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Role-playing gameshave been a staple of the gaming industry for more than three decades. Each month, the genre tends to welcome a couple of noteworthy titles, be it high-profile releases such asClair Obscur: Expedition 33,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Lies of P,Hogwarts Legacy,Octopath Traveler 2,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, andBaldur’s Gate 3,or more niche projects likeLabyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Societyand8-Bit Adventures 2. There are alwaysnew RPGson the horizon.
Due to theambitious nature of the genre’s AAA projects, they are often announced years in advance, a practice that can result in extremely high expectations. Once the hype train gets moving, stopping it can be impossible, which has resulted in some disappointments in the past. However, when a game lives up to its potential, it is a thing of beauty. Whichupcoming 2025 RPGsare you looking forward to the most?
Updated August 05, 2025 by Mark Sammut:2025 is slowly approaching its end, but the year has so much left to give. Honestly, I would almost say there are too many RPGs on the horizon.
I removed the following games as they are now available: Edens Zero and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.
I have added these upcoming role-playing games: Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, Octopath Traveler 0, and Monster Hunter Stories 3.
A console PS5 exclusive that will also be coming to PC,Lost Souls Asidehas been steadily building up momentum, paving the way for what will hopefully be a successful launch. An anime aesthetic that is reminiscent of someFinal Fantasygames, Ultizero’s title follows Kaser, a rebel whose attempt to take down the Empire coincides with the arrival of a meteor that sends his world into chaos. Now, armed with strange powers, he goes on a mission to save both the world and his sister.
While the story’s quality will not be known until the game’s full release, the combat looks pretty great so far.Lost Souls Aside’s gameplay trailerpaints a picture of a fast-paced hack-and-slash system that incorporates RPG elements through skill progression, weapon variety, and player choice.
Gearbox’sBorderlandsis the definitive looter-shooter franchise, and it does not really have any major challengers. Despite garnering an array of criticisms that might not make them 100% beloved,Borderlands 3andTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsare still fantastic co-op shooters with more than enough RPG elements to satisfy people who want to explore different builds and loadouts.Borderlands 4is slated for a September 2025 release. TheB4reveal trailerdid not include too much information, but subsequent releases shed some light on the upcoming project.
Despite garnering some criticism for its change in aesthetic, the project is still surrounded by plenty of excitement, simply due to the IP’s mostly positive reputation. There are just not all that many alternatives toBorderlands, and the fourth entry will likely be “good” at a minimum.
While a newFinal Fantasy Tacticsrefuses to materialize, Square Enix seems happy to revisit the classic PS1 game every couple of years. In 2007,The War of the Lionswas released to a relatively positive reception, and it is a decent way to experience this story. Now, in 2025,The Ivalice Chroniclesappears primed and ready to become the definitive version ofFinal Fantasy Tactics, presenting itself as an ambitious remaster that improves the UI, visuals, battle speed, and combat presentation. The game will even include full voice acting and someminor script changes.
Final Fantasy Tacticsis one of the greatest games of the ’90s, and its story has aged fantastically. The gameplay is certainly of the era, but it is still fun enough to play all these years later. From the available footage and screenshots,The Ivalice Chronicleslooks set to be a faithful but still worthwhile upgrade, one that will hopefully introduce this masterpiece to a whole new generation. I cannot wait to revisit this universe.
As somebody who dropped too many hours intoCyber SleuthandHacker’s Memory,Digimon Story: Time Strangeris my most highly anticipated2025 RPG. Throughout its entire gaming career,Digimonhas been defined by inconsistency. The franchise has tried every genre under the sun, opting for a scattershot approach that undermined any sense of momentum. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of greatDigimongames, but the IP is messy.
