Somehow, we’re nearly done with new games in 2021. Though we made it through the big shooters of November, there’s still one final month of holiday gaming. With fall wrapping up and rolling over into snow, it’s time to start looking towards final big releases in 2021, like Halo Infinite and Icarus.
Some of the biggest games of 2021 got delayed from earlier in the year to this holiday season, but disappointment has faded now that we’re staring them in the face. Plus, delays and releases into 2022 are suddenly on the horizon.
The biggest new games of 2021 are also launching on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which means developers have more power at their disposal while designing them. The PC versions will hopefully benefit as well.
Covid-19 caused some games to be delayed from 2020 to 2021, but it’s making an even bigger impact this year. Expect more as the year goes on and developers continue working from home. As we did last year, we’ll keep this list of the games of 2021 updated with new release dates and delay announcements. And on the bright side, for every game that gets delayed, something new and exciting pops up too. PC gaming is never boring.
This is your big guide to the games to watch in 2021, which we’ve organized by month to help you look ahead. At the top we’ve highlighted the biggest and most anticipated games launching this year. At the bottom are 2021 games with release dates “TBA”—things that should be (or we hope will be) arriving this year—but haven’t yet committed to a release date.
2021 Games: The biggest releases
As game studios switched to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of big releases originally planned for launch in 2020 got pushed back. Now there are plenty of big games, both delayed and newly announced, to look forward to in 2021. Here are the most anticipated games of this year to watch for.
2021 games: January
January’s release schedule this year is the home of at least one game that flung itself into 2021 when Cyberpunk 2077 got its final delay into December 2020. Bloober Team’s next horror adventure The Medium didn’t want to compete with the biggest developer in Poland, apparently. We’re also being treated to a new Hitman this month among other surprise delights.
January new game highlights
January 2021 game releases
2021 games: February
February is full of sequels and spinoffs in popular series like Nioh 2, Little Nightmares 2, and Persona 5 Strikers. This month has also turned into the release window for several early access games that plan to continue development throughout this year.
February new game highlights
February 2021 game releases
2021 games: March
March is the month we’ll be able to sit down with our friends to play the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, It Takes Two. It’s also bringing some long-awaited follow-up games like Evil Genius 2, Shelter 3, and Crash Bandicoot 4.
March new game highlights
March 2021 game releases
2021 games: April
April wound up a little light after some big delays, but there are a few indie gems to keep an eye on along with looter shooter Outriders. Nier: Replicant’s PC release hits this month too, which will surely keep you busy.
April new game highlights
April 2021 game releases
2021 games: May
May is an action-packed month with the long-awaited martial arts cat adventure Biomutant, and Resident Evil Village. If you aren’t one for all that heart-pounding combat, maybe Skate City is more your speed.
May new game highlights
May 2021 game releases
2021 games: June
June is heating up with lots of familiar favorites. Legend Of Mana’s HD remaster is arriving on PC along with the Ninja Gaiden master collection. The long-awaited Chivalry 2 is finally dropping this month as well, which should be plenty of chaos for the month.
June new game highlights
June 2021 game releases
2021 games: July
July has turned into a strong month for some console series that are headed to PC. Monster Hunter series spinoff Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are both great gets for PC players. If those aren’t your speed, there’s more Warhammer this month too.
July new game highlights
July 2021 game releases
2021 games: August
Unless it winds up with another delay, August is officially the month that Amazon will push their first MMO out the door. New World did in fact get delayed to September, whoops. It’s joined by Amplitude’s Civ-like Humankind, and Psychonauts 2.
August new game highlights
August 2021 new game releases
2021 games: September
September is now host to a lot of games that used to have release dates earlier in the year. Arkane’s FPS sandbox Deathloop has landed here, as has Kena: Bridge Of Spirits and Amazon’s New World MMO. Cross your fingers that none of them get delayed again.
September new game highlights
September 2021 game releases
2021 games: October
October has now filled up with a whole bash of spooky games, and a few non-spooky ones as well. Back 4 Blood and the next Dark Pictures Anthology game are arriving alongside Far Cry 6.
October new game highlights
October 2021 game releases
2021 games: November
Big splashy shooters in the likes of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, all the cool cars a person could dream of with Forza Horizon 5, and lots of… farming? It’s a bit cold this time of year but Farming Simulator 2022 and Alchemic Cutie will let you relive the planting season.
November new game highlights
November 2021 new game releases
2021 games: December
In the grips of the holiday season, we’re set to revisit an old friend in Halo Infinite, and we’ll finally get to see the conclusion (on the moon) of the long story setup in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker.
