A lot has happened in the gaming world over the past six months. Unexpected successes, layoffs, crises, delays, announcements that caused a buzz…
Here are the 10 events from 2025 that caught our attention the most.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won over gamers and the industry
Although expectations were modest when it was announced in June 2024, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 caused a real sensation when it was released. A critical and commercial success despite a budget of less than $10 million, this RPG swept all before it. It won nine awards at the 2025 Game Awards, including Game of the Year.
French studio Sandfall Interactive was also propelled into the spotlight. Its founder, Guillaume Broche, instantly became an industry figure. It’s a success story that could inspire so many independent creators.
2. Indie and AA games bounce back
Clair Obscur has also amplified a movement pitting big-budget (AAA) games against more modest titles that are considered closer to gamers’ hearts. This year, titles such as PEAK, Blue Prince, Hades 2, Schedule I, and Ball x Pit have been widely acclaimed. So much so that they generally dominate award ceremonies.
All of these games were obviously huge commercial successes on their own scale, and the entire industry has been changed as a result. Does it still make sense to develop large-scale productions over several years that will struggle to recoup the costs incurred by publishers? AA and other independent games are possibly the future of the industry.
3. The Switch 2 had a very successful launch
Nintendo finally launched its new console last June. Despite its higher price tag, the Switch 2 has not been shunned by consumers. It has currently sold around 12.5 million units worldwide. More powerful than the Switch 1, it also includes new features such as the mouse mode of its magnetic Joy-Con controllers.
The first few months of the console’s release have brought us games such as Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.
4. Electronic Arts goes private
Among the unexpected events of 2025, we can highlight the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts. The acquisition was orchestrated by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal is expected to be finalized in the coming months.
It remains to be seen what impact this will have on the publisher’s studios and games currently in development. Some companies, such as BioWare, fear for their future, as the focus will be on franchises that are already successful.
5. GTA VI goes from delays to controversy
Last May, Rockstar Games released the superb second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. Just before this beautiful video, the star-studded company announced a delay of the game until May 26, 2026. Unfortunately, six months later, a second delay, this time to November 19, 2026, was confirmed.
As if that weren’t enough, Rockstar was then caught up in a media and political storm after firing around 30 of its employees. These employees had been planning to unionize. The studio claims that these individuals leaked company secrets, a theory refuted by those involved. The standoff is therefore likely to continue.
6. AI is disrupting the entire gaming industry
Generative artificial intelligence is now in our games… and in all conversations. Many studios and publishers have decided to make full use of these new tools to save valuable production time. The results aren’t always that good, but this will only grow in the coming months.
The development of AI has also had the side effect of causing a worldwide RAM shortage. Prices are skyrocketing, brands such as Crucial are disappearing, and others are completely reorienting their production. This trend could have negative repercussions for professionals and consumers alike.
7. Goodbye Xbox, hello Microsoft Gaming
2025 will also have been a year of carnage at Xbox. Hundreds of people have been laid off, and many projects have been abandoned. Perfect Dark will not be released. This cancellation led to the closure of The Initiative. Everwild, Contraband, and even the upcoming MMO from ZeniMax Online Studios suffered the same fate. These decisions had ramifications throughout part of the industry.
Furthermore, Microsoft seems to be definitively abandoning exclusives with several releases on PS5 (Forza Horizon 5, Gears of War: Reloaded, The Outer Worlds 2). The legendary Halo saga will even be coming to Sony’s console in 2026. Add to that the revamping of Game Pass (and a sharp increase in the price of the Ultimate offer) and you have a very eventful year for the American company.
8. Valve is bringing back the Machine
After the Steam Deck, Valve is back on the hardware scene. In 2026, the American company will release no less than three different devices. There is the Steam Frame VR headset, the Steam Controller, and of course the famous Steam Machine console. Prices are not yet known.
In addition to the prices, Valve will have to release other essential information in the coming weeks. Above all, the brand will have to respond to rumors that a completely new single-player Half-Life game will be released at the same time as its new console.
9. The end of two long waits
In June 2017, Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 on Switch. Unfortunately, the game was absent from the media scene for a long time before finally returning seven years later under the name Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It was finally released on Switch 2 and Switch in December 2025, to relatively positive reviews.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is another game that was eagerly awaited for a very long time. Team Cherry officially announced this second installment in February 2019, and it was launched in September 2025. It was an instant success, even causing most online stores to crash.
10. Oblivion Remastered gets shadowdropped
Bethesda Game Studios clearly hasn’t had much to celebrate this year. Between the absolute silence surrounding Starfield, The Elder Scrolls VI being nowhere to be seen, and a highly questionable Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, the American studio has not made everyone happy.
But by partnering with Virtuos, Bethesda pulled off a masterstroke on April 22, 2025. That date marked not only the announcement, but also the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. It was a successful shadowdrop marred by a few annoying bugs.