That said,Digimon Storyhas been pretty consistently awesome.Digimon World DawnandDuskare solid Nintendo DS RPGs, andLost Evolutionshould have been ported to Western nations.Cyber SleuthandHacker’s Memoryare both fantastic 3v3 turn-based JRPGs, telling surprisingly dark stories while featuring an addictive Digievolution system. IfTime Strangeris as good as those games, it will be one of 2025’s best JRPGs.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Awas shrouded in shadows for the longest time, but that changed in February 2025 when a video dropped showcasing theupcoming RPG’s visuals, city, and some gameplay mechanics. Game Freak has confirmed that the project will take place in Kalos, which was introduced during the sixth generation. Similar to 2022’sArceus, one has to assumeZ-Atakes place well before the events ofXandY.
The game’s announcement was mostly greeted with cautious optimism due toArceusbeing relatively well-regarded; however, the 2025 video arguably undermined some of that initial hype. That showcase garnered a fairly negative reception, with criticisms being leveled at the empty city,Pokemon starters, and graphics.
Despite growing concerns,Pokémon Legends: Z-Aremains one of the mosthighly anticipated2025 RPGs. Why? Well, it isPokemon.
Slated to be one of the biggest Game Pass 2025 games,The Outer Worlds 2has the foundation to achieve greatness. The 2019 entry was beloved upon release, being seen as a stellar alternative toFallout. Since then, its reputation has leveled out slightly, although it is still generally regarded as a good RPG.
Solid as it was,The Outer Worldscertainly had room for improvement, and a sequel with better combat and more diverse worlds should be fantastic. Obsidian is well-known for strong writing and world-building, two things that need to shine inThe Outer Worlds 2.
After the relative success ofDragon Quest III HD Remake, Square Enix is publishing a compilation containing modern versions of the first twoDQgames. The originals are masterpieces that pretty much wrote the book on JRPGs, and they are arguably the genre’s most important releases of all time. However, they are products of their era and have not aged well, which is to be expected.DQ 1and2are more like historical artifacts than actual games that you should experience for yourself in 2025.
Therefore,Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remakeis very much a necessary project that will hopefully introduce multiple generations to these two classics. So far, these HD-2D remakes have generally stuck pretty close to the originals' blueprints, so I assume this compilation will do the same. That said,Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remakewill include changes beyond just modern graphics.
Announced out of nowhere,Octopath Traveler 0should be among the better JRPGs of the year, at least if it maintains the IP’s quality up to this point. A prequel set before both of the previous entries, theupcoming 2025 RPGshares similarities withChampions of the Continent, a mobile gacha game that arguably has the strongest story in the franchise. Square Enix has clarified thatOctopath Traveler 0is not a direct port ofCOFC, but rather a retelling that acts sort of like a sibling to that game.
You will be able to create a unique protagonist, and you will recruit dozens of playable characters throughout the campaign. Beyond that,Octopath Traveler 0should be stacked with content, even incorporating a town-building system (going by the trailer). Honestly, if done right, this could be the best entry in the series.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlinesis the definition of a cult classic. While rough around the edges, the RPG features fantastic writing and characters, along with a great deal of customization that provides players with plenty of creative freedom. It is a masterpiece that, for the longest time, seemed destined to remain a solitary project (in the video game industry, anyway); however, in 2019,Bloodlines 2was revealed to the world. Since then, the game has been pushed back a few times, and information regarding its production has been inconsistent. That said, a fewVampire: The Masqueradespin-offs have debuted over the last few years, so the IP is alive.
Set in Seattle,Bloodlines 2will let players create a newly transformed vampire, which will involve picking things like their human background and preferred discipline.Vampire: The Masquerade’s success can be partially credited to its deep clan system, which permits players to commit to one of the vampire groups operating in the city. This element should be present inBloodlines 2. In terms of gameplay, so far, it seems like the sequel will stick close to its predecessor; therefore, expect first-person action with a heavy focus on a dialogue system.
A charmingindie action RPGthat emphasizes shop management,Moonlighteris not only very fun but also offers quite a bit of replay value. The 2018 release was successful enough that a sequel always seemed likely, especially since the concept certainly had room to grow. Fortunately, Digital Sun seems set to return to this universe, once again casting players as Will, a shopkeeper who needs to keep his inventory stocked by going out in the wild and collecting loot.