December new game highlights
December 2021 game releases
2021 games: release dates to be announced
There are plenty of games that have been announced for this year but without a specific date set just yet. There are also plenty of games here that were planned for 2020 and have slipped the mark, which we’re anticipating will release at some point in 2021. You might also spot just a bit of wishful thinking here. Will Tunic finally launch this year? What about Hollow Knight: Silksong? We sure hope so.
What’s moved to 2022?
Some games expected for 2021 have already announced delays to 2022, or just confirmed next year as their release date in the first place. Here’s what you can look forward to next year:
- January 2022 — Rainbow Six Extraction – Tactical FPS spin-off with zombies
- January 2022 — STONKS-9800 – Retro text-based stock market simulator
- January 11, 2022 — Weird West – Dishonored dev does a top-down immersive sim
- January 13, 2022 — The Anacrusis (early access) – 70’s style L4D-inspired shooter
- January 20, 2022 — Expeditions: Rome – Party-based strategy RPG
- January 20, 2022 — Windjammers 2 – Classic disc tennis sequel
- February 25, 2022 — Elden Ring – From Software’s next big RPG
- February 22, 2022 — Sifu – Kung-fu brawler from Absolver’s developers
- February 2022 — Evil Dead: The Game – Co-op zombie slayer
- February 2022 — Life is Strange Remastered Collection – First game and prequel
- February 2022 — Shredders – Open-world multiplayer snowboarding
- February 2022 — Arctico (early access) – Dogsledding survival adventure
- March 3, 2022 — Babylon’s Fall – Action RPG
- March 16, 2022 — Tunic – Cute fox adventure
- May 2022 — Vampire: the Masquerade – Swansong – Bitey narrative RPG
- Early 2022 — Lost Ark – Free-to-play Korean action-RPG MMO
- Early 2022 — TFM: The First Men – Colony sim with
- Early 2022 — Far: Changing Tides – Puzzle-y action adventure
- Early 2022 — Letters – A Written Adventure – 90’s penpal story adventure
- Early 2022 — Lord Winklebottom Investigates – Point & click adventure
- Early 2022 — The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe – Comedy narrative, expanded
- Nov 11, 2022 — Starfield – The next big RPG from Bethesda, but in space
- 2022 — AK-xolotl: Wars – Multiplayer bullet hell
- 2022 — Arc Raiders – 3rd person co-op shooter against giant robots
- 2022 — Arcade Paradise – Management adventure
- 2022 — Blood Bowl 3 (early access) – Truly fantasy football
- 2022 — Chenso Club – Co-op roguelike with cute chainsaws
- 2022 — CONV/RGENCE: A League of Legends Story – Action platformer
- 2022? — Crimson Desert – Singleplayer RPG from Black Desert devs
- 2022 — Dying Light 2 – Zombie-killing parkour
- 2022 — Evil West – Cowboys vs. vampires
- 2022 — Frog Detective 3 – Another amphibious mystery
- 2022 — Ghostwire: Tokyo – Supernatural action thriller
- 2022 — Gotham Knights – Crime-fighting team up
- 2022 — Hogwarts Legacy – Magical RPG
- 2022 — Inkulinati – Medieval animal strategy
- 2022 — Kerbal Space Program 2 – Physics disaster in space
- 2022 — Know By Heart – Story-based adventure
- 2022 — LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Blocky beat-em-up
- 2022 — The Lord of the Rings: Gollum – Fantasy spinoff RPG
- 2022 — Men of War 2 – WW2 RTS with co-op
- 2022 — Moss: Book II – Mouse-based adventures continue
- 2022 — Nobody Saves the World – Transforming action-RPG
- 2022 — Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals – Spooky mystery adventure
- 2022 — Pokemon Trading Card Game Online – Pokemon cards, but online
- 2022 — Rocksmith+ – Guitar/bass-learning rhythm game becomes a subscription
- 2022 — Shadow Warrior 3 – Guns, parkour, and gore galore
- 2022 — System Shock – Remake of an FPS classic
- 2022 — Total War: Warhammer 3 – Grand strategy RTS
- 2022 — Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Vermintide, but 40K
- 2022 — Serial Cleaners – Stealth action mob cleanup crew
- 2022 — She Dreams Elsewhere – Retro-surreal adventure RPG
- 2022 — Splitgate – Competitive FPS, Halo with portals
- 2022 — Stray – Adorable cyberpunk cats
- 2022? — Skull & Bones – Naval RPG
- 2022? — Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 – Blood-sucking sim – Our preview
- 2022? — Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake – Action adventure