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New games of 2021: all the upcoming PC games to watch for

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Here are the upcoming games of 2021 we think you should watch for, broken down by month.

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The year is half over already but there are still so many new 2021 games to look forward to from July through December. The beginning of 2021 initially felt a little quiet, but that gave us a chance to pay attention to a few unexpected hits like Valheim and Loop Hero. Now that the summer has begun and E3 announcements are freshly behind us, we're starting to look forward to some of the biggest launches yet to come in 2021.

Some of the biggest games of 2021 got delayed from earlier in the year to this autumn and holiday season, which isn't as disappointing now that we're so much closer to that point in the year. More of the biggest new 2021 games are just around the corner. Again.

Best of the best

Hades artwork.

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Best PC games: All-time favorites
Best free PC games: Freebie fest
Best laptop games: Low-specs

The biggest new games of 2021 are also launching on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which means developers have more power at their disposal while designing them. The PC versions will hopefully benefit as well. 

Covid-19 caused some games to be delayed from 2020 to 2021, but it's making an even bigger impact this year. Expect more as the year goes on and developers continue working from home. As we did last year, we'll keep this list of the games of 2021 updated with new release dates and delay announcements. And on the bright side, for every game that gets delayed, something new and exciting pops up too. PC gaming is never boring.

This is your big guide to the games to watch in 2021, which we've organized by month to help you look ahead. At the top we've highlighted the biggest and most anticipated games launching this year. At the bottom are 2021 games with release dates "TBA"—things that should be (or we hope will be) arriving this year—but haven't yet committed to a release date.

2021 Games: The biggest releases

As game studios switched to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of big releases originally planned for launch in 2020 got pushed back. Now there are plenty of big games, both delayed and newly announced, to look forward to in 2021. Here are the most anticipated games of this year to watch for.

Murder sandbox

Hitman 3 | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. We gave this stealth finale a 90% in our Hitman 3 review.

Resident Evil Village | Survival Horrors | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.

New World | Amazon-powered MMO | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.

Deathloop | FPS Sandbox | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure, and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours, or start over.

THAT YOU, VAAS?

Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.

Back 4 Blood | Co-op zombie murder | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.

Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters. 

Age of Empires 4 | Strategic Return| October 28
Relic has a lot to live up to with this highly anticipated follow-up to a classic real-time strategy series. Trailers suggest it'll follow in the footsteps of the well-liked Age of Empires 2, which would be the safe play.

Ruined King | LoL RPG | 2021
Riot continues to broaden its portfolio with Ruined King, a spinoff League of Legends story taking the form of a turn-based RPG. The game stars a handful of League heroes making the jump from MOBA to RPG: Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke.

Chief is back

Halo Infinite | 2021
The Chief is back in the long-awaited next game in 343 Industries' take on Halo. The Banished are back for Master Chief to tangle with, and this time he's got a grappling hook! Taking a page from other FPS series, Infinite's multiplayer will actually be free to play while the campaign will be purchased as usual.

2021 games: January

January's release schedule this year is the home of at least one game that flung itself into 2021 when Cyberpunk 2077 got its final delay into December 2020. Bloober Team's next horror adventure The Medium didn't want to compete with the biggest developer in Poland, apparently. We're also being treated to a new Hitman this month among other surprise delights.

January new game highlights

Murder sandbox

Hitman 3 | January 20
Agent 47 is back for more comedy assassination hijinks, and progress from Hitman 2 will carry over—in fact, you'll be able to play the maps from both of the last two Hitmans in Hitman 3. Get more intel in our Hitman 3 review.

The Medium | January 28
Bloober Team is back with another horror game, this time one that takes place in two planes of existence. As the titular medium, you'll use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles that take place between both realities. Get a full reading in our The Medium review.

Yakuza: Remastered Collection | January 28
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The collection includes remastered versions Yakuzas 3, 4, and 5, making up the middle chunk of Kiryu Kazuma's punching adventures in Kamurocho.

January 2021 game releases

2021 games: February

February is full of sequels and spinoffs in popular series like Nioh 2, Little Nightmares 2, and Persona 5 Strikers. This month has also turned into the release window for several early access games that plan to continue development throughout this year.

February new game highlights

Odin's choice

Valheim | February 2
Valheim calls itself a brutal survival game but you might be best off thinking of it as Viking Minecraft with bosses. It's got a huge open world of crafting and survival that's especially fun in co-op. Check out our Valheim tips if you want to get started.

Nioh 2 | February 5
Team Ninja's next action RPG maintains its Souls-inspired roots but continues to spice up its samurai combat with a new yokai form for your half-demon protagonist. Get a look at the successes of the sequel in our Nioh 2 review.

