Video games releasing in January 2025

Welcome to 2025! With the biggest game in the world — Grand Theft Auto VI — due to release sometimes this year, it’s set to be a big one. Until then, January is kicking off the year in style, with some highly anticipated entries into fan-favourite franchises.

Here are our most anticipated games releasing in January 2025:

Hyper Light Breaker – Early Access

From acclaimed developers Heart Machine, Hyper Light Breaker is the next entry into the world of Hyper Light — the universe where Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash are set. Launching into early access, the ambitious bullet-hell rogue-lite is promising infinite open worlds, endless loadouts, and unlimited deaths!

With intense and punishing combat like Drifter, and the fast and fluid traversal of Solar Ash; Breaker looks to be taking the best bits from its predecessors and rolling them together in one big co-op ARPG package.

Jump in solo or with friends and explore massive biomes in style with wall-dashing, a hoverboard and even a glider at your disposal. The expansive world is painted in a vibrant alien colour-palette, with pops of bright neon, that we don’t get to see from games often enough.

Hyper Light Breaker releases into early access on Steam on January 15th.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Beloved Wii 2D platformer Donkey Kong Country Returns makes its way onto the Switch. The port brings enhanced visuals, a modern game mode, and 80 levels — including the eight extra levels that were exclusive to the 3DS version of the game.

After the Tiki Tak Tribe steal the Kongs’ banana stash, Diddy and DK set out on a wild adventure to reclaim their lost fruit. Barrel through Donkey Kong island solo, or with a friend in local co-op, stomping enemies, riding minecarts and blasting out of barrels.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD rolls onto the Nintendo Switch on January 16th.

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Dynasty Warriors: Origins

From Koei Tecmo, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the latest entry into the long running Dynasty Warriors franchise. Set in mainland China during the late Eastern Han period, the world lies in chaos. Poverty, famine, and political corruption are rife, inevitably leading to war. In a new direction for the series, you play an original character, the ‘nameless protagonist’, who has lost his memories, but has the combat prowess of a fierce warrior. 

The ‘1 vs 1000’ style of gameplay looks more intense than ever, clashing against immense armies that stretch as far as the eye can see. Use tactics to command your allies to perform strategic actions, like flanking the enemy with a cavalry charge, while you cut through swathes of soldiers in 3rd person combat and battle formidable generals. As the story unfolds, you’ll cross paths with legendary characters from the series — both friends and foes — such as Cao Cao, Lu Bu and Guan Yu.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins marches out on January 17th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Eternal Strands

Eternal Strands is the debut title from Yellow Brick Games. An action-adventure fantasy with freedom of exploration, intricate magic systems, and colossal boss fights.

You play as Brynn, a young magic weaver determined to return her people to their ancestral home. With the ability to climb and interact with almost anything, the world of Eternal Strands is ripe for exploration.

The physics-based magic systems look impressively complex. Use arcane skills to create bridges of ice over pits of lava, freeze a dragon’s wings forcing it to the ground, throw projectiles back at enemies with kinetic magic, or start a grassfire that spreads amongst your enemies and burns down barriers blocking your way.

Weave your own journey in Eternal Strands on January 29th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

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Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

In Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, Geralt of Rivea himself — Doug Cockle — returns to narrate the much anticipated sequel. The action RPG follows new protagonist Arlo on his perilous quest through the snow-ravaged lands, to defeat an ancient evil.

The brutal soulslike combat is back, with dodge-rolls, parry bashes, and gruesome executions to boot. With an arsenal of weaponry and deadly traps at your disposal, you’ll be bringing even the most ferocious monsters to heel.

The new threat, the Dark Wings, with their glowing blue eyes, never-ending march south, and giant fire-breathing bat-dragon mounts, give off white walker vibes! And with the subtitle ‘Whiskers of Winter’ being so close to the title GRR Martin’s long awaited sequel ‘The Winds of Winter’, there’s clearly a nod to Game of Thrones here. Additionally, with Doug Cockle’s narration, and the addition of legendary monsters to slay around the realm, the game is also giving off big Witcher energy.

You can grab Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter on January 29th for PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

In 2022 the dice-based RPG Citizen Sleeper made a splash with its dystopian sci-fi setting, emotional story, and complex management systems. This month, the eagerly awaited sequel, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is set to drop.

You play as an amnesiac android, travelling across the Starward Belt, running from the corporation that made you. Find a ship, assemble a crew, and stay one step ahead of your pursuers. With a myriad of contracts to undertake, crew mates to choose from, and stories to explore; the tabletop-inspired RPG looks to offer plenty of choice to its players.
Citizen Sleeper 2 brings a bigger, more diverse world than its predecessor, with the freedom to travel between multiple hubs within an asteroid belt, instead of being confined to a single space station. With an abundance of options available, it’ll be up to you to choose where to go and what story threads to pull on.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector launches on January 31st for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

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More games releasing in January 2025:

Miss last month’s list? Check it out below.