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2025 has been a good year for game releases so far, with a brand-new console in the Switch 2, some big hitters like Monster Hunter Wilds, and plenty of smaller indie releases that have gotten big attention.
Last month was a fairly quiet month overall for new game releases – Donkey Kong Bananza excepted – but it still had some pretty great games, and August is looking to be in a pretty similar position. There are some brand-new games in beloved series, new entries in sports series, a remaster of an Xbox classic, and a long-awaited Metal Gear Solid remaster — or maybe it’s a remake, it’s a little unclear.
We’ve put together this list of the most anticipated games releasing in August 2025, including their release date, release platforms, and trailers where available.
Mafia: The Old Country – August 8
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
The Mafia series hasn’t seen a release in almost a decade, after the pretty good but still relatively mixed Mafia 3 released in 2016, but The Old Country is doing things a little bit different. A prequel to the entire series, Mafia: The Old Country sees you playing as Enzo Favara who joins the Torrisi crime family in 1900s Sicily. It’s said to be a little closer to the roots of the series, but it will still feature open-world elements, making it feel a little more modern than some of its early predecessors.
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition – August 14
Release platform: PC
August is going to be a fairly big month for remakes and remasters, and it’s all kicking off with a remaster of the first 40K: Dawn of War game. It’s not a total overhaul like other entries on this list — instead, it’s focused on bringing the game up to modern standards, improving lighting and textures, and putting all the additional content in one package. The development team behind Dawn of War says that it’s planning to keep the game open for easy modding and additional community content, so it’s almost certainly going to be the best way to play.
Madden NFL 26 – August 14
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Madden NFL 26 is the latest and, presumably, greatest game in the long-running Madden NFL series, but it’s still a Madden game, so you probably know exactly what you’re getting here. The key thing worth mentioning is that, for the first time in a very long time, the newest Madden game is going to be on a Nintendo platform, with the game set to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 alongside all other platforms.
Drag X Drive – August 14
Release platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Maybe Madden isn’t for you, but you still want to get in on the ball sports action — Nintendo has a game for you, and it’s called Drag x Drive. This unique game is a 3v3 wheelchair basketball game where you use each Joy-Con 2 as a mouse, dragging it along as if you were controlling the independent wheels of a wheelchair. It looks pretty interesting conceptually, but we’ve yet to see much of the game in its entirety, so it’s a bit of an unknown entity.
Sword of the Sea – August 19
Release platforms: PS5, PC
Abzu and The Pathless developer Giant Squid has its newest game releasing this month: Sword of the Sea. This curious game has you surfing atop a sword through a beautifully crafted, atmospheric world on a quest to restore a lost ocean to the world. It’s essentially a hoverboard exploration game, and you can do sick tricks like flips, spins, and grabs as you surf through the world. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Gears of War: Reloaded – August 26
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
The first Gears of War is getting an extensive remaster treatment with Gears of War: Reloaded, which includes both the base game and all previously released DLC in one gorgeous package. There’s massively improved visuals, much better performance, a reworked control scheme that brings it up to modern standards, and a whole lot more. It’s also the first Gears of War game to come to a PlayStation console, which feels a little bit blasphemous, but it’s good to see more games being available to more players.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – August 27
Release platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a ground-up remake of the original DS game of the same(ish) name, which is something that’s going to be very exciting for a lot of players who grew up with the game. It’s a gorgeous little farming game with a heavy focus on both growing crops but also selling and buying at the eponymous grand bazaar, all the while getting to know the villagers… and maybe even striking up a relationship with one. If you’re a fan of life sim games, the Story of Seasons series is the originator and among the best, so make sure you grab this one.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – August 28
Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of the most adored games in the classic series, and this remaster/remake looks to be one of the best ways to play it to date. It’s completely overhauled the game’s visuals and controls, with modern Unreal Engine 5 at the core of it, and has improved soundscapes, new game modes, and so much more. It even has a clever system for showing damage, as Snake’s clothes and body will now take visual damage upon getting hurt.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – August 29
Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
It’s been almost 30 years since the release of a new 2D Shinobi game, and now the series is set to make a combat with Art of Vengeance. It’s being developed by Lizardcube, the Parisian developer behind the excellent Streets of Rage 4 and Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, so you know it’s going to be fantastic.
Lost Soul Aside – August 29
Release platforms: PS5, PC
Lost Soul Aside has been in development for almost a decade — so long, in fact, that it may end up flying under the radar. It shouldn’t though, because it looks fantastic, with fast-paced action RPG gameplay set in an absolutely gorgeous fantasy world. The game was developed by Chinese studio Ultizero Games as part of Sony’s China Hero Project, which helps fund and release games made by Chinese developers, and everything we’ve seen of it so far looks incredible. Don’t sleep on this one.
