With the launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X now behind us, we’re turning our attention toward what we’ll be playing on our shiny new hardware — as well as last-gen consoles, Switch, and PC — in the months ahead. From flagship console exclusives like God of War: Ragnarok and Halo Infinite to third-party blockbusters like Far Cry 6 and Hogwarts Legacy, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2021.
So as 2020 comes to an end, we’re highlighting the 42 biggest games expected to be released in the new year. Continue scrolling for more on the year’s biggest games, or click through the gallery below for our running list of all 32 games with solid 2021 release dates (not just release windows). [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"]Hitman 3
Agent 47 returns in January for the conclusion of IO Interactive’s World of Assassination Trilogy. The series’ next entry will “act as a platform for the entire trilogy,” according to IO, meaning all locations from its two previous Hitman games will be playable in Hitman 3.The Medium
The Medium is a next-gen horror game with a unique hook: it renders two versions of the game world simultaneously, allowing players to switch seamlessly between the “real world” and the “spirit world” at any time. Legendary composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) is working on the soundtrack.Outriders
Outriders is a one- to three-player, drop-in-drop-out co-op game from People Can Fly (Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment). It’s part action-RPG, part looter-shooter, as noted in IGN’s hands-on preview, which called it “Mass Effect meets Diablo.”Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Nintendo’s excellent Wii U platformer comes to Switch in February with an all-new expansion called Bowser’s Fury. It features 4-player co-op (both online and local) and will be released alongside new Cat Mario and Cat Peach amiibo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/super-mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-the-game-awards-2020-spot"]Riders Republic
Riders Republic is an open-world extreme sports game from Ubisoft Annecy, the studio behind Steep. It features five playable sports — skiing, snowboarding, downhill biking, wingsuiting, and rocket wingsuiting — in an open-world comprising seven national parks in the western U.S.
Bravely Default 2
The Bravely franchise comes to Switch for the first time with Bravely Default 2. Despite what its title suggests, this is the third entry in Square Enix's RPG franchise, following Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer on 3DS.Destruction AllStars
Destruction AllStars combines vehicular and on-foot combat, and it's coming exclusively to PS5 in February. It will be released as one of the month’s free PlayStation Plus games.
Returnal
Developer Housemarque, known for excellent twin-stick shooters like Resogun, is stepping into a new genre with Returnal. Described as a third-person roguelike shooter, Returnal is set on a procedurally generated alien world. The PS5 exclusive will take advantage of the system’s SSD and 3D audio, as well as the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
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It Takes Two
It Takes Two is the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, the studio behind A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. With It Takes Two, the studio aims to build on its established formula of blending co-op gameplay with engaging storytelling. It will “blow your f**king mind away," said game director Josef Fares.
Monster Hunter Rise
Capcom’s next Monster Hunter is a Nintendo Switch exclusive with a focus on verticality. Rise is the first of two Monster Hunter games being released next year for Switch; the second, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, is expected in mid-2021. The two games will feature some level of “compatibility,” though Capcom has yet to detail exactly what that means.
Roller Champions
Roller Champions is a free-to-play, roller-derby-inspired sports game. It features 3v3 competitive multiplayer, customizable characters, and at least three different arenas, according to Ubisoft.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Developed by Airship Syndicate (Darksiders Genesis), Ruined King is the first-ever single-player League of Legends game. The turn-based RPG allows you to control a party of League heroes, such as Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke.
Deathloop
Deathloop is a stylish first-person action game from Arkane Studios, the makers of Dishonored and Prey. It’s a tale of two assassins doing eternal battle on the “retro-future, ‘60s-inspired” island of Blackreef, as one kills to break the island’s time loop and the other kills to preserve it. Deathloop is a timed console exclusive on PS5 that will take advantage of the DualSense controller’s unique features.