6 Upcoming Sports Games We Can’t Wait to Play
Jan 10, 2025
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Most sports video games base themselves on real leagues, but they transport you to fantasy worlds where you control the athletes or manage professional teams. Imagine winning the NBA Finals, the FIFA World Cup and the NFL Super Bowl without leaving your living room.
Thanks to these new sports games coming out, you can have dreams of sporting greatness for as long as you want. What is the latest in sports video game news? Which are upcoming on the calendar during 2025? Here are six you’ll want to play.
6 Sports Games Coming Out in 2025
2025 promises to be an excellent year for new sports games. Some game titles present new versions, while others return after long absences, and with the first official Olympic eSports Games taking place in 2025, there’s further incentive to get your game face on. Add these upcoming sports video games to your wishlist.
1. Football Manager 25
Virtual soccer managers worldwide await the delayed release of the latest version of Sports Interactive’s Football Manager series. Now set for release in March, Football Manager 25 (FM25) promises much with its brand-new Unity game engine, although ensuring this is correctly functioning is the primary reason for the delay. Its release promises to add an excellent soccer game to some legendary ones already circulating.
While Sports Interactive has omitted many well-known standards in FM25, including the international management, Create-a-Club, Challenge Mode and Fantasy Draft features, the latest version debuts women’s football leagues for the first time – a notable progressive step in the gameplay.
In addition, the popular game franchise has secured a partnership with the English Premier League for the first time in its long and successful history. With Unity promising a more intuitive user interface and enhanced graphics, and the return of improved Create-a-Club, Challenge Mode and international management features in 2026, Football Manager fanatics still have many reasons to be cheerful.
2. Skate
Due to its prolonged hiatus, Skate joins the upcoming sports games fans are clamoring for. EA released the most recent title — Skate 3 — in 2010 after a few popular games starting in 2007. Yes, it’s officially called “Skate,” like the original game, but fans all over are referring to the new release as Skate 4. The original titles were only available on consoles, but there’s also PC gameplay and Steam access for the version coming in 2025.
So, when will EA release the new Skate game? The official launch date is uncertain, but popular belief sets its Early Access launch in early 2025. PC gamers already got an exclusive playtest of Skate in February and March last year, with information from these sessions not publicly available due to non-disclosure agreements (NDA). If you’re impatient for Skate 4’s release, you shouldn’t have too much longer to wait for the game’s debut.
3. PGA Tour 2K25
PGA Tour 2K25 from 2K and Take-Two Interactive is on the way, but online golfing enthusiasts will have to wait a while longer before it hits the shelves. There’s been no announcement about which platforms it’ll release on when it arrives in Quarter 4 of this year. Expect a Steam release alongside PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions, at least.
The developers offer no clue about PGA Tour 2K25’s release on older generation systems, while pricing and edition status will also remain a mystery for now. Based on the last release, PGA Tour 2K23, you can expect four or five editions if you include a Cross-Gen and Deluxe edition.
There’s much left to reveal in PGA Tour 2K25, but you’ll surely enjoy a well-rounded virtual golfing experience if past versions are anything to go by. Will the Course Creator feature remain? You’ll still have the creative Topgolf and Divot Derby features and several single and multi-user gameplay modes. Wait for October to December 2025 to find out.
4. Descenders Next
The full sequel to the popular and highly rated indie game, 2018’s mountain biking release Descenders, comes with a twist. Developer RageSquid and publisher No More Robots have gone even more extreme, replacing downhill mountain bikes with snowboards and mountain boards in the sequel.
With the original having an overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam, Descenders Next has much to live up to. Mountain biking fans feeling deprived will be happy that the older game will continue receiving updates long after the second Descenders release.
You can expect Descenders Next to drop in 2025 on Steam and through Game Pass, and for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S to start. A PlayStation version will likely follow a while later. Featuring a rep system that allows the unlocking of threads, boards and gear, and tools to capture your downhill exploits, Descenders Next looks set to top the original.
5. Madden NFL 2026
As long as the NFL exists, you can nearly guarantee there will be a video game before the season begins. Madden NFL is one of the most popular sports video games, and the upcoming title will likely build on previous successes. Last year, Madden NFL 25 was August’s biggest seller as the popular game’s 25-year successful run continued.
What’s new in the Madden NFL 2026 edition? It’s still too early to say, but there’s little doubt the latest release will follow the same format that has formed its success for over a generation. The 2026 edition will drop in August 2025, and pre-ordering the deluxe edition means you’ll get access three days earlier than everybody else.
A year after rumored NFL dissatisfaction with Madden NFL 2024, last year’s release saw a smoother re-engineered physics system and enhanced FieldSENSE that will carry through to this August’s release. So you can expect the promise of similarly improved graphics and natural gameplay to last year in Madden NFL 2026. There’ll likely not be too many other surprises this time, but you don’t need them, do you?
6. NBA 2k26
Another sports video game staple coming out, likely this fall, is NBA 2k26. The popular basketball title has hit the shelves annually since 1999 and remains among sports’ most popular gaming titles. What should you expect from the next release?
The anticipated release date will likely be September 2025, after the Labor Day weekend — a burning question before every NBA 2K game release concerns who’ll feature on the cover. Last year saw Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and 2024 Hall of Famer Vince Carter form a star-studded cover trio, so who will grace the next one?
The game typically selects players who haven’t previously adorned a cover, so expect Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and Breanna Stewart to be frontrunners. Considering the incredible record-breaking feats of LeBron James this season, could there be a break in tradition in recognition?
NBA 2K26 will see many prominent game modes that gamers love return. Expect MyCareer and MyTeam options to encourage your squad leadership toward a coveted NBA Finals berth, with potentially improved storylines making the former even more intriguing. Undoubtedly, AI will play a part as technology improves player movement and reaction times. These are only some possible NBA 2K26 enhancements that make it a game worth waiting for.
2024’s Sports Games That Left a Mark
2024 was a prime year for debuting sports video games debut. If you haven’t yet, give these titles a try:
- BMX Streets
- EA Sports College Football 25
- F1 Manager 2024
- Madden NFL 25
- MLB The Show 24
- NBA 2K25
- Rugby 24
- Star Racer
- TopSpin 2k25
- Turbo Golf Racing
- Undisputed
- WWE 2k24
Waiting for the Upcoming Sports Video Games
Sports video games are unique because they let you participate in competitive leagues. What game titles are you looking forward to playing on release in 2025? Much depends on personal preference and whether you’re a football, soccer, basketball, golf or extreme sports fan. Needless to say, there’s something for everyone each year.
Originally posted May 31, 2024 – Updated January 10, 2025
Featured image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
