The last time a new “Grand Theft Auto” game launched, Barack Obama was president and Bruce Willis was still filming “Die Hard” movies. Since then, fans have been clamoring for a new entry to the series, but the success of “Grand Theft Auto V” and its online component gave the title a ridiculously long tail that has spanned two console generations.
Suffice to say, plenty of pent up demand has built for “Grand Theft Auto VI.” The upcoming titles returns the franchise to the state of Leonida, Rockstar Games’ version of Florida, and its main metropolis Vice City. Not much is known beyond the open-world games’ two characters, Lucia, and her male partner, and some of the locales featured in the trailer.
As the hype train leaves the station in 2025, expect a slow drip of information and setting up excitement to reach a fever pitch for what’s likely to be the biggest game of the year. It has no release date other than fall of 2025.
Although that’s the most anticipated title, there are plenty of other heavy hitters coming in 2025, including a slew of sequels such as “Monster Hunter Wilds,” “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” and “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.” Other notable titles include “inZOI,” which is an intriguing life simulation from Krafton that looks comparable to “The Sims” but with better visuals.
Lastly, gamers are expecting Nintendo to launch a successor to the Nintendo Switch. The portable console has been showing its age over the past few years. A new machine from Nintendo will be just as big as “Grand Theft Auto VI” and will likely be one of the most in-demand holiday gift if you want to get a jump on next year’s shopping.
All of this means that 2025 is shaping up to be a strong year for video games, and it could potentially be the best since 2018.