349.99 USD or ¥37,980 JPY, which is the price of its most expensive current model. Meanwhile, the older Switch consoles should drop in price accordingly.
Games for the New Console
As for games, Nintendo's first-party studios have been quiet in 2024 and are surely hard at work on games for the new system. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Mario, and we are long overdue for a new 3D Mario game. So I'm confident we'll get at least one new Mario platformer at or close to the console's launch.
As the Switch's biggest sellers, Mario Kart and Smash Bros will surely also get new entries this year. I hope to see Switch classics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild upscaled to take advantage of the new hardware. Also, I expect that Metroid Prime 4 will come to the new console as well as the old one.
Nintendo has been pushing Donkey Kong hard these past couple of years. Given his appearance in The Super Mario Brothers Movie and Universal Studios Japan, it seems likely Nintendo will announce a brand new DK game in 2025.
Pokémon and Other Second-party Games
Nintendo-adjacent second-party games like Pokémon Legends Z-A will hopefully expand upon the semi-open world of 2022's Legends: Arceus.
Of course, the massive success of the Switch means other publishers are doubtless lining up to release games for its successor. So this year we will also see a ton of new games and ports of older ones from Nintendo's partners.
Among them, could Capcom finally bring Monster Hunter World to Nintendo hardware? Or, could it announce a sequel to Monster Hunter Rise? Would Ubisoft, which is always present for a new hardware launch, bring its recent Star Wars Outlaws or an Assassin's Creed game over? Will Sega port more of its popular Like a Dragon series to the new platform, now that a version of the first game Yakuza Kiwami is available on Switch?
Microsoft has said it will eventually bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo hardware. So will we see Black Ops 6 or Warzone? And how about perennials like Minecraft, Apex Legends, and Fortnite? I'm going to go ahead and predict all of the above, although maybe not all this year!
Biggest Game Launch
While the launch of a new game console is always big news, there will be plenty more to look forward to in 2025. In what will perhaps be the biggest game launch of all time, Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release at some point this year.
GTA 5 was first released in 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It has consistently entered the monthly sales charts in the US and other regions ever since, with 205 million copies across various platforms. Behind Minecraft, it is the second-best-selling game of all time. And 12 years later, the excitement for its sequel is at fever pitch.
GTA 6 is set in the fictional state of Leonida, which is based on Florida. The setting includes Miami-inspired Vice City from previous games. Within its open world, expect more freedom than ever before to live out your perfect thug-life fantasy. Along with that, enjoy satirical observations and parodies of modern American and online culture, from social media to internet memes.
Mega-hit Monster Hunter Wilds
Another mega-hit will surely be Monster Hunter Wilds. Once ignored by global audiences despite its popularity in Japan, the franchise has become Capcom's biggest-selling series worldwide. It has even overtaken Resident Evil and Street Fighter.
Wilds is the first to be developed for new-generation hardware and offers a massive living ecosystem of monsters that travel in herds. Early previews have promised a visual and technical marvel offering hundreds of hours of hunting action. Its February 28 release will likely be a highlight of the year.
Valentine's 'Shadows'
I'm also excited to finally go hands-on with Assassin's Creed Shadows, which comes out on Valentine's Day. Set in feudal Japan, the game offers a view of historical fiction that follows twin protagonists with two very different gameplay styles: Yasuke, a samurai, whose brute force encourages vicious melee combat; and Naoe, a shinobi who draws strength from the shadows.
The game's use of changing seasons will offer gorgeous glimpses of Japan. It will also alter the way you play, with ice making stealth options such as rooftops treacherous and lakes inaccessible, and summer sun pushing away the shadows. Of course, the Assassin's Creed games have always been excellent at blending real-world history with fantasy, and despite some early controversy online, I'm ready to give Shadows the benefit of the doubt.
In the Year of the Snake
2025 is of course the Year of the Snake. Therefore, it is fitting that the much-anticipated release of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is set to arrive sometime this year. 2004's Snake Eater is one of the most popular games in the Metal Gear series. This full remake promises a faithful recreation of Hideo Kojima's espionage story with modern graphics and gameplay.
So far what we've seen looks great. Furthermore, Konami earned a ton of trust from fans with 2024's excellent remake of Silent Hill 2. So hopes are high for the return of the young Big Boss.
Kojima himself, meanwhile, will release his own anticipated new game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, sometime in 2025. This one has a new and delightfully bizarre supernatural sci-fi story to enjoy.
More Fan Favorites
Some other games to look out for in 2025 include the February 21 release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It's a spinoff from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that follows fan-favorite antihero Goro Majima on the seven seas of Hawaii. Another is Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. This one heralds the return of Uncharted developer Amy Hennig with a big-budget Marvel adventure starring Captain America and Black Panther.
There is also Showa American Story. This is a bonkers-looking action game from China that reimagines 1980s USA as a colony of Japan. It is dripping with period references and B-movie humor.
We can also expect a rare wave of high-profile games from South Korea, with Soulslike action game The First Berserker: Khazan on March 27. It's followed immediately by ultra-lifelike simulation game inZOI on March 28. Also, action-heavy Crimson Desert is expected out later in the year.
Independent Releases
And don't forget the indies! This year I'm excited for KISS: K-pop Idol StorieS - Road To Debut, in which you manage your own K-pop girlband. Another promising game is Lost and Found Co, a" Where's Waldo"-esque interactive picturebook crammed with hidden items. Coffee Talk Tokyo is also expected out. It's a new Japan-based entry in the endearing series of caffeinated visual novels. And there are so many more.
If all that sounds like a lot to take in, don't worry – my Gamer's World column will be here to talk you through what could be the biggest year in gaming history, as we slither together through the Year of the Snake.
Follow our special New Year's series, Predictions 2025.
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Author: Daniel Robson
Daniel Robson is the chief editor of videogame news site IGN Japan. Read his series Gamer's World on JAPAN Forward, and find him on X (formerly Twitter).
