Xbox in 2025: Key Games and What to Expect

Every year, it feels like we’re on the verge of Xbox’s big breakthrough and then it never comes. As for 2024, while it had highlights such as Hellblade 2, and impressive (albeit late) releases such as STALKER 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Indy and the Great Circle, it still felt wanting. But 2025 could be the year Xbox lives up to its potential.

Why 2025 Could Be Xbox’s Biggest Year Since 2021: Key Games and Expectations

The year launches impressively with Obsidian’s first-person fantasy RPG Avowed, scheduled to release on February 18. Its “Skyrim Lite” approach has impressed during demos and shows, yielding a potentially great 25-40-hour experience. A prequel to Doom Eternal entitled Doom: The Dark Ages is also due in 2025 and has a good shot at an early-year release. Another major release is Fable, developed by Playground Games. Fans are hopeful about this return for the beloved action RPG against a backdrop of Playground’s quality run with Forza Horizon 5.

More niche but nonetheless exciting releases coming to Xbox include South of Midnight, a third-person action-adventure title from We Happy Few developer Compulsion Games; and Replaced, a cyberpunk pixel-art side-scroller that features more dev-oriented craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Call of Duty will continue as a tentpole title for Xbox, and fans will get that on game pass day one people, and Minecraft will probably get a fair amount of in-game content to prepare for its movie coming up.

On the hardware front, no major upgrades are expected in 2025. While the Xbox Series X and Series S may see minor revisions, new hardware seems unlikely. Rare’s Everwild and Halo’s future remain uncertain, and The Outer Worlds 2 is confirmed for 2025. Other titles like Contraband and a potential Elder Scrolls IV remaster are possible wildcards. Xbox’s commitment to delivering solid first-party games in 2025 could mark the beginning of a new era for the console.

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