Ready for all the biggest December 2025 video game releases? The last month of the year is stacked with cosmic brawlers, long-awaited sequels, heavy-hitting DLC, and a surprise return to classic JRPG and Metroidvania roots. Whether you are on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, or PC, the games releasing in December 2025 are lining up to be the perfect way to close out the year. Clear some hard drive space, because this month is all about big launches, big nostalgia, and even bigger backlogs.

December 2025 Game Releases

According to the latest 2025 release schedules, December kicks off with Marvel Cosmic Invasion, then hits a massive wave on December 4 with Metroid Prime 4, Octopath Traveler 0, Elden Ring Nightreign DLC, and more landing on the same day. It is one of the densest single weeks of the entire year for new games.

December 2025 Game Releases

Top 5 Most-Anticipated December 2025 Video Game Releases

With so many heavy hitters landing within days of each other, narrowing down the list was rough. From prestige RPGs and sci-fi horror to a long-awaited Metroid comeback, December is a final sprint of must-play releases. These are our picks for the Top 5 Most-Anticipated December 2025 Video Game Releases, based on hype, legacy, and early previews from across the industry.

5. Routine

Routine finally lands after more than a decade in the shadows. This first-person sci-fi horror game drops you onto an abandoned lunar base where every corridor is bathed in sickly CRT light and stalked by unsettling retro-future robots. The focus is on slow, nerve-wracking exploration instead of constant combat. Players sneak through non-linear environments, manage limited tools, and try to avoid enemies that can end a run in seconds. Between its analog 80s tech aesthetic and oppressive sound design, Routine looks like the kind of horror that gets under your skin and stays there.

Why Nux Game Guides is excited: Routine has been a myth-tier project for years. Seeing it finally arrive on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S in December gives horror fans something fresh to obsess over once the Game Awards dust settles. A focused, atmospheric horror title is a perfect counterbalance to the month’s big, loud blockbusters.

4. Code Violet

Code Violet is shaping up to be one of December’s dark horses. This PS5 exclusive is a stylish action game set in a futuristic city where corporate espionage and supernatural powers blur together. Players control a covert operative with reality-bending abilities that let you manipulate time slices of combat encounters: rewinding flubbed dodges, branching attack routes, and syncing team takedowns with AI allies. Early previews describe a mix of tight character action, investigation sequences, and a branching narrative that leans into conspiracy thriller vibes.

Why Nux Game Guides is excited: December is full of sequels and expansions, so a bold new IP always stands out. Code Violet looks like it will scratch that itch for players who love character-driven action with a narrative hook, and dropping late in the month gives it room to grab attention once the Metroid and Elden Ring conversations cool down.

3. Octopath Traveler 0

Octopath Traveler 0 goes back in time narratively and structurally, acting as both a prequel and a fresh entry point for the series. Built as a refinement of Champions of the Continent but stripping out the mobile gacha elements, this full-scale console and PC release doubles down on what fans love: layered turn-based combat, break and boost mechanics, and a sprawling narrative told through multiple protagonists. It adds new town-building elements, deeper party customization, and an expanded orchestral soundtrack that pushes the 2D-HD style further than ever.

Why Nux Game Guides is excited: Octopath Traveler 0 has “holiday timesink” written all over it. Between its huge runtime, broad platform support, and a more traditional console structure, it looks like the definitive version of what Octopath has been building toward since the first game. For JRPG fans, this is easily one of December’s biggest events.

2. Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Marvel Cosmic Invasion aims straight for that arcade beat em up sweet spot and then blows it up to galaxy-sized scale. Developed by a studio with a strong reputation for modern brawlers, this side-scrolling action game lets you tag-team a roster of Marvel heroes and villains across famous cosmic locales, from Knowhere and Xandar to stranger, deep-cut Marvel locations. Tag mechanics let you swap characters mid-combo, unleash duo supers, and assemble custom squads that play completely differently from one another. Local and online co-op are front and center, with replayable challenge routes, score-chasing, and unlockable costumes that nod to decades of Marvel history.

Why Nux Game Guides is excited: This is the kind of game that can own couch co-op and online party nights all December. With multi-platform support across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Switch 2, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has a chance to be the universal “everyone can jump in” game of the holidays. If the combat feels as good as early previews suggest, this could be the surprise December obsession.

1. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is not just another December release. It is one of the most anticipated Nintendo games of the entire generation. Samus Aran returns in a new adventure built for both Switch and Switch 2, with Nintendo promising more open, interconnected zones, new traversal tools, and a heavier focus on scanning, environmental storytelling, and layered exploration. Early looks highlight denser alien ecosystems, more complex puzzles tying rooms together, and a power curve that encourages revisiting old zones from fresh angles. Visually, Beyond is also a showcase for Switch 2’s upgraded hardware, with improved lighting, atmospheric effects, and smoother performance on the new system while staying surprisingly strong on the original Switch.

Why Nux Game Guides is excited: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is that rare sequel that feels like an event. It anchors December 4 as the single biggest release day of the month, shares the spotlight with heavy hitters like Octopath Traveler 0 and Elden Ring Nightreign DLC, and gives Nintendo fans a flagship adventure to disappear into over the holidays. For us, it is the December 2025 release that could easily end up in Game of the Year conversations for years to come.

Happy Holidays!

That wraps up the biggest December 2025 game releases, but there is plenty more to dig into. If you want deeper dives, bold predictions, and offbeat ideas you will not see anywhere else, head over to our Originals hub. That is where we break down trends, pitch dream sequels, spotlight under-the-radar hits, and help you find your next favorite game before it explodes across your feed.