
July Games Release Dates 2025 – What's New on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
2025 has already seen some massive video game releases – as well as the launch of a brand-new console in the Nintendo Switch 2 – and it doesn't look to be letting up anytime soon.
July is typically a quiet month for video game releases, but with the launch of the Switch 2 and developers around the world trying to make the most of the Summer, gamers have plenty to look forward to on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
We've put together this list of the most anticipated games releasing in July 2025, including their release date, release platforms, and trailers where available.
EA Sports College Football 26 – July 10
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Summer is a good time of year for sports game fans, with usually a few great titles getting released throughout the season. 2025 is no different, and while Madden is still a little while away – that's not due until August – there's plenty of football on offer this July with the release of EA Sports College Football 26. It's nominally dated for July 10, 2025, but buyers of the deluxe edition can start playing three days earlier, on July 7, 2025.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 – July 11
Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Activision blew everyone away with its remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 in 2021, and it's back for more with remakes of the next two games. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a package containing remakes of some of the best games in the series, with THPS 3 especially being one of the highest-rated games of all time on Metacritic. There are a few changes to THPS 4, which has changed from an open world structure to the same timed structure as the first three games, but it's likely to be a fantastic release nonetheless, and it's coming to basically every platform under the sun.
Donkey Kong Bananza – July 17
Release platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Donkey Kong in his Kong Bananza form in Donkey Kong Bananza.
Donkey Kong in his Kong Bananza form in Donkey Kong Bananza.
Nintendo
The first Nintendo first-party game since the release of the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza is a reinvention for gaming's greatest ape, bringing huge open levels, terrain destruction and manipulation, and what looks to be a surprisingly deep story. Last month's Donkey Kong Bananza Direct showed the game looking utterly phenomenal, and it could very well turn out to be one of the best Nintendo games ever made.
Shadow Labyrinth – July 17
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Releasing on the same day as Donkey Kong Bananza is a strange little game developed by Bandai Namco called Shadow Labyrinth. The name might not give it away too much, but this is actually a dark and gritty Metroidvania take on Pac-Man, of all things, and it looks bizarre and quite fun. The game was teased with an episode of the anthology series Secret Level, which acts as a prequel to the game, so you might want to catch up on the lore before you get stuck in.
Wildgate – July 22
Release platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC
Wildgate is a fascinating PVP space combat game described by developer Moonshot Games as a "crew-based first-person shooter" where players team up to pilot a ship, engage in space combat and ship-to-ship raids, and try to either escape or be the last ship standing. Moonshot Games is one of the studios under the Dreamhaven banner, a new developer and publisher founded in 2020 by former Blizzard co-founder Michael Morhaime and staffed with Blizzard veterans. It promises to be a very interesting game, so it's definitely one to keep an eye on.
Monument Valley 3 – July 22
Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
The third game in the Monument Valley series promises to bring mind-bending puzzles and chill vibes to players, much like the first two games. Those games were both received very well, and are among the most celebrated of indie puzzle games of all time. The game is already out on mobile devices for subscribers to Netflix, but on July 22 it's coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – July 24
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
There's no shortage of soulslikes on the market, but Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks like it could bring a fascinating new dynamic to the genre. This game has faster, more aggressive combat that pushes the focus onto dodging rather than parrying, which should lead to some very different – and likely very difficult – combat.
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files – July 25
Release platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
AI: The Somnium Files was a fantastic investigation game, and its sequel, while great, was missing everyone's favorite protagonist from the first game. No Sleep For Kaname Date brings the eponymous character back into action, with a new canon game set in-between the first game in the second. This game brings new escape room sections to the game, alongside the traditional investigation and Somnium sections, so it should be very interesting for fans of the series.