Moonlighter 2’s biggest change is the switch to a full 3D presentation, albeit presented from an isometric angle. While its predecessor’s pixel art is top-notch, the sequel should be a pretty substantial upgrade in terms of visuals and presentation. Beyond that, players will get to explore a new area, Tresna, while helping a struggling village to flourish.
Pathologicis not for everyone. The series is known for cryptic storytelling, ambiguous characters, purposefully frustrating mechanics, and nightmarish world design that can be genuinely unsettling. In other words,Pathologicis a wonderful but acquired taste. The third entry’s announcement came as a surprise since its concept was originally planned to be the Bachelor route ofPathologic 2, the final step in that game’s episodic-style release cycle.
Now, to be clear,Pathologic 3appears set to expand greatly on the route, offering an experience that should hopefully justify its standalone presentation. Even ifPathologic 2is not quite as highly regarded as its predecessor, both games are very good, and there is nothing to suggest their successor will fail to maintain that high standard.Horror RPGsare extremely rare, so this series should be cherished.
Monster Hunter Wildshas had a rough first year, but Capcom is hardly abandoning the franchise. During aNintendo Direct,Monster Hunter Stories 3was revealed, with the game set to launch at some point in 2026. While I do appreciate and enjoy the main entries, theStoriesspin-offs cater to my love of turn-based JRPGs with a monster-collecting element, and the third game looks set to be an impressive evolution of an already winning formula.
Unlike the mainline games,Monster Hunter Storiesfollows a pretty standard JRPG formula, which means you should be able to look forward to character-driven quests, battle-based grinding, and a constantly evolving setting as you visit different towns and regions.Twisted Reflectionis set to be released on all modern consoles, which is a first for this series.
CD Projekt Red has been working on a newThe Witcherproject for a few years, but the developer did not confirm that it would be the next mainline entry in the saga until The Game Awards 2024.The Witcher 4is on the horizon, and it is an exciting time to be a fan of open-world RPGs or just games in general. WhileCyberpunk 2077’s debut state reduced CD Projekt Red’s public goodwill, the developer’s post-launch commitment helped right a few of those initial wrongs, and the game is nowadays in good shape. More importantly,The Witcher 3is still largely regarded as one of the greatest Western RPGs of all time, and time has done very little to dull its shine.
As the previous entry’s DLC nicely completed Geralt’s story, it had long been speculated thatThe Witcher 4would feature a new protagonist, and Ciri has always been the most obvious pick. Well, The Game Awards' trailer largely confirmed that rumor, with the powerful character being front and center. At this point, almost nothing is known about the sequel’s direction, except for Ciri seeming to be a few years older than inWild Hunt. Also,Geralt will likely make an appearance inThe Witcher 4.
It was only a matter of time beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6was revealed, although that is essentially all that Bethesda has done. Except for some minor details that can be surmised from the few seconds of footage that has been released so far, the game is still largely a mystery; however,TES 6is one of thoseupcoming RPGsthat only needs to exist to generate hype.
Realistically, Bethesda’s sequel is still a few years away from a debut, and the publisher will probably not start to heavily market the project until afterStarfield’s cycle is complete. Nevertheless, it would be shocking ifTES 6does not wind up as one of the best-selling games of all time.
Dragon Quest 12is a weird one. Since being revealed in 2021, Square Enix has barely uttered a word regarding the next mainline entry in the storied JRPG franchise.Dragon Quest’s influence and popularity cannot be understated, particularly in Japan where the series is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. While there was a fairly long dry spell afterDQ8, the 11th mainline entry was a hit in Western countries, elevating the license to international highs it had not experienced for a while. Thanks to its predecessor’s success,Dragon Quest 12is poised to be one of the biggest releases in the license’s history outside of Japan.
Perhaps, Square Enix announcedDQ12’s existence a bit prematurely or simply wanted to gauge the public’s interest in a sequel; whatever the reason, the post-reveal silence has lasted slightly too long. Hopefully, the publisher will expand on the game’s development at some point in the near future as the gaming world is ready for a new mainlineDragon Questadventure.
