- Monster Hunter Wilds is the most anticipated game release of 2025, with 133,000 monthly online searches
- Researchers analyzed the monthly search volume for terms around games due to be released in 2025 to reveal the most in-demand
- Grand Theft Auto VI is the second most popular release with 120,700 monthly searches
Whether you think 2024 has been a good year for gaming so far or more on the disappointing side, CS gaming experts clash.gg looked ahead to 2025 to see which game releases are at the forefront of people’s minds—with Monster Hunter Wilds topping the list.
The study analyzed the average monthly search volume from the last 12 months for terms including ‘[game title]’ and ‘[game title] release date’ to determine which release has the most people itching to know when it will be coming out.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the most anticipated game release with 133,000 average monthly searches, specifically 24,000 looking for a ‘release date’. Set to be released on February 28th, eager fans shouldn’t have much longer to wait after seven years since Monster Hunter: World.
One of the biggest games of 2025, the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI ranked second with 120,700 average monthly searches. Due to be released sometime in 2025, over a decade since GTA 5 launched, fans have been waiting long enough with high expectations.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows ranked third with 115,000 average monthly searches. Answering a longstanding fan request, it’s the first game to be set in feudal Japan. February is looking to be a busy month for gamers with it due to be released on February 15th.
InZOI ranked fourth with 101,000 average monthly searches. The life simulation game from Krafton is to be released in March and could give genre-dominating empire The Sims a true competitor.
Horror adventure fans await Little Nightmares III after it was pushed back to 2025. Ranking fifth, the game has amassed 74,000 average monthly searches with fans waiting for updates.
Another February release, Avowed launches on the 18th. Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, the game receives 48,400 average monthly searches, placing it in sixth.
The seventh most anticipated is one for cozy game fans. Hello Kitty Island of Adventure was originally released back in 2023 as an Apple Arcade game but is finally due to be released on Nintendo Switch and PC in early 2025. Fans eagerly await with 45,600 average monthly searches.
Fable 4, releasing as Fable, ranked eighth in the list with 41,800 average monthly searches. Expected to be released in 2025, the game was announced back in 2020 as the next installment of the Fable franchise with Fable III launched back in 2010.
In the ninth spot with 40,300 average monthly searches is Skate. The long-awaited and free-to-play game will be launching in Early Access sometime in 2025, 15 years after Skate 3.
Rounding out the top ten is the action-adventure game Ghost of Yōtei with 39,000 average monthly searches. Fans were disappointed to hear the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima will not follow the same storyline with a new female protagonist.
Dune Awakening takes the eleventh spot with average monthly searches reaching 36,500. The MMO survival game is set to be one of the best new games released in 2025, bringing Frank Herbert’s sci-fi world to life. With both books and movies having a cult following, the game will have a lot to prove.
In twelfth is Ark 2. Another survival game, it has fans itching for a release date with 34,000 average monthly searches of which 12,000 were for ‘release date’. Although originally set to launch in late 2024, the window is closing with 2025 looking like a more realistic timeline.
The next chapters of Deltarune are much anticipated with 33,900 average monthly searches for Deltarune Chapter 3, placing the game in thirteenth. Both Chapter 3 and 4 are due to be released in 2025.
Drawing on the classics, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes the fourteenth spot with 29,000 average monthly searches. Scheduled for release in December 2024, Windows and Xbox Series X/S gamers can start the new year with this action-adventure, with PS5 soon to follow.
DOOM: The Dark Ages lands in the fifteenth with 27,900 average monthly searches. The first-person shooter game prequels those in the modern series of the franchise DOOM and DOOM Eternal.
The Top 15 Most Anticipated Games of 2025
| Rank | Game | Average Monthly Search Volume |
| 1 | Monster Hunter Wilds | 133,000 |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto 6 | 120,700 |
| 3 | Assassin’s Creed Shadows | 115,100 |
| 4 | InZOI | 101,000 |
| 5 | Little Nightmares 3 | 74,000 |
| 6 | Avowed | 48,400 |
| 7 | Hello Kitty Island Adventure | 45,600 |
| 8 | Fable | 41,800 |
| 9 | Skate | 40,300 |
| 10 | Ghost of Yōtei | 39,000 |
| 11 | Dune Awakening | 36,500 |
| 12 | Ark 2 | 34,000 |
| 13 | Deltarune Chapter 3 | 33,900 |
| 14 | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | 29,000 |
| 15 | DOOM: The Dark Ages | 27,900 |
Commenting on the findings, Gabriele Asaro, Head of SEO and research of clash.gg said, “2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for gaming, with a lineup of long-awaited titles set to captivate players worldwide. From long-anticipated sequels to groundbreaking new franchises, the upcoming year promises something for every kind of gamer.
“However, while some of these titles have firm release dates, others remain more ambiguous. Given the complexities of modern game development, it’s not uncommon to see delays push anticipated launches into 2026, as we’ve already seen over the past year. Although frustrating, gamers should remain patient, as the extra time often ensures a more polished and unforgettable experience.”
This content is provided by https://clash.gg/