Little Nightmares 2 | February 10
Tarsier Studios has cooked up a sequel to its grim and spooky platformer. As young children Mono and Six, you'll sneak your way through the horrible nightmare world. Take a peek at our Little Nightmares 2 review.

Hellish Quart (early access)| February 16
Hellish Quart looks like the ultimate test of your mettle. The physics-based battles between 17th century combatants use all manner of weaponry in its fencing battles. It could just be the ultimate fighting game. Check out our Hellish Quart impressions before you take a stab yourself.

February 2021 game releases

2021 games: March

March is the month we'll be able to sit down with our friends to play the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, It Takes Two. It's also bringing some long-awaited follow-up games like Evil Genius 2, Shelter 3, and Crash Bandicoot 4. 

March new game highlights

Romcom Co-op

It Takes Two | March 26
Hazelight returns with another co-op adventure, though It Takes Two looks much lighter in tone than the prison escape adventure A Way Out. Check out our It Takes Two review for details on the co-op bash.

Loop Hero | March 4
Loop Hero is another early indie gem of 2021. This procedural "micro RPG" is all about playing your cards right so your heros can battle their way through successive loops of traps and enemies. Take a spin through our Loop Hero review for more.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | March 25
At long last, almost all of the Yakuza series will be on PC. The Song of Life is the last Yakuza game starring stoic punch machine Kazuma Kiryu and a fitting finale to the original series. Our Yakuza 6 review explains how Kiryu's finale holds its own.

Evil Genius 2 | March 30
Evil Genius 2 is finally arriving, Rebellion's follow up to the old RTS from 2004. Build your lair and train your minions and become the best bad manager you can be while defending against the nefarious good guys. Get the rest of the schemes in our Evil Genius 2 review.

March 2021 game releases

2021 games: April

April wound up a little light after some big delays, but there are a few indie gems to keep an eye on along with looter shooter Outriders. Nier: Replicant's PC release hits this month too, which will surely keep you busy.

April new game highlights

Riding shotgun

Outriders | April 1
This action FPS from People Can Fly is a class-based shooter that may look a lot like Destiny at first glance. Our Outriders review digs into the specifics on why this one doesn't quite hit the mark.

Cozy Grove | April 8
This super cute collectathon island adventure might be as close as we'll get to Animal Crossing on PC. You're play as an adorable Spirit Scout getting to know the local ghosts which are even more adorable bears.

Nier Replicant | April 23
The predecessor to Automata is finally arriving on PC. Like Automata, Replicant dabbles in several genres aside from just being a straightforward RPG. Our Nier Replicant review confirms that it's still a classic.

April 2021 game releases

2021 games: May

May is an action-packed month with the long-awaited martial arts cat adventure Biomutant, and Resident Evil Village. If you aren't one for all that heart-pounding combat, maybe Skate City is more your speed. 

May new game highlights

E-village

Resident Evil Village | May 7
The eighth mainline Resident Evil game picks up where RE7 left off, with Ethan Winters investigating a new threat in an extremely creepy village. Sneak a peek in our Resident Evil Village review.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition | May 14
BioWare's space trilogy has taken flight again with a remastered edition. It may not be an astronomical upgrade from the originals, but if you have yet to play the trilogy, this is the best way to do it. Get your entire flight plan in our Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition review.

Biomutant | May 25
Experiment 101's long-awaited gritty cat RPG is finally here. It's an post-apocalyptic open world full of mutant animal characters whose physical attributes actually reflect their RPG stats. It sure looks pretty, but it wound up a bit disappointing, according to our Biomutant review.

May 2021 game releases

2021 games: June

June is heating up with lots of familiar favorites. Legend Of Mana's HD remaster is arriving on PC along with the Ninja Gaiden master collection. The long-awaited Chivalry 2 is finally dropping this month as well, which should be plenty of chaos for the month.

June new game highlights

It's not dead

Chivalry 2 | June 8
Medieval fighting is having a comeback when Torn Banner Studios release the sequel to their competitive sword battling game. Battles can be bigger than ever this time with 64-player objective maps to tackle. Torn Banner has raised the standard again, according to our Chivalry 2 review.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 | June 4
Contracts 2 is going further than its predecessor with even longer range shots than before. This stealth FPS now has 1000 meter shots to tackle across its campaign. Get your briefing in our Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 review.

Backbone | June 8
This detective adventure game stars a raccoon in a trench coat but don't let that fool you. This one looks like a pretty dark, dystopian mystery story. Backbone has some super stylish visuals, what sounds like a great soundtrack, and a bit of stealth mixed with its point & click adventuring. Before you take a crack yourself, here's our Backbone impressions.