Grounded 2 – July 29
Release platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (early access)
Obsidian Entertainment is on a roll this year, having released Avowed earlier this year, and The Outer Worlds 2 on the way later this year. Somehow, the developer also managed to squeeze in a sequel to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids-inspired Grounded. The first game was a massive hit, and Grounded 2 looks to be even bigger — or smaller, depending on how you look at it. Either way, this is launching into early access this July, so it won't be entirely finished or get a wider release just yet, but if Grounded is anything to go by it should be pretty good from the get-go either way.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game – July 29
Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Tales of the Shire is a cozy little life-sim game that's been in development for quite some time. You get to cook, fish, explore, and customize your hobbit home — a lovely and cozy hobbit lifestyle without any cursed rings and demonic invaders. This was supposed to be released in 2024, but it's finally almost here, and will be playable on just about any platform you'd want to play it on.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – July 31
Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
The Ninja Gaiden series has long held a reputation as an unforgiving and fast-paced hack-and-slash game, and the newest entry in the series looks to be no different. It's a side-scrolling action game developed by The Game Kitchen, best known for its similarly brutal Blasphemous games, so it should be pretty good, and exactly what fans of the Ninja Gaiden series are looking for.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Tony Hawk On Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Release: ‘The Nostalgia Is Obvious'
Tony Hawk will be releasing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, a re-release from the iconic video game ... More series. (Photo byfor Activision) For everyone who is looking to relive their childhood, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be re-released. The legendary games will be released on major consoles on July 11, marking the second time that Hawk's games have been re-released in this current generation. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 was re-released in 2020 and 2021 on the current generation of consoles. "The nostalgia is obvious, and with our game coming out, the nostalgia for that is very strong," says Hawk in a one-on-one interview. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. The first game was released in 1999 at a time when extreme sports was just starting to become a mainstream genre. The game's release came just months after Hawk landed the first-ever 900 at X Games V. The original series generated over $1.4 billion in sales, with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 being the best-selling game of the franchise with over two million copies in the United States alone. The new edition will feature all of the notable skaters from the original games -- Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska and Hawk himself -- along with multiple new current skaters. The game will also feature skateboard legend Bam Margera, something that Hawk had to push tremendously for. Margera will be included as a secret skater in the re-release of the game. While the game is very true to the original versions -- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 were released in 2001 and 2002 -- Hawk mentions that the re-release will feature new added elements, including new maps and levels. "Based on the success of our last remaster (1+2), I think it'll be great," says Hawk of the game's re-release. "This one is more of a remake. We have some of the iconic levels from three and four, I think the ones that people most identify with. We also added some new maps and new levels, which I wanted to do." There will be several new skaters added to the original lineup, including Chloe Covell -- youngest women's street gold medalist in X Games history -- Rayssa Neal, Yuto Horigome, Jamie Foy and Zion Wright. There's a number of new international skaters in the game, which represents the growing popularity of extreme sports across the world. Foy is considered the 'best street skater' these days, according to Hawk. Meanwhile, Hawk calls the 26-year-old Wright a 'machine.' The game will also feature new songs, with Hawk saying he didn't want to repeat the old soundtrack. He also cites wanting to bring songs that resonates with the current generation. "I'm excited to venture into new territory and give people a chance to skate and do combos in different areas in new areas," says Hawk. "We've updated the skaters so they reflect the current roster of the people you see either competing or in Thrasher Magazine, while still honoring the original characters." Skateboarding debuted at the Olympics in 2020 and Hawk points towards that as a major reason for the international growth of the sport. "With the Olympics inclusion, that has helped to open eyes to skating in other countries that maybe hadn't embraced it or considered it before," says Hawk. "I feel like the international growth is even bigger. If you look at the top competitors now, so many are from Japan, from Australia, from Brazil, and that element is growing." A total of 80 skateboarders participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics from 25 different countries. Japan won the most medals (five, three gold) with Brazil pulling in three total medals. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 features Horigome (who won gold in the men's street competition) and Brazilian skater Rayssa Leal, who won silver in the women's street competition. "Obviously, the United States is still doing well, but I feel like it has become much more international," says Hawk. "I'm thankful for that, because it gives kids a chance to try it wherever they are." In collaboration with the re-release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, Hawk is partnering with an old friend of his -- none other than popular cereal character Tony The Tiger. For those that aren't familiar, Hawk was Tony The Tiger's stunt double in 1990 for a commercial. "I've been a fan of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes since I could choose my own breakfast," says Hawk. "But I got to work on a commercial in 1990 where I was the stunt double for Tony The Tiger. It's the early days of animating things over actual video. It was a little archaic, but I think it looked great. I had to wear a skin tight suit." Tony Hawk and Tony The Tiger for Kellogg's collaboration with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. While Hawk is a mega star and has been over the past quarter century, that wasn't the case in the early 90's. This preceded the debut of the X Games and Hawk hitting the innovative 900 move. It also preceded the release of his popular video game series by nearly a decade. The 57-year-old says he was just thankful to get work at that time, considering vert skaters didn't receive much recognition in the early 90's. "My friend Chris Miller was the main character in the commercial, so I ended up filming him as well," Hawk details. "I was the cameraman, and I was Tony The Tiger in that commercial. At the time, there weren't a lot of opportunities for skateboarders, especially vertical half-pipe skateboarders, so I was thankful to get a job, to be honest." Tony Hawk and Tony The Tiger will be partnering up for a collaboration in time for Tony Hawk's Pro ... More Skater 3 + 4. The two Tony's will be teaming up again at the Vert Alert Legends Demo in Salt Lake City, Utah. "Here we are 35 years later, and we've incorporated Tony the Tiger into the game with some of the merch," says Hawk. "I got to hang out with him on my ramp a couple weeks ago, and he is coming to our big event in Salt Lake City, the Vert Alert on July 18 and 19th. He'll actually be there in person. It's beyond any dream I would have had, because I didn't imagine I'd even get to be a pro skater into my old age." Limited edition skateboards will be released to five fans, including autographed merchandise at the Vert Alert Legends Demo. "To bring those two elements together for me is an amazing collaboration," says Hawk of teaming up with Tony The Tiger again. "We'll be doing some giveaways with some prize packs, Tony the Tiger skateboards, limited edition Frosted Flakes boxes. I'm doing some social media stuff with Tony. It's a meeting of the Tonys, which has been pretty cool. We actually created our own handshake."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
"We must change our methods": Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai says game development has become "too time consuming and unsustainable"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Kirby and Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has spoken about the current state of game development and why he believes it is becoming "unsustainable." You rarely hear much about developers when it comes to Nintendo games, but Masahiro Sakurai is well known as a workaholic. From 2012 until 2021, he worked on Super Smash Bros. non-stop between the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch editions, in the midst of suffering from calcific tendonitis. And in the five months he had off in between finishing up with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and his then-unknown next project – which was revealed to be Kirby Air Riders in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct – he created two-and-a-half years' worth of content for a YouTube channel. However, even Sakurai is beginning to think large-scale development is getting to be a bit wild, as we're currently in an era where it looks like developers like Naughty Dog will end up going a full console generation without a new game. Speaking to Yahoo Japan (translated via Source Gaming), Sakurai responds to a question asking what he believes the future of the gaming market holds, saying that, "To be honest, it's hard to see what the future holds. I think we've reached a point where creating large-scale games like we do now is too time consuming and unsustainable." He says developers must adapt to new ways of thinking: "I believe we are at a stage where we must change our methods, such as by using generative AI to improve work efficiency." Sakurai adds, "It seems that only companies that can adapt well to these changes will survive in the coming era." While Sakurai presents generative AI as a tool that could be used to ease game development troubles, he doesn't clarify if it's something he himself is particularly interested in using. Given how Sakurai's games typically have a ton of personal touches where you see them and think, "yep, that's a Sakurai thing," I'd be shocked if he started using the plagiarism machine. Super Smash Bros. creator says instead of making more "Americanized works," Japanese devs should "seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games."


Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
007 First Light Preview: 'We've Built a James Bond For Games'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Bond is back, but you're not going to recognize him. In the first Bond game since 2012's dire 007: Legends, a game so bad it lost publisher Activision the Bond rights, the iconic spy is reborn as a 26-year-old rookie agent yet to earn his stars. According to Christian Elverdam, CCO of 007 First Light developer IO Interactive, the pitch to Bond custodian's Amazon MGM was simple: what if the people behind the Hitman series turned their hands to an even more iconic assassin? The newly unveiled Bond for 007 First Light The newly unveiled Bond for 007 First Light IO Interactive "We're very comfortable building a lot of different locations with social gameplay," Elverdam tells Newsweek. "And completing your missions without shooting. And so a big part of that [pitch] was actually just showing how Hitman plays as everything but a shooter - a very creative, stealth-action/spycraft game." There are plenty of crossovers between James Bond and Agent 47. They both travel the globe undertaking vital missions against shadowy villains, are well-trained in stealth and subterfuge, and equally comfortable shooting off firearms as well as their silver tongues. They're also fond of the odd disguise. Elverdam says 007 First Light will deploy every facet of Bond in delivering a similar plurality of gameplay styles, with multiple routes towards completing your objective. Is 007 First Light a Shooter? "This version is a Bond 360-degree experience," says Elverdam. "We also wanted to up our game when it comes to melee combat, shooting, also the fluent shift between melee and shooting, and then up the spectacle moments." For examples of 007 First Light's open-ended approach, Elverdam lets slip a secret: "Dissect the trailer because we left a few clues in there." 007 First Light Trailer At one point in the game's one and only gameplay trailer, you'll see Bond pick someone's pocket, suggesting his nimble fingers will let you steal keys and potentially plant evidence. There's also a look at the amateur agent's messy shooting technique, which sees him improvise by throwing his pistol when it runs out of ammo. This is a more desperate firefight than a polished enemy dispatch. 007 First Light Cars The frantic car chase is another staple of any Bond film. In the trailer, we see him speeding his gleaming motor through a sleepy European village. Add to copious use of gadgets (a laser watch, drone, and earpiece letting you communicate with handlers), and you have a game that finally seems to be getting Bond right. Elverdam calls them "gameplay verbs" - different actions you can take aimed at making you feel like Bond. For IO Interactive, the key consideration was propelling players through a faster story. That, however, comes at the cost of map size. A shot of the driving sequences in 007 First Light A shot of the driving sequences in 007 First Light IO Interactive 007 First Light Map Size 007 First Light's maps aren't on the scale of Hitman's sprawling but sedate social sandboxes, which invite replay after replay. IO Interactive discovered that leaning too far in this direction risked diluting Bond. "James Bond is a character-driven game, and it's a character-driven story. So you need obviously some forward momentum that is centred around James and his motivations." Is 007 First Light Like Hitman? That forward momentum comes in the form of funnelling - in other words, when the levels get narrower and the only way is straight ahead. Elverdam says 007 First Light is structurally similar to 2012's Hitman Absolution, albeit executed a whole lot better. "I think we've integrated the story very smoothly into the different missions. So it doesn't feel staccato," says Elverdam. "But the idea is obviously that you don't feel like this big distinction between when you're playing and when you're in cutscenes. It's much more fluent this time around." Action isn't Hitman's strong suit. Shooting has always felt stilted, and melee is more of a button-matching mini-game. That all changes for 007 First Light. 007 First Light Shooting Gameplay Shooting-wise, you'll be getting some extra help in the form of gentle auto-aim. "You just tend to hit some shots that you might, let's just say, behind the scenes, you might have missed them a little bit," says Elverdam. It's more about having fun than mastering the mechanics. Melee, meanwhile, has plenty more depth. "There is what I would call a real game in there," says Elverdam. "In Hitman it's much less of a game and much more of just pushing a button." 007 First Light Engine A dramatically updated Glacier engine powers the spectacle, with vastly more detailed NPCS, better animation, and overall higher world fidelity. We see Bond strut around glitzy hotel resorts, explore mountain chateaus, and parkour across nighttime cityscapes. IO Interactive even had to learn fresh filming techniques to make the game feel more cinematic, from nailing the camera motion to applying the right lens. It's all part of the new 360-degree Bond. "It's important to get that mixture right. It's almost like mixing the perfect cocktail. You need the right amount of everything." Hopefully shaken, not stirred. 007 First Light Release Date - When Does 007 First Light Release? 007 First Light is set to release for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. There is no specific release date at this time.