Top 5 Upcoming Games to Watch Out For: Call of Duty Black Ops 7, GTA VI, 007 First Light, and More

2025 has been a great year for gamers, with a massive wave of blockbuster releases across genres. We saw the introduction of long-awaited sequels in iconic franchises, such as Mafia: The Old Country, Ghost of Yoei, and Doom: The Dark Ages. On the other hand, games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hell is Us, and Split Fiction were released as new intellectual properties. While these may sound exciting, much more is in store for the near future. With the turn of the calendar year approaching, a massive slate of ambitious gaming titles, delivering a mix of high-stakes thrills, espionage, and pure survival horror, is scheduled for release across all the major platforms.

From Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 to 007: First Light, here are the top five games to watch out for.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Release Date - November 14, 2025

Platforms - PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the next iteration of the highly popular first-person shooter franchise. Its story is set a decade after the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, in 2035, bringing back David “Section” Mason as the playable protagonist and Raul Menendez as the primary antagonist.

The game promises an ambitious campaign that can be played solo or in co-op. It also features a replayable Endgame section that players can experience with personalised abilities and loadout.

2. Resident Evil Requiem

Release Date - February 27, 2026

Platforms - PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom's survival-horror game, was first announced at the Summer Game Fest earlier this year. It features a new protagonist named Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent investigating a series of mysterious deaths at the Wrenwood Hotel. Incidentally, it is the same location where her mother, investigative reporter Alyssa Ashcroft, was killed eight years prior.

Her journey leads her to the infamous Raccoon City as she unravels a larger conspiracy linked to the biological disaster. The survival horror game will feature the series' trademark combat, investigations, puzzles, and resource management. Resident Evil Requiem will be playable from both first and third-person perspectives.

3. Crimson Desert

Release Date - March 19, 2026

Platforms - PC, Mac, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure title from South Korean developer Pearl Abyss. The game was first announced in 2019, but has been facing several delays due to various reasons. It has a medieval fantasy setting and is set on a continent called Pywel, which is embroiled in war for power. Kliff, the protagonist, is a mercenary who finds himself troubled by the burdens of leadership and painful memories of his past. He, along with his company, embarks to save Pywel from power-hungry forces and impending catastrophe.

The game places emphasis on action combat and open-world exploration. It takes inspiration from popular titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

4. 007 First Light

Release Date - March 27, 2026

Platforms - PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch 2

007 First Light is an upcoming action-adventure title by Hitman maker IO Interactive. It is an entirely new intellectual property (IP), which reimagines the origin story of James Bond. The game is centred around a 26-year-old Bond who must earn his ‘00' status, starting as a brash Royal Navy air crewman. His reckless bravery lands him on MI6's training programme, and he eventually works his way to ‘00' status.

The game features a mix of combat, driving, stealth, and gadgets gameplay, built in IO Interactive's proprietary Glacier engine.

GTA: VI

Release Date - May 26, 2026

Platforms - PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Grand Theft Auto VI, or GTA VI, is Rockstar Games' long-awaited follow-up to GTA 5. It is, perhaps, the most anticipated game of all time. GTA VI will take players back to Vice City, a fictionalised version of Miami, for the first time since 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game features dual protagonists, Jason and Lucia, who embark on Bonnie & Clyde-style adventures.

The couple attempts to make their mark in Vice City and the larger state of Florida-inspired Leonida, while escaping the law. There are classic GTA elements, like fast cars, blazing guns, a boatload of money, and lots of action.