Scarlet Nexus | June 24
This sci-fi action RPG looks like a weird and wild adventure. You'll play a a psionic, a human with psychic abilities trained to fight the mutants called Others, which are wacky things giant human arms with a steam valve in the center. We break it all down in our Scarlet Nexus review.

June 2021 game releases

2021 games: July

July has turned into a strong month for some console series that are headed to PC. Monster Hunter series spinoff Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are both great gets for PC players. If those aren't your speed, there's more Warhammer this month too.

July new game highlights

Pocket Monsties

Monster Hunter Stories 2 | July 9
Monster Hunter Stories is the exceptionally cute spinoff series from the main Monster Hunter line. Unlike Monster Hunter World, you'll tame, befriend, and ride "monsties" and fight with them in turn-based battles. The series spinoff has hatched into a fine specimen, we say in our Monster Hunter Stories 2 review.

Cris Tales | July 20
Cris Tales is a very stylish love letter to classic JRPGs. Crisbell's turn-based battles all hinge on controlling time, seeing the effects of your attacks in the future and using them to prepare in the present.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | July 27
We're finally starting to get more Ace Attorney games on PC and this collection has two great lawyering adventures. Following an ancestor of legendary Phoenix Wright, this one takes you back to the 1800s.

The Forgotten City | July 28
Originally an impressive Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City has now expanded into a much bigger standalone game. It takes you back to ancient Rome to solve the mystery of a city whose citizens were all turned to gold.

July 2021 game releases

2021 games: August

Unless it winds up with another delay, August is officially the month that Amazon will push their first MMO out the door. It's joined by Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, the really lovely-looking action adventure we've had our eyes on since it was first revealed, and Amplitude's Civ-like Humankind.

August new game highlights

A world of strategy

Humankind | August 17
Aiming to evolve world-building strategy, Humankind looks like a possible rival to Civilization. Amplitude Studios are challenging players to create civilizations that change and survive rather than dominating opponents. 

Kena: Bridge of Spirits | August 24
The first game from former animation studio Ember Lab certainly looks the part. It's a very pretty world with shades of Zelda in its action combat and puzzling adventure. Let us guide you through it in our Kena: Bridge of Spirits preview.

New World | August 31
Amazon's premiere MMO has been in the works for a long time, and has almost released once already. It looks like 2021 will finally be the time for this promising realistic take on traditional MMOs.

August 2021 new game releases

2021 games: September

September is now host to a lot of Life Is Strange, between the new True Colors and a remaster of the original and its sequel. We're also looking forward to Arkane's new stylish shooter Deathloop and Rider's Republic too.

September new game highlights

LIVE DIE REPEAT

Deathloop | September 14
Arkane returns with another FPS adventure and this one sounds like a great time. Master assassin Colt is stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island where he'll have to sneak and plan and maneuver to kill all of his eight targets in 24 hours or start over.

Tales of Arise | September 10
The latest Tales JRPG has been a long time coming, but it's looking promising, with a new engine and bigger budget than the series has seen in years. Expect some very anime drama and even faster action-RPG combat than past Tales games.

September 2021 game releases

2021 games: October

October is still a ways out but thanks to Back 4 Blood's delay we know at least one trick we'll be treated to for the month. More spooky games will definitely hit the schedule throughout the year.

October new game highlights

THAT YOU, VAAS?

Far Cry 6 | October 7
Three years after fictionalizing Montana, Far Cry is back with the fictional Caribbean island Yara. This time around, the big baddie is El Presidente Antón Castillo, played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito.

Back 4 Blood | October 12
Turtle Rock Studios are returning to run and gun zombie co-op under a new name but don't be fooled, this is essentially a Left 4 Dead game, which we're all for.

Battlefield 2042 | Near-future FPS | October 22
Dice's next FPS is bigger than before, doubling the player count in online matches from the previous series standard. It also has extra ridiculous armaments like falling tanks with maneuvering thrusters. 

October 2021 game releases

2021 games: November

2021 games: December

  • December 7 — Dying Light 2 - Zombie-killing parkour
  • December ?? — Shredders - Open-world multiplayer snowboarding

2021 games: release dates to be announced

Clown monster

(Image credit: Mundfish)

There are plenty of games that have been announced for this year but without a specific date set just yet. There are also plenty of games here that were planned for 2020 and have slipped the mark, which we're anticipating will release at some point in 2021. You might also spot just a bit of wishful thinking here. Will Tunic finally launch this year? What about Hollow Knight: Silksong? We sure hope so.

What's moved to 2022?

Some games expected for 2021 have already announced delays to 2022, or just confirmed next year as their release date in the first place. Here's what you can look forward to next year:

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