Gaming in 2025: GTA 6, Nintendo Switch 2 and what else to watch out for

Even if you were lucky enough to get a new console or games this Christmas, you’ve probably had your eye on some upcoming releases.

And 2025 is going to be a big one.

Most people agree that 2024 was a painful year for the games industry, with tens of thousands of layoffs and studio closings worldwide.

There is hope that things will return – at least partially – next year.

And two major releases in particular are likely to be massively underwhelming.

A cultural moment, a day that millions of gamers have been waiting for for a very long time.

Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) release.

It’s due to land in the fall, 12 years after the prequel GTA 5 arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Breaking launch records..

The sequel broke records with its first trailer, Which garnered an astounding 90 million views in 24 hours. When it launched last December.

And it probably won’t be the last record to be broken.

“It’s impossible to measure the anticipation,” says James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of GamesIndustry.biz.

“This is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest game launches ever.”

Developer Rockstar hasn’t revealed a huge amount about the new game beyond its dual protagonists and the scenery of its fictional, Florida-inspired setting, Leonidas.

The big question on most fans’ minds is whether the release date will slip, as has been the case for Rockstar’s previous major releases.

James says he hasn’t seen anything to suggest that will happen — but if things stay quiet, it’s time to worry.

“If we still haven’t seen anything at all by the summer, and certainly if we haven’t seen any of it by the end of August, then yes, it’s going to be 2026,” he says.

The release of GTA 6 is expected to have an impact on the wider games industry.

“I think this will probably be one of those moments where a rising tide lifts all boats,” says George Osborne, consultant and author. Video Games Industry Memo Newsletter.

He says a big hit – especially with GTA’s cultural resonance – can get more people “in the mood to buy video games” and publishers want to capitalize on that.

Other major releases are planned for this year – Assassin’s Creed Shadows from French publisher Ubisoft, Ghost of Yōtei from Sony and strategy game Civilization VII, to name just three.

“The challenge for developers is how do you keep yourself out of the Grand Theft Auto window?” George says.

Avoiding the GTA 6 juggernaut would mean other publishers launching their new games earlier in the year or holding them off until early 2026.

Another thing we know is that the game will be released first on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox series consoles, with a PC release coming later.

Many gamers are still stuck with their previous generation machines, and Sony and Microsoft will be hoping that GTA 6 will finally inspire them to upgrade.

“If anything is going to convince people to jump on a new console if they don’t already have it, it’s going to be GTA 6,” says James, who reckons PlayStation 4 users are still Sony. 50% of active players count.

But if we’re talking about hardware upgrades, there might be some competition.

Here’s what we officially know about Nintendo’s next console.

It exists.

Your existing Switch games will work on it.

And that’s it.

There’s no official name yet, but fans are calling it the Nintendo Switch 2.

Despite unconfirmed leaks and rumours, the machine’s capabilities remain a mystery and the company has promised some sort of official announcement by the end of March.

There’s a sense, though, that Nintendo won’t want to change the winning formula of the original Switch, which has sold 146 million units since its 2017 launch.

“The smart money is just on a bigger, better Switch,” says James.

Expect it to look similar with more processing power under the bonnet.

“It may sound reductive,” he added.

“But given the level of success he’s had, they’ll be willing to not only build on the foundation they’ve built here.”

James argues that the confirmation of backwards compatibility – being able to play games originally made for the first Switch – strongly suggests that the new machine won’t be a million miles away from its little brother.

He says there is a risk that, as has happened with previous Nintendo consoles, consumers may not realize that the new machine is different from the one they already have at home.

But James doesn’t believe he will have the same fate.

“It was a long time ago,” he says. “I think they’ve learned a lot since then.”

Some of the biggest success stories of 2024 have come from small, independent developers.

Most notable was Ballitro – an addictive, poker-inspired card game that ended the year in the running for high-profile Game of the Year awards.

Journalist Rachel Watts, who hosts The Adventure Podcastfeels like that has helped set the stage for more breakout success this year.

“There have been so many great indies this year,” she says.

“A lot of critics and players on the Triple-A side have said ‘it’s been such a quiet year, not a lot of big releases’, but for indie games, there’s always a lot of good stuff to play.”

A success like Ballero is incredibly rare, and a big problem for indie developers to discover in 2024. Get players to actually find your game.

Rachel says the number of releases on Steam – the online store where most PC games are bought – is “frankly bonkers” and “one of the hardest things” to get noticed.

“I don’t see it getting any easier,” she says.

Indie developers are also struggling to find investment and the financial outlook is “very bleak” in 2025, Rachel says.

But she thinks more gamers are starting to recognize the creativity in the field — and more breakout hits will come.

“The indie space is a place I retreat to just to play games that get me excited about gaming again,” says Rachel.

“If Balairo can knock elbows with the biggest title of the year, I hope other indies will too.”

2025 has another big moment to watch: The first Olympic esports games will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I think it’s an important moment because the Olympic movement has traditionally not been very interested in sports,” says George.

After years of campaigning, the International Olympics Committee agreed to a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia to host the gaming version.

The first esports World Cup took place in the kingdom this summer, and George says the event “hasn’t really taken off” for a wider audience.

“It will be interesting to see if the official IOC branding has a different impact on the eSports Olympics and the official Olympic Movement branding behind it,” says George.

Some fans, players and commentators boycotted the World Cup to protest Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

George says the sports Olympics will revive the conversation about the cleanliness of sports – the idea that Saudi Arabia uses its vast wealth to invest in sports and entertainment to improve its international reputation. can be made

“You have this really interesting thing,” says George.

“Your big sports moment – sports becomes an Olympic sport.

“It’s really interesting. But basically the only way it could happen is if Saudi Arabia bankrolled it.

“So, you know, what do people feel about it?”

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