The Game Awards 2025 on Thursday brought the biggest night of gaming back. Alongside celebrating different genres of games and recognizing the vaunted game of the year, the awards are a huge stage for showing off trailers for upcoming games.
Competition for this year’s awards was fierce (just check out our own CNET Group Game of the Year picks), from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Hades 2 to Silksong to Donkey Kong Bananza and more. While the ultimate winner of The Game Awards’ own Game of the Year wasn’t too surprising, with Clair Obscur cleaning up many of the earlier awards already, it was well-deserved — and they capped off their GOTY speech by announcing their previously announced patch 1.5 would be dropping tonight.
As we close out 2025, we look ahead to the next year or two. The new games shown off included several rumored debuts, including of Baldur’s Gate 3 maker Larian’s next project — another entry in the company’s Divinity series of RPGs. Combined with a return of Lara Croft, a new Star Wars game, the latest Jonathan Blow game since 2016’s The Witness, a new Remedy game and more, the show packed in a ton of reveals.
The best trailers at The Game Awards 2025
Resident Evil Requiem
While we got a taste of Capcom’s next big horror game, Resident Evil Requiem, at Summer Game Fest, we only got a tease of Grace Ashcroft’s more terrifying gameplay being pursued by powerful monsters. But this trailer gave us a peek at the other half of the game, and series favorite Leon Kennedy is indeed returning to kick some butt.
Control Resonant
Control Resonant, the next game from Alan Wake creator Remedy, has been revealed. The protagonist from 2019’s Control, Jesse Faden, is nowhere to be found — and the mysterious Board behind the Federal Bureau of Control has tapped her brother, the antagonist of the first game, to head into an NYC overcome by the invading Hiss.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
The second DLC for Diablo 4 was revealed at the awards, showcasing the titular lord of Hatred, Mephisto, one of the prime evils players first fought in Diablo 2. And they’ll be able to challenge him with new tools, as the expansion features the Paladin class of holy warriors.
Highguard
Launching out of stealth as a secret project from Apex Legends and Titanfall studio Respawn, Highguard looks to be a multiplayer shooter with armored medieval brawlers wielding guns. Best of all, it’s playable in less than two months when it drops on Jan. 26, 2026.
Divinity
Larian’s next adventure has finally been revealed. After the massively successful Baldur’s Gate 3, the studio is shifting from Dungeons and Dragons back to its own universe in Divinity, the third game. While this teaser didn’t reveal any gameplay, it sure set the tone for whatever is coming in the next Divinity — presumably an RPG.
Lara Croft Catalyst & Legacy of Atlantis
Lara Croft has finally returned — and actually, she’s returning twice. Lara Croft: Legacy of Atlantis (trailer here), coming in 2026, features the heroine in her original teal shirt getup as a remake of the original ’96 game, while the new Lara Croft: Catalyst (trailer above) will arrive in 2027.
Exodus
The debut game from Archetype Entertainment, a studio made up of former Mass Effect developers, has revealed its focus and plot: set in far-flung space, the human Jun must unlock hidden powers to save the universe against the Celestial horde. Though its third-person action RPG gameplay resembles Mass Effect, its hard science fiction setting and inspirations of the film Interstellar and the book series Dune promise a new, dynamic adventure for players when Exodus arrives in 2027.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
The next game in the Ace Combat series — the first since Ace Combat 7 in 2019, which launched on last-gen consoles — extends the story of fictional nation Strangereal’s geopolitical strife. This time, players control a pilot rescued from the sea by the crew of an antiquated aircraft carrier, who must then take flight to save their country.
Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons
Battlestar Galactica queen Tricia Helfer introduced the next game set in the Dungeons & Dragons worlds: Warlock, which follows a warrior who’s made a dark pact to change her fate.
Star Wars: Fate of the Republic
While this was more a vibes trailer than a gameplay reveal, a new Star Wars is always a fun thing to get excited for.
Total War: Warhammer 40K
Total War is returning to Warhammer, but this time, in its bleak future. Actor David Harbour introduced the game on stage and revealed he’s playing a part, so expect some galactic conquest in the grim future when Total War: Warhammer 40K drops
Phantom Blade Zero
The next big Soulslike, Phantom Blade Zero, got another trailer hinting at the dark fantasy story behind the difficult, high-performance action.
Star Wars Galactic Racer
The second Star Wars reveal of the night was far more lighthearted — a return to the kind of racing action that made Star Wars Episode 1: Racer an iconic experience. While this game seems more about car-shaped landspeeders than podracers, it promises high-octane thrills that will hopefully measure up to your childhood memroies.
