The year 2025 turned out to be honestly one of the wildest rides the gaming industry has seen in a while—like genuinely wild. Between record-breaking launches and massive delays (we’re looking at you GTA 6), indie darlings sweeping major awards and industry giants stumbling hard, this year had pretty much everything. Let’s break down what actually happened over these twelve months because honestly there’s a lot to unpack here.
Nintendo Switch 2 steals the show
Nintendo dropped the Switch 2 in July 2025 and the thing sold like absolute crazy. We’re talking 3.5 million units in the first four days which made it Nintendo’s fastest-selling console launch ever—faster than the original Switch, faster than everything basically. Ten million units in six months is genuinly impressive even though the price increase had some people grumbling about paying more for the privilege.
The launch lineup wasn’t huge but what was there performed well. Mario Kart World won best sports/racing game at The Game Awards and Donkey Kong Bananza took home best family game. Not bad for a new console’s first year honestly, especially considering how sparse Nintendo’s release schedule can be sometimes.
PlayStation and Xbox? Pretty quiet year hardware-wise. Both companies dealt with tariff issues (thanks politics) that pushed prices up in the US and Canada which didn’t help anyone. The focus seemed more on software and services rather than new boxes under TVs, which left Nintendo dominating the hardware conversation pretty much all year.
Monster Hunter Wilds absolutely crushes it
Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds launched in February and man did it perform. The game sold over 10 million copies by March becoming Capcom’s fastest-selling title ever—those numbers were 40% higher than Monster Hunter World at launch which was already huge so yeah that’s saying something.
The game stayed at number one in US sales charts for months, only ocasionally getting bumped by newer releases. The fully open-world biomes with dynamic weather (instead of those segmented areas we used to deal with) and deeper story focus brought in tons of new players while keeping veterans happy. Cross-play support across all platforms helped too since that’s something the series needed for ages honestly.
PC performance had some issues at launch with stuttering and optimization problems even on high-end systems but Capcom patched most of that over the following months. The engagement numbers stayed strong throughout the year which is what really matters.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows comeback
After multiple delays—like seriously so many delays—Ubisoft finally launched Assassin’s Creed Shadows in March and honestly it turned out way better than people expected. The game was Ubisoft’s second-best AC launch ever and held the top spot in US sales for three straight weeks after release which must have been a massive relief for them.
The dual protagonist system with Naoe (shinobi) and Yasuke (samurai) worked really well giving players different combat and stealth approaches. The feudal Japan setting that fans had been begging for literally years finally delivered with a massive detailed world. By mid-year it was neck and neck with Monster Hunter Wilds for best-selling game of 2025 in several markets.
Ubisoft needed this win badly and they got it. The game received strong reviews and positive player sentiment which was honestly a relief after all the development drama and delays and corporate restructuring stuff. They even announced the Claws of Awaji DLC for later in the year along with continued support so the game has legs.
Clair Obscur makes history (and controversy)
Here’s where things get interesting. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 from French indie studio Sandfall Interactive launched in April and became one of the year’s biggest surprises—like nobody saw this coming. The turn-based RPG went on to win 9 awards at The Game Awards in December including Game of the Year. That’s more than any game has ever won at the show beating Baldur’s Gate 3’s previous record which is wild when you think about it.
The game sold over 5 million copies and critics loved it for its Belle Époque-inspired visuals, innovative combat system and emotional storytelling. Jennifer English (yeah from Baldur’s Gate 3) won Best Performance for her role as Maelle and the game swept categories like Best Narrative, Best Art Direction and Best Score. Absolute domination basically.
But there was controversy too—because there’s always controversy these days right. The developers admitted to using generative AI in parts of development which led to backlash from some players and developers. The Indie Game Awards actually retracted Clair Obscur’s awards after the AI use was confirmed showing how divisive the topic remains in 2025. So yeah the game’s legacy is complicated.
GTA 6 delays: the saga continues
The most anticipated game in the industry kept everyone waiting. Again. Rockstar pushed GTA 6 from its vague 2025 window first to May 2026 then again to November 2026. The company faced criticism not just for delays but also for internal issues including reported union busting and layoffs that drew political attention in the UK which honestly wasn’t a great look.
The silence from Rockstar after the December 2023 trailer left fans increasingly anxious—we’re talking over 400 days passing without real news, screenshots, nothing. Take-Two kept insisting the game would come (they have to say that obviously) but the repeated delays shifted the entire industry’s release calendar. Publishers who had games planned around GTA 6’s absence suddenly had to rethink their strategies because nobody wants to launch near GTA 6.
Despite everything GTA 6 won Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards for the second year running. Rumors about a potential Switch 2 port emerged when Take-Two’s CEO mentioned supporting the new Nintendo console though nothing was confirmed and honestly that seems unlikely given the hardware gap but who knows anymore.
Other major releases worth mentioning
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered hit 4 million players in its first week proving that well-done remasters still have a huge audience. The game shot up to second place in US sales charts in May which is pretty impressive for a game that originally came out in 2006.
Split Fiction from Hazelight became the best-selling new IP of 2025 showing that co-op experiences still resonate with players looking for something different. Hazelight knows their audience at this point.
Arc Raiders from Embark Studios sold 8 million copies and actually outperformed Call of Duty Black Ops 7 in fan reception which was honestly wild. Speaking of Call of Duty—the Black Ops 7 launch was rough with players criticizing the campaign and always-online requirements even for solo play. Not a great year for that franchise honestly.
Hollow Knight Silksong finally released after years of delays winning Best Action/Adventure at The Game Awards. Death Stranding 2 On The Beach and Ghost of Yotei from Sony landed later in the year to strong reviews though neither set sales charts on fire.
Industry struggles nobody wants to talk about
The mass layoffs that started in 2023 just kept going through 2025 hitting major studios hard. Ubisoft and BioWare cut significant portions of their workforce despite parent companies reporting continuous revenue—the disconnect between profits and job security became a major talking point that made people uncomfortable.
Video game workers protested outside The Game Awards in December carrying symbolic tombstone signs for closed studios and lost jobs. The demonstration highlighted the brutal reality behind the industry’s glossy surface and reignited discussions about labor standards that the industry would rather ignore honestly.
The AI debate intensified throughout the year too. While some studios embraced AI tools for development assistance (text generation, voice lines, whatever) others faced backlash for using generative AI in ways that threatened traditional creative roles. The Clair Obscur controversy was just one example of how divided the community remains on this issue and it’s not getting resolved anytime soon.
What this year actually taught us
Looking back the year showed that indie games can compete with AAA productions when they nail the fundamentals. Clair Obscur’s success proved artistic vision and polished gameplay still matter more than massive budgets and marketing campaigns which is honestly refreshing.
It also demonstrated that players are willing to wait for quality but there’s a limit to their patience—the GTA 6 situation and multiple high-profile delays throughout the year tested fan loyalty in ways we haven’t seen before. People are getting tired of the wait-and-see approach.
Nintendo’s hardware dominance with Switch 2 proved they still know how to launch a console despite higher prices. Meanwhile Sony and Microsoft seemed content to focus on software and services rather than pushing new hardware which might be smart honestly given the economic climate.
The industry’s workforce issues aren’t going away—if anything they’re getting worse. The protests, labor organizing attempts and continued layoffs suggest 2026 will see more of these conversations whether companies want them or not. The workers are getting organized and that scares publishers.
Monster Hunter and Assassin’s Creed showed that established franchises can still innovate and find new audiences when developers take creative risks and actually deliver on promises. Both games succeeded by respecting what made their series great while pushing things forward instead of just rehashing the same formula.
What’s coming in 2026
As we close out 2025 the gaming landscape feels simultaneously exciting and uncertain. Major titles are lined up for 2026 including the delayed GTA 6 (supposedly), new entries in beloved franchises and whatever surprises indie studios have cooking that we don’t know about yet.
The Switch 2 has momentum heading into its second year. AI will continue being controversial and divisive. Workers will keep fighting for better conditions and fair treatment. And gamers will keep playing great games regardless of industry drama because honestly that’s what matters most at the end of the day.
2025 gave us incredible highs and frustrating lows but it was never boring—you can say that much at least. Here’s hoping 2026 brings more of the former and less of the latter but honestly who knows anymore.